RB rankings a bit lean

The 2023 season has concluded and as we move into the new year it’s time to rank the class of 2024. The running back class is not as deep as a year ago, as only 20-25 will end up signing with D1 programs.

Running back has never been a position heavily recruited by D1 schools. Last season 30 recruits ended up signing at a D1 schools, which was the second best total on record next to the class of 2020 (37).

Despite the lack of attention from high-profile programs, the position has always produced some stars. Rachaad White (Mt. SAC), Rhamondre Stevenson (Cerritos) and Jaylen Warren (Snow) were three of the latest examples of success stories from the JUCO ranks. Will this class produce another?

Although his profile says he is only 5-foot-9, Copiah-Lincoln's Johnnie Daniels plays a lot bigger. He’s thick and quick with good vision and hands, making him the top running back prospect in the JCGridiron Running Back Rankings for the class of 2024.

Daniels had a sensational season in arguably the toughest conference in the nation when he rushed for 1,253 yards and 15 scores on the ground. He also collected 23 receptions and had two more scores through the air, making him a valuable commodity.

Daniels had as many as 10 offers on signing day and signed with Mississippi State, arriving in January.

Another bruising back came out of the Northern California ranks in Butte’s Christian Vaughn. At 5-foot-11 and 215 pounds, Vaughn was a load to handle both between the tackles and in the open field.

Vaughn piled up 1,456 yards on the ground, which led the Golden State and was second in the nation. He also had 18 scores on the ground, which was also second in the country.

Vaughn signed with Hawaii over a handful of other options on the early signing day in December.

Mt. San Antonio’s Nicholas Floyd looks like a guy with all the tools to be a star at the next level. At 6-foot and 205 pounds, he can do a little of everything.

Floyd had 1,350 yards of total offense, proving to be the No. 1 option in one of the better offenses out west. He averaged a stunning 9.3 yards-per-carry in one of the toughest leagues in the SoCal ranks, including a 213-yard, 3-TD performance against the co-national champions from Riverside City.

Floyd has a handful of options to choose from and could have been the top guy on the board had he left in December. With offers from NAU, Robert Morris, Alabama A&M, Stephen F. Austin and Lamar, it’s just a matter of time before a bigger option drops. If not, any one of those schools will be landing a star.

Another back from the Mississippi ranks lands in the top group in Gulf Coast’s Jamari Thompson. At 6-foot-2 and 220+ pounds, he’s one of the biggest backs in the class.

Thompson’s numbers weren’t as eye-popping as some of the others up top, largely because he shared the ball with freshman sensation Trey Hall. Still, he managed 756 yards and four scores and never fumbled once in 123 carries.

Thompson is a freak on film. He’s got great cut-back abilities for a big back and can outrun many in the open field. He’s got offers from Toledo, Robert Morris, Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and McNeese. Like the aforementioned Nicholas Floyd, he could have been the top back in the nation with a December departure.

City College of San Francisco is no stranger to high-profile backs, dating back to OJ Simpson. This season the Rams had another sensational option in Tyrei Washington, who comes in at No. 5 in the rankings.

Washington was the top running back in the offense in 2023, but lost a lot of looks to dual-threat quarterback Dorian Hale. He finished with 504 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, but also did a lot of damage in the passing game with 27 receptions and two scores as a receiver.

Washington had offers from both Temple and Ohio during the fall and visited both schools before signing with Temple in December. At 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds, he’s a challenge to wrap up between the tackles and like hitting a fire hydrant.

Here is a direct link to the rest of the JCGridiron Class of 2024 JUCO Running Back Rankings .