Matthews (N.C.) Butler running back Ryan Houston appears destined to be either ACC or SEC bound when Signing Day arrives next February. Regardless of the school that the 235-pounder ultimately chooses, Houston’s size will make him a valuable asset and a headache for opposing defensive coordinators to deal with for the next several years.
In the ACC and SEC, conferences that are well recognized for speed, Houston’s best chance at making an early impact would be as a short-yardage back. Of his current top three schools; Clemson, Florida, and North Carolina, all three would be wise to utilize him in this way to improve upon some pretty lackluster third-down conversion percentages from 2005. Last season, Florida ranked highest among the three in third-down conversions, ranking 59th in Division I-A. The Tigers managed to rank 60th and the Tar Heels finished near the bottom of the NCAA in this statistic at 89th. The senior-to-be does not have amazing breakaway speed but this could be improved upon after taking part in a school’s strength and conditioning program for a year. At this point, I do not feel Houston is in a position to be featured as an every down back at the next level but he is too quick to be considered for a move to fullback.
Houston has the ability to move piles and can be downright difficult to tackle with only one man. Despite his bruising running style, the talented back also possesses a degree of elusiveness while running in the open field. While he does not show incredible speed from his film, Houston does have outstanding vision and is a patient runner. Houston does an excellent job of picking the correct lane to run to and once he does, he hits the hole with authority and has above average acceleration.
One thing that I would have liked to have seen from Houston’s film was his pass-protection techniques. Without seeing this, the jury will have to remain out on this particular aspect of his game.
On film, I find Houston to be most similar to 2005 recruit and current Nebraska Cornhusker running back Cody Glenn. Glenn was also utilized as a true freshman predominantly as a short-yardage back and scored four touchdowns during his first year in Lincoln. Many people tossed around the idea of Glenn being moved to fullback, but the sophomore-to-be now finds himself fully entrenched in the race to become Nebraska’s new starting I-back after upgrading his speed during a solid year of strength and conditioning work.
Houston’s hands are another skill that I found myself impressed with. In the current era of college football, which is heavily predicated on spread offensive systems, having a running back capable of catching the ball is more important now than ever. Whether he is utilized on “wheel-routes” or simply as a check down option for his quarterback, I feel that Houston has demonstrated enough consistency in the receiving game to pose a significant threat to opposing defenses at the collegiate level. Houston appears to be a solid all around athlete and his skills have even utilized in the form of gadget plays. While his size is the most recognizable of his traits, Houston’s deceptive all-around athleticism is just another facet that should prove valuable at the next level.
Caleb King:
To be frank, Caleb King is simply an outstanding athlete. From my initial observations, the first guy that I thought of while watching King’s highlight reels was AJ Wallace, albeit a shorter version of the Penn St. signee.
Wherever King ends up next year, his future head coach will have endless options with him on the roster. There is a multitude of positions that he is capable of playing, and playing very well for that matter. Regardless of the school that he chooses, I believe that King will get a long look as a special teams contributor. King’s explosiveness is undeniable and it would be a smart move to utilize his speed on either punt and/or kickoff returns. His ability to accelerate is what gives King the best chance to separate from the competition and to find success.
While I feel that King is a gifted athlete, I have my doubts as far as him being as “pure running back.” Initially, it might be difficult for King’s future head coach to find him a permanent position and some experimenting may be necessary. I do not doubt for a second however that his first opportunity in college will come on the offensive side of the ball. It is hard to bring in a guy with as much speed as King does and not try to get the ball in his hands. King will be given every opportunity to shine offensively and should that not work out, there are countless other possibilities for this talented youngster to make an impact.
Noel Devine:
North Fort Myers (Fla.) running back Noel Devine can hurt you in so many ways. He can run off tackle, hit the perimeter on a toss play in the blink of an eye, and has the ability to take a punt/kickoff return to the house on any given play.
What especially stands out to me when looking at Noel Devine is how quickly he can find the corner and his speed in the open field. Toss-sweeps, pitch-outs, and stretch plays are all going to play havoc on opposing defenses for however long Devine chooses to play college football. College safeties are going to be having nightmares because if this guy gets out into the open field…Goodbye.
In my estimation, Noel Devine is far and away the class of this recruiting cycle’s corps of running backs. My only concern surrounding Devine is the durability factor. Defenses will eventually learn how to cut-off the perimeter and force Devine to run between the tackles. As far as size goes, I see a lot of similarities between Devine and Warrick Dunn, and at 5-foot-8, 175-pounds, I am simply not sure how much of a pounding he can sustain at the next level As nice of a luxury as it would be to also use Devine as a kickoff/punt return specialist in college, I am not so sure that until this durability issue gets resolved that it would be a risk worth taking if you are planning on making him the featured back in your offense.
Cody Johnson:
Cody Johnson’s feet and shiftiness are the qualities that really stuck out to me when reviewing his game film.
Johnson compares favorably with Ryan Houston, although there are some noticeable differences with their running styles. Johnson appears to be the quicker of the two in general, but especially when running the ball to the outside. I also feel that Johnson is the more elusive runner of the two and can provide more of a finesse style than what you would see out of Houston. The Texan is a hard charger and displays excellent footwork which allows for him to move piles and also make defenders fail at tackling him on their first attempt.
With Jamaal Charles in the fray at running back, I feel Johnson would be best served to red shirt during his freshman campaign in Austin. What I would like to see out of Johnson is to become more of a complete back and to use his redshirt season to focus on catching the ball out of the backfield as well as his pass-protection techniques and blocking fundamentals in general.
Marc Tyler:
Marc Tyler is an excellent athlete and most importantly, a well-rounded football player altogether. There are plenty of good athletes in football to go around, but being sound both as a pure athlete and as a football player can sometimes be hard to find.
Tyler’s versatility sticks out to me. Not only can he pound the ball between the tackles, but he can also be a very effective wideout as well. I found myself impressed with his toughness as he made some difficult catches over the middle in traffic, not just on a simple screen play.
Tyler also has good size which he uses effectively as both a running back and on the defensive side from his linebacker position.
Doug Taylor is a 22-year old college student and a lifelong resident of Omaha, NE. He presently works for a local AAA baseball team and volunteers as the head coach of a kindergarten soccer team in Omaha. His favorite sports include football and baseball. He enjoys following Nebraska Cornhusker football, Los Angeles Dodger baseball, and Creighton University baseball. During Taylor's spare time, he also enjoys music, being with friends, movies, and travel. Taylor is the oldest of three children, and has a 17-year old brother and a 14-year old sister who also hail from Omaha.
