| HEIGHT | 5' 9" | SHUTTLE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 185 lbs | VERTICAL | -- |
| 40 TIME | -- |
Devon Achane may yet to be a household name, but the 2022 season could change everything for potentially the fastest player in college football. During a kickoff return TD in 2020, he was clocked at over 22 MPH. Achane contributed to recording the second-fastest high school 800-meter relay of all time in all conditions in 2021 (1.23.38). After posting a 10.04-second time in the 100 meters and 20.31 in the 200 meters - the sixth-fastest in the world, Bruce Feldman included him in his '21 Freak List.
All of that speed means nothing without actual production on the field, which Achane provided in excess at Fort Bend Marshall High School:
After joining the program in College Station, it only took Achane three weeks of his true freshman season to crack a rotation that already featured Isaiah Spiller and RB-WR tweener Ainias Smith. As you can see, Achane's A&M numbers proved he belonged:
During the Aggies' 41-38 upset of Alabama last season, Achane generated 175 all-purpose yards, including a 96-yard kickoff return TD. Achane checks nearly all of the boxes in the tools department. The wiggle and the vision are just as present as the ovious all-world acceleration and speed. Devon is also a dangerous receiver with outstanding maneuverability after the catch.
Finding weaknesses in Achane's game is just as difficult as it is for Bijan Robinson, Zach Evans and Jahmyr Gibbs, the other three backs that, if they declare, could make up one of the most elite RB classes in history. That said, one detail concerning Achane does stand out: his 185-pound playing weight.
Asking Achane to pack on additional weight could be playing with fire. Speed kills in the NFL. And Achane may end up being the fastest back in the league. With Spiller in the 2022 draft class, Achane will have the opportunity to shine the spotlight on his potential with his first taste of featured carries with the Aggies.
A&M HC Jumbo Fisher and track coach Pat Henry work together to recruit dual-sport athletes, a relationship that began back when Fisher was the OC under Nick Saban in their LSU days. The prize acquisition from that partnerships for the Aggies has been Achane. In addition to aiding Fort Bend Marshall to the state championship game as both a junior and a senior, Achane was named the 2020 Gatorade State Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Texas.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0" | SHUTTLE | 3.84 seconds |
| WEIGHT | 215 lbs | VERTICAL | 37.3" |
| 40 TIME | 4.51 seconds |
ZACH EVANS | RB | OLE MISS REBELS | SUPER SOPHOMORE
As a 16-year-old in early 2019 at The Opening Finals presented by Nike+ in Frisco, Texas, Zach Evans tested with a 4.51-second 40-time, 3.84-second 5-10-5 Shuttle and a 37.3-inch vertical jump at 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds. If those measurements don't stand out, allow me the honors. Placing those testing results alongside NFL prospects from the last 10 seasons, that 40-time would land him in the 58th-percentile, the vertical jump in the 65th-percentile and that Pro Shuttle time would tie B.W. Webb (2013), a cornerback, for the fourth-fastest in NFL history and for the the fastest ever from a RB.
Even in comparison to the top football athletes in the world, Evans already had the size and testing to play at the highest level when the rest of us are chasing after female attention. But wait, there's more! Let's examine his career production:
Evans improved his game in each succesive prep season, and carried that development over to his TCU days. The Horned Frogs used a zone-heavy blocking scheme where Evans proved his ability to be equally succesful when attacking between the tackles or off the edge. While he only played in six games last season, he did enough to showcase his wares as a dangerous receiving threat (1.82 YPRR).
The TCU offense rarely utilized gap schemes. Evans ran behind pulling O-linemen on less than 10% of his carries in Fort Worth. And the system Gary Patterson endorsed did not incorporate RPOs. The switch to Ole Miss will provide Evans with an RPO crash course, offering one of the highest RPO rates in college football. And the Rebels use an equal mix of zone and gap concepts that should aid Evans' transition to the NFL.
Everything was falling into place for Evans to have his pick from a list of suitors 100 miles long. Evans proceeded to sign his national letter of intent with the University of Georgia. That said, he never publicly announced it. And then he ran into a bit of trouble during his senior season. While none of it involved law enforcement, a couple altercations with the North Shore coaching staff resulted in Evans being suspended multiple games, including the title game when the Mustangs' repeated as Class 6A Division 1 champs. The Bulldogs chose to release him from his NLI after the situation was revealed.
That said, we can all agree that teenagers have a penchant for opposing authority. In Evans' case, one of the altercations was simply a refusal to give up his cell phone. Until we see another issue with his attitude, Evans deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Evans carried North Shore High School toward finishing his junior and senior seasons nationally ranked as the No. 1 school. Following a monster junior season where the Mustangs finished with a perfect 16-0 record and capturing the highest state championship bracket (Class 6A Division 1) in Texas, Evans collected the MaxPreps Junior National Player of the Year honors. Prior to his senior season, Evans attended The Opening Regionals and Finals, running away with the show with his mouth watering athletic testing.
Evans participated in the Under Armour All-American Game, where he collected MVP honors after assembling 83 total yards and a TD. In a massive turn of events, Evans landed at TCU to become the first five-star, highest-rated recruit in TCU's football history. When Patterson and TCU agreed to mutually part ways midway through the '21 season, Evans transferred to the second-to-last school he officially visited prior to signing his NLI with the Horned Frogs: the Ole Miss Rebels.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11" | SHUTTLE | -- |
| WEIGHT | 200 lbs | VERTICAL | 36.0" |
| 40 TIME | 4.50 seconds |
JAHMYR GIBBS | RB | ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE | SUPER SOPHOMORE
Jahmyr Gibbs closed out his junior season at Dalton High School with 1,623 total yards and 21 TDs. It earned him a three-star consensus rating across scouting outlets. But Gibbs wasn't satisfied. He set out during that offseason to transform his body into something special. In a matter of a few months Gibbs, who played at 175 pounds in 2018, added over 20 pounds of muscle to his 5-foot-11 frame.
Jahmyr entered his final season at Dalton with a chip of his shoulder. In their first game of the season, Gibbs unleashed himself upon opposing Ringgold. On only 23 carries, he ran for 420 yards (10th-most in Georgia high school (GHSA) history) to go along with eight TDs (second-most). By the end of the season, he had racked up 2,554 rushing yards (17th-most in GHSA history) and 40 TDs (11th-most). And all while playing in Class 6A, the state's second-highest classification. His 70 career rushing TDs are 33rd-most in GHSA history.
That dedication to improving his athleticism led to recording a 40-time of 4.50 seconds and a 36-inch vertical jump. Compared to prospects testing at the NFL Combine over the last 10 years, that 40 time would place him in the 60th-percentile and the vertical in the 57th-percentile. Let's examine his production at Dalton:
It doesn't take very long to see something special from Gibbs' tape. Outstanding balance, incredible acceleration and, perhaps his finest trait, elite vision. Another of his top tools, which will become vital if he continues to teeter around 200 pounds at the next level, is an innate ability to make defenders miss. It may read as cliche that Gibbs possesses the speed, polished arsenal of moves (i.e., wiggle, stiff arm, spins) and power to run through the middle, but it's another deal entirely to see the finished product with your own eyes.
As if we needed further convincing, his production at Georgia Tech underlines the excellent hands and expanded catch radius that we see on his tape:
Should Gibbs join Bijan Robinson, Zach Evans and Devon Achane with very possible '23 draft declarations, we may see four of the top-five RBs in college football enter the NFL in the same class. They would easily stand up to any RB class in draft history from a top-heavy perspective. The most significant issue for teams looking to draft one of these elite RBs will be settling on just one.
Like the other three, Gibbs is a near-perfect RB prospect. Packing on an additional 10 pounds would be ideal. And the only experience box that will likely remain unchecked upon entering the NFL is a lack of carries behind man blocking - far from a negative for a dynamic RB his size.
When scouting outlets reclassified Gibbs as a four-star prospect following his senior explosion, all of the top programs in the nation fought for the right to convince him to decommit from his Georgia Tech pledge. Alabama led that charge. But Gibbs remained true to his promise to join the Yellow Jackets.
When Gibbs finally made the decision to enter the transfer portal after two seasons under Geoff Collins, Georgia Tech had just closed the '21 season with humiliating defeats at the hands of Notre Dame and Georgia where they were outscored 100-0. Gibbs' numbers dipped in Year 2, but he was still the Yellow Jackets' leading rusher, leading kickoff returner and third-leading receiver.
| HEIGHT | 6' 0" | SHUTTLE | 4.57 seconds |
| WEIGHT | 221 lbs | VERTICAL | 36 3/4" |
| 40 TIME | 4.48 seconds |
The very first time Bijan Robinson ever worked out in a gym, Bijan bench pressed 185 pounds as a 15-year-old. His physique may blend in at the college level, but he stood out as a man amongst children in high school. As you can see above, Bijan posted some athletic measurements that don't mesh with his play speed on tape. But we need to focus on the date. That testing also took place when Robinson was only 15. In 2018, it was reported that, after raising his weight to 205 pounds, he had cut his 40-time down from 4.59 to 4.48.
In the same article linked above, Robinson's high school HC, Dennis Bene, was quoted making reference to two important details concerning Bijan's future:
He's got incredible hands. He's probably the best, one of the best pass-catching running backs in the country. And I think in these spread offenses he's exactly what people are looking for.
His ability as a receiver is also verified by his tape with Texas. Soft hands, the ability to work out of the slot and an instant transition to playmaking after the catch. The second important detail from that quote is Bijan being perfectly suited to a Spread attack. Robinson absolutely shredded behind Outside Zone (Stretch) blocking, but also had plenty of success on Inside Zone. He's a one-cut-and-go slasher with incredible burst. Robinson also provided all the evidence we need to keep our fingers crossed he is paired with a dual-threat QB in the NFL.
Bijan can do it all. With his combination of size and speed, Robinson doesn't need to do much dancing. That said, he saves those moves for safeties at the second-level to turn big gains into house visits. In two seasons with the Longhorns, the team has compiled a 12-10 record. And 12 of those games were decided by a single score - mainly thanks to below-average defenses. It's a significant factor that has prevented Robinson from generating anything close to his ceiling numbers.
Is Robinson a perfect RB prospect? He can confidently be placed right alongside Jonathan Taylor, Javonte Williams and Breece Hall in the closest-to-perfect category as it gets. If we want to nitpick, complaints could be made against his excessive usage. But history suggests that usage rates are unrelated to career longevity. The factor that we need to be concerned with is the knee injury history. Outside of missing a couple games due to minor ailments, Robinson's history checks out.
Robinson is a football legend in the state of Arizona. And that's in spite of playing in southern Arizona, nearly two hours from Phoenix - the heart of football in the state. To cement the reasoning behind that reputation, as well as his standing as the top RB in Vegas' current '23 Heisman Trophy odds, take a look at the following data:
Robinson is the all-time leader in career touchdowns (114), second in career rushing yards (7,036) and the only to ever rush for at least 2,000 yards in three consecutive seasons in Arizona high school history. His prep numbers may seem incredible, but his coach would typically sit him after halftime to keep him from getting hurt. Robinson didn't lose a single regular season game during his three years as the starter at Salpointe Catholic, compiling a 35-3 record (92% winning percentage). All three of his defeats took place in the playoffs - two in the state championship against Saguaro. In those losses, Robinson averaged 146 rushing yards and 23.8 FPG.
But legends are never entirely rooted in numbers. Bijan's natural pedigree dates back to his uncle, Paul Robinson, who originally earned a track scholarship from the University of Arizona. When that scholarship expired, Paul captured RB2 responsibilities on the football team. It certainly paid off after being selected in the third round by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft. Playing in the inaugural season for the Bengals, Robinson scored their first ever offensive TD, earned AFL Rookie of the Year honors and finished second behind Joe Namath in the MVP voting.
The numbers from Robinson's first two seasons in Austin are nearly identical to those from his first two at Salpointe Catholic. If Bijan manages to post anything close to the success he had as a HS junior this season, we may need to save some space in his profile next tohis shoe-in addition as a future NFL bell-cow for being selected in the first round.
| HEIGHT | 5' 11" | SHUTTLE | 4.26 seconds |
| WEIGHT | 224 lbs | VERTICAL | 33.5" |
| 40 TIME | 4.90 seconds |
Chris Rodriguez Jr.'s career has been built upon a foundation of development. A wrecking ball of a RB, Rodriguez credits playing center until the seventh grade for developing his physical running style. Attending Class 5A Ola High School in McDonough, Georgia, Rodriguez assisted his team to advance more than 100 spots in the state rankings from the season prior to taking over as lead back. His consistent development was apparent in his HS production:
Selected as First Team All-SEC team last season, Rodriguez is the definition of a power back that gets better with each subsequent carry. Over his last two seasons, he's created 0.83 FPs/carry (79% carries, 70% yards, 60% TDs) during the first three quarters of play. As defenses tire from tackling him, Rodriguez's efficiency improves to 1.59 FPs/carry (20% carries, 29% yards, 40% TDs) during the fourth quarter.
All RBs can't be classified alongside the Bijan Robinson, Zach Evans, Jahmyr Gibbs and Devon Achane's of the world. But Rodriguez's already significant upside as a future early-down, short-yardage and goal-line back would blow up if he can make a few adjustments.
While Rodriguez has been blessed with a full reportoire of work behind each of the important concepts, we need to see better efficiency on carries behind Man and Outside Zone (Stretch) blocking if he is to see that type of work in the NFL. And his data at UK really summarizes the most glaring weakness in his game:
Even with his impressive rushing numbers, Rodriguez's bottom line has been undercut by a lack of receiving production. Over his last six seasons of play, he's caught an average of 0.7 receptions/game and 7.2/year. Returning for his super junior year will provide Rodriguez with the opportunity to refine those areas of his game before entering the NFL.
Following his HS sophomore year, Rodriguez was invited to The Opening Regionals in Charlotte. The 40-time listed (4.90) was collected from that event when he was only 15 years, 6 months, 29 days old. But he is reportedly now running in the mid-to-high 4.5's.
In one 2016 game, he generated 391 yards and six TDs in a 51-50 victory over Eagle's Landing. Rodriguez ran for at least 200 yards in 24% and 100 yards in 70% of his at Ola games. He ecliped 100 yards in 69% of his games for the Wildcats last season.
