I have begun compiling lists, position-by-position, of players I think could warrant an invite to the 2020 Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL.
I started with the QUARTERBACKS....now it's time for the guys they hand the ball to (and sometimes throw to).....RUNNING BACKS.
ZACK MOSS, Utah:
As of right now, Moss is probably the top returning senior running back in the country going into 2019 in my mind. He is a tough and physical runner who is not afraid of contact in the slightest. He takes on big hits and delivers them right back. He has good contact balance and has quick feet that allow him to avoid would-be tacklers in open space.
In 2018, Moss rushed for 1,092 yards and 11 touchdowns before going out for the season with a knee injury that ended up requiring surgery. He has had a great career at Utah and looks to return stronger next season with hopes of breaking the school's all-time rushing record (573 yards short of Eddie Johnson's record).
LAMICAL PERINE, Florida:
A stocky pinball of a running back. Perine is hard to bring down. He is much shiftier, elusive and quicker in the open field than his measurables and yards after contact might suggest.
Perine shared carries much of last season with Jordan Scarlett who declared for the NFL Draft. In 2018, he carried the ball 134 times for 826 yards and SEVEN touchdowns to go along with 13 receptions for 170 yards and ONE touchdown.
With the Gators losing Scarlett, Perine is in line to be the featured back in the offense. However, Florida will have to replace four starting offensive linemen so Perine will have to make some things happen on his own early in the season.
KE'SHAWN VAUGHN, Vanderbilt:
Vaughn was quietly one of the best running backs in the SEC and the nation last year. He transferred into the Vandy program out of Illinois after the 2016 season. He sat out 2017 due to transfer rules and in 2018, he rushed the ball 157 times for 1,244 yards (7.9 yards per carry) and 12 touchdowns to go along with 13 receptions for 170 yards and TWO touchdowns.
Vaughn has a quick and smooth change of direction ability. He does a good job of waiting on holes to open up and hitting them on time. He can make defenders miss but make no mistake about it, he isn't afraid to take them head-on either. He is not an easy guy to bring down. According to PFF, he averaged 5.28 yards after contact per rush attempt which led all SEC running backs.
In the Texas Bowl against Baylor, Vaughn tallied 243 yards and 161 of them came after contact. He is one of the top returning running backs in the SEC, along with Swift from Georgia.
REGGIE CORBIN, Illinois:
Corbin is one of my favorite backs in the 2019 senior class. He exploded into relevance last year and I don't mean that figuratively. Not only did he average 8.5 yards per carry (128 carries, 1,085 yards) but he led the country in runs of 50+ yards. He had SEVEN runs of 50-plus, FIVE of 60-plus, FOUR of 70-plus, and ONE of 80-plus yards (via Illini Inquirer).
Corbin comes packaged with speed, burst, agility and a good center of gravity and contact balance. When he hits the open field you can count it as six in the box score.
LEVANTE BELLAMY, Western Michigan:
FAST. Bellamy is regarded as one of the fastest players in college football. Coming out of high school he was clocked around the 4.41 mark in his 40-yard dash. During the 2018 summer conditioning period, he was clocked at 4.32 with a laser-timed 40.
Bellamy has never averaged less than 6.0 yards per carry in a season. In 2018, he carried the ball 205 times for 1,228 yards and SIX touchdowns. He also caught 30 passes for 185 yards and ONE touchdown.
- ADRIAN KILLINS, UCF
- JOSHUA KELLEY, UCLA
- BENNY LEMAY, Charlotte
- BJ SMITH, Troy
- CADE CARNEY, Wake Forest
- DAMAREA KEENER-CROCKETT, Missouri
- GEROLD BRIGHT, Utah State
- SCOTTIE PHILLIPS, Ole Miss
A couple guys have a chance to make some noise but I would consider them to be more along the lines of 'longshots.' That list includes...
- TAVIEN FEASTER, Clemson
- RICO DOWDLE, South Carolina
- DARIUS ANDERSON and/or SEWO OLOMILUA, TCU
- JORDAN CRONKRITE, USF
- JAMES GILBERT, Kansas State
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