When will MS produce the next great tailback???

[Bane.sixpack]

Has not happened in a number of years, since Mullen got here:

2006 - Dixon
2007 - Elliot (injuries)
2008 - Barksdale (flame out), but Ballard ended up overachieving
2009 - none
2010 - none, maybe Griffin (injuries)
2011 - none
2012 - none, but Grindle was DD
2013 - Kailo and Shumpert have not stepped up
2014 - Hampton and Williams have not stepped up either
2015 - Dear maybe but is he a TB?
2016 - no one getting hype yet

WTF has happened?? MS used to produce a high level TB every year, now it seems like there is nothing but WRs and DEs.. Dixon is the last one who had the hype and produced.. damn near a decade ago

 

[Wizard.sixpack]

it'll be soon

 

[TheStateUofMS]

Cam Akers at Clinton (class of '17) is one of the top RB prospects in the nation

There's one right now. Let's see what Aires Williams and D. Lee turn into . Williams was a concensus 4 star and Lee a 3 star and they both look very talented.

Some say Cam Akers is one of the best athletes/RB to come of MS in several years, so that's the easy answer.

Dear could be considered an elite talent and he'll see some action at RB, so let's see how his career goes.

Kylin Hill which is a huge MSU lean is in the 2017 class with Akers and he's a consensus 4 star with elite talent.

 

[Miss.Stake]

Has not happened in a number of years, since Mullen got here:

2006 - Dixon
2007 - Elliot (injuries)
2008 - Barksdale (flame out), but Ballard ended up overachieving
2009 - none
2010 - none, maybe Griffin (injuries)
2011 - none
2012 - none, but Grindle was DD
2013 - Kailo and Shumpert have not stepped up
2014 - Hampton and Williams have not stepped up either
2015 - Dear maybe but is he a TB?
2016 - no one getting hype yet

WTF has happened?? MS used to produce a high level TB every year, now it seems like there is nothing but WRs and DEs.. Dixon is the last one who had the hype and produced.. damn near a decade ago

I don't have any evidence to back it up, but it may be because the best athletes don't want to be RB's anymore. RB's are lot more expendable in the NFL now and that's what the kids aspire to be. Much higher ceiling being a WR or a CB

 

[Bane.sixpack]

I don't have any evidence to back it up, but it may be because the best athletes don't want to be RB's anymore. RB's are lot more expendable in the NFL now and that's what the kids aspire to be. Much higher ceiling being a WR or a CB

Makes sense, also mirrors the spread up tempo offense stuff that is trending.. plus all the concussion stuff

 

[johnson86-1]

I don't have any evidence to back it up, but it may be because the best athletes don't want to be RB's anymore. RB's are lot more expendable in the NFL now and that's what the kids aspire to be. Much higher ceiling being a WR or a CB

I think this definitely plays a roll. But some of it is just MS football has gotten more sophisticated. The best athlete on each team pretty much played RB or was a QB that ran the ball alot. The exceptions were the freak athletes that were big enough that they were clearly OL/DL/TE or were skinny and tall and put at WR, and there were always a few schools that played a little more sophisticated on offense. So there weren't many potentially great RBs that somehow ended up playing other positions. Norwood was something like 6'0 and 165 in highschool (I think, and was like 185 at state?); how many high schools would he play receiver at now? It's not like MS was producing a great RB even every year, much less more than one a year, so just losing a few candidates each year could make a huge difference in how many show up as good RB prospects for college. if Malike Dear would have been the next great RB, that could easily put a three year gap where there isn't one that comes out of MS.

 

[Uncle Ruckus]

The kid out of Columbus, who some think is better than Akers, is legit. SEC bellcow legit. He's from Columbus and Akers is already committed to Bama so I think we know where he'll end up signing.

 

[RebelBruiser]

I've been wondering the same thing. Where are the 220-230 pounders who can run a 4.4?

You'd think we'd have one of those on occasion. The closest thing we've had in a while was Anthony Dixon.

Before that though, you had a run with Jerious Norwood, Deuce, Dicenzo Miller, etc. There was a decent string of quality backs coming out of Mississippi. Since Dixon though, the state hasn't really produced anything great with true NFL potential, unless I'm missing someone.

ETA: I do remember Stevan Ridley was actually from Natchez. I believe he made it to the NFL via LSU, but that's been rare lately.

 

[Sutterkane]

Ballard could've been a a decent NFL back but I think he's done after the injuries he's had.

 

[BugaPainTrain7]

I don't know what to think of Can Akers, he gets an offer from LSU then gives us the kiss of death saying LSU was his "Dream School."
Then commits to the Gumps...


I don't think he ends up at Alabama.

 

[Lee Corso]

Dontae Walker (also from Clinton) was the 2nd best player in the nation. I thought he was gonna be great!