On3 experts break down where things stand with top uncommitted running backs

With the flip of On3 top-100 prospect Chauncey Bowens from Florida to SEC East rival Georgia, another one of the nation’s top running back recruits stays off the board. Add to that the commitment of four-star Stacy Gage to UCF, and nearly half of the nation’s top RBs have already committed by the second weekend in June.

But there is still plenty of talent left out there, including four of the top five players at the position, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons and national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman have the latest on the country’s top uncommitted ballcarriers.

On3 Industry No. 1 RB Taylor Tatum

School: Longview (Texas)
On3 RPM: USC 76.9%, Oklahoma 4.6%, Michigan 3.9%

Expert’s Take: “Coming off his USC official visit, there’s a lot of optimism on the Trojans’ side with Taylor Tatum. He’s going to be part of Oklahoma’s big official visit weekend for the ChampU BBQ next weekend though. Oklahoma has been deemed the team that is coming on the strongest, and he is also expected to get back to Michigan, which has stayed in the hunt. I like Oklahoma and USC neck-and-neck, and I think we’re looking at an earlier commitment sometime between July and August.” — Sam Spiegelman, On3 national recruiting analyst

No. 2 RB Jerrick Gibson

School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
On3 RPM: Texas 92.5%, Florida 2.0%, Miami 1.5%

Expert’s Take: “I still like Texas’ position with Jerrick Gibson. Choice has built a relationship there with Gibson and his close circle. He is Texas’ top target and the Longhorns still look like they will be tough to beat. Miami is viewed as their biggest threat.” — Chad Simmons, On3 Director of Recruiting

No. 4 RB Jason Brown

School: Seattle (Wash.) O’Dea
On3 RPM: Oregon 29.8%, Washington 20.9%, Michigan State 17.9%, USC 11.3%

Expert’s Take: “Washington is trending for Jason Brown, a local target for the Huskies. He has flirted with other west coast schools like Oregon and USC, but Washington is the school others are chasing. He is set to visit Michigan State later this month.” — Chad Simmons, On3 Director of Recruiting

No. 5 RB Nathaniel Frazier

School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
On3 RPM: Oregon 29.7%, Alabama 25.9%, USC 11.4%, Georgia 9.5%

Expert’s Take: “Georgia has Nathaniel Frazier on campus this weekend for an unofficial visit and he is planning to take an official visit to Athens during the season. The Bulldogs have quietly been started to trend for the elite California playmaker. He is set to visit Oregon and Alabama officially over the next two weeks, but Georgia has the buzz. — Chad Simmons, On3 Director of Recruiting

No. 8 RB Kevin Riley

School: Northport (Ala.) Tuscaloosa County
On3 RPM: Alabama 30.5%, Ole Miss 26.7%, Auburn 12.0%, Miami 10.0%

Expert’s Take: “Kevin Riley likes to keep quiet about his recruitment. He’s working quietly to lock in a few official visits. Alabama and Auburn are two in-state programs that will always been mentioned with Riley, but the school I’m hearing the most about is Miami. The Hurricanes had Riley on campus this spring and I expect the ACC program to get him back to Coral Gables for an official visit.” — Chad Simmons, On3 Director of Recruiting

No. 10 RB Caden Durham

School: Duncanville (Texas)
On3 RPM: Oklahoma 51.2%, LSU 44.1%

Expert’s Take: “Caden Durham is another guy who Oklahoma is working on and will have on campus next week for its big official visit weekend. He’s at Michigan State this weekend, and LSU is the other team that’s really in this, along with Nebraska. It really looks to be a battle between Oklahoma and LSU, with the Tigers wanting him to be the featured No. 1 RB in their class, and they’re not recruiting other backs. It’s Durham or bust. Oklahoma has family ties all across the state, and the longer this takes I think it will get interesting. But I think OU remains the team to beat coming out of the spring and going into official visits.” — Sam Spiegelman, On3 national recruiting analyst

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