Primed for run to glory
Joliet Catholic’s Anderson, Warren’s Edwards top list of area’s best running Backs
Two three-star prospects who committed to Power Five schools highlight the list of the area’s top running backs. 1. Jordan Anderson, Joliet Catholic. Illinois coach Bret Bielema has made big, powerful backs a centerpiece of his offense for years. So it’s no surprise that Anderson committed to the Fighting Illini. The 6-3, 215-pounder is 19th in the state’s senior class and 82nd nationally among running backs, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
2. Maurice Edwards, Warren. Southeastern Conference schools don’t recruit the Chicago area heavily, but Vanderbilt was impressed enough with Edwards to make him a priority. The effort paid off with a commitment from the 6-foot, 198-pounder, who is
16th among the state’s seniors and No. 66 nationally among running backs in 247Sports. com’s composite rankings.
3. Aaron Vaughn, Brother Rice. The 5-10, 185-pounder broke onto the scene as a freshman for Providence in 2018 and remains one of the area’s most productive runners. After transferring to Rice for his senior season, Vaughn is looking to be all-conference in the tough CCL/ESCC for the third year in a row.
4. Trevor Burnett, Glenbard South. Air Force is among the schools that have offered Burnett a scholarship. The 5-10, 190-pounder is a top-40 player in the state, according to 247Sports.
5. Nick Hissong, Cary-Grove. At 6-1, 230 pounds, Hissong is the prototypical fullback
in an option attack. His power running is well-suited for the playoffs, when bad weather can cause problems for passing teams.
6. Ben Clawson, Hersey. Army and Air Force have offered Clawson, who had as good of a spring season as anyone in the area. The 6-foot, 190-pounder averaged 11.7 yards per touch, finishing with 1,395 yards and 19 touchdowns in six games. He twice scored five TDs.
7. Marco Maldonado, Loyola. It’s Maldonado’s time now that Sun-Times Player of the Year Vaughn Pemberton is at Ball State. The 5-11, 183-pounder split time with Pemberton in the spring against the state’s toughest schedule, averaging six yards per carry, so he’s ready to carry the load.
8. Tony Phillips, Bishop McNamara. A
5-6, 170-pound sophomore from a small school might not be on a lot of fans’ radar. But Phillips has exceptional speed and offers from Tennessee, Syracuse and Florida Atlantic.
9. Jalen Buckley, Batavia. The 6-foot, 205-pounder does a little bit of everything as a running back and strong safety. He averaged nine yards per touch in the spring with four touchdowns and was a state-qualifying long and triple jumper.
10. Kendrick Washington, Shepard. The South Suburban Red Player of the Year in the spring was productive on both sides of the ball: 556 yards (10.2 per carry), nine TDs on offense; four interceptions and one TD on defense. A 6-foot, 185-pounder, he has interest from several Division I programs.