Where the top running backs in the 2027 class are committed
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Some of the biggest recruitments in the 2027 cycle have surrounded the nation’s best running back prospects.
Both Five-Star Plus+ burners Kemon Spell and David Gabriel Georges landed in the SEC after drawing numerous headlines throughout their respective processes. Seven of the top 10 committed running backs in the cycle are pledged to an SEC school.
In total, there’s 27 blue-chip RBs in the cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. All but one — four-star Landen Williams-Callis — is committed, as of July 27.
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With the high school football season set to begin in just a few weeks, Rivals breaks down the top committed running back prospects in the 2027 cycle:
Kemon Spell — Georgia
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 6 NATL. (No. 1 RB)
School: McKeesport (Pa.)
Committed Since: Feb. 2
The recruitment of Spell was a whirlwind. A longtime early Penn State pledge, he backed off that commitment in October once James Franklin was fired. That led to numerous schools getting involved once again, and Spell wasn’t shy in naming multiple leaders and top contenders over the following months. Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and PSU were all pushing, but it was a return visit to Georgia that led Spell to commit to the Bulldogs at the beginning of February. He’s remained locked in since.
“All-encompassing running back that can win with power and elusiveness on inside and outside runs. Measured at 5-foot-10, 200-plus pounds prior to his senior season. Shows tremendous twitch and leg drive on Friday nights. Plays with low pad level and an excellent center of gravity in order to deliver blows and take them himself. Has breakaway speed in order to hit the home run,” Rivals’ National Scout Cody Bellaire wrote of Spell as a prospect. “Has all the physical and athletic tools to make an immediate impact at the next level and beyond.”
David Gabriel Georges — Tennessee
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 8 NATL. (No. 2 RB)
School: Baylor School (Tenn.)
Committed Since: July 22
Gabriel Georges was the final five-star to come off the board and he carried perhaps the most high-profile recruitment of the entire cycle. It ultimately came down to Tennessee and Ohio State for the staunch 5-foot-11, 220-pounder. The Canada native plays his high school football in the Volunteer State and he’s set to stick around at the next level. The Vols built the best relationships with ‘DGG’, met the mark on the NIL front and never wavered as his recruitment got near the finish line.
“I feel like Tennessee is building and bringing in top players that will make an immediate impact, and they made it very clear that they see me the same way and that I am their top priority for 2027,” Gabriel Georges previously told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong.
Myson Johnson-Cook — Auburn
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 62 NATL. (No. 4 RB)
School: East St. Louis (Ill.)
Committed Since: April 25
Alex Golesh and the new staff at Auburn went into the Midwest to land Johnson-Cook, the No. 4 recruit in the state of Illinois. The Tigers beat Miami in a hotly-contested recruitment. The speedy junior had over 1,300 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior and is poised for a monster senior campaign this fall. He’s one of four top-100 prospects in Auburn’s 2027 class, which currently ranks 12th nationally.
“The staff is amazing,” he told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “When I went there in January I found out Bo Jackson went there. And then I met the staff. It’s a new staff coming from USF. The head coach, Coach AG he’s a great guy. Down-to-earth guy. I really rock with him. I can tell he has real love for me.”
SaRod Baker — Texas Tech
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 81 NATL. (No. 5 RB)
School: DeSoto (Texas)
Committed Since: April 27
Texas Tech is recruiting like a powerhouse under Joey McGuire and landing a commitment from a prospect like Baker is proof. The dominant burner was also being courted by the other big in-state programs and took plenty of visits. TTU made Baker feel at home in Lubbock and checked all the boxes, leading to a spring decision that hasn’t wavered since.
Baker is coming off a monstrous junior season. Playing for DeSoto, one of the top high school football programs in the nation, he rushed for over 3,000 yards and 41 touchdowns, threw for nearly 500 yards and four scores and also caught 18 passes for 242 yards and two scores.
Keldrid Ben — Oklahoma
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 114 NATL. (No. 6 RB)
School: Montgomery (Texas)
Committed Since: Dec. 1, 2025
Ben made an early commitment to Oklahoma as an unranked prospect. He’s since blossomed into one of the nation’s best at the position. This summer, he re-affirmed his pledge to the Sooners despite a coaching change and a hefty push from both Florida and Oregon. He enters his senior season as the No. 14 recruit in the Lone Star State.
“I chose Oklahoma because the coaches really believe in me,” Ben previously told Rivals. “I didn’t have any stars, they could’ve went and got another five-star in the class of 2027. But they wanted me whenever I got there.”
Tre Segarra — LSU
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 120 NATL. (No. 7 RB)
School: Byrnes (S.C.)
Committed Since: June 16
In one of the biggest under-the-radar wins of Lane Kiffin’s first cycle at the helm for LSU, the Tigers beat out South Carolina and Tennessee late for Segarra. He pledged just a week after logging his first visit to Baton Rouge. Despite being a legacy for the Gamecocks, the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder opted for The Boot and is now one of two top-10 RBs committed to LSU. Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team says Segarra reminds them of Dameon Pierce.
“Compact runner with vision, tempo, and initial quickness to maximize yardage. Measured at a shade under 5-foot-10 and around 210 pounds prior to his senior season. Has a stout build. Won’t need a bunch of time in a strength program to be game-ready at the college level,” Rivals Scouting Director Charles Power wrote about Segarra. “An instinctual runner with translatable vision. Patient when picking his way though the line of scrimmage. Shows very good change of direction. Has innate balance and ability to cut on a dime when his path is obstructed.”
Gary Walker — Clemson
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 142 NATL. (No. 8 RB)
School: Creekside (Ga.)
Committed Since: May 20
Walker helped kick off a massive run of commitments for Dabo Swinney and Clemson at the end of May. The Peach State standout took two visits to Death Valley prior to making his pledge and each of those trips made a massive impact on his recruitment. Walker is the No. 10 recruit in Georgia and is one of four top-150 prospects in the Tigers’ 2027 class.
“The consistency of the culture that has been established at Clemson is what separates Clemson. I started this recruiting process with a private, non-negotiable list,” Walker told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “This choice supports my non-negotiables list … Their emphasis on Jesus Christ, my relationships with the coaching staff and the culture around the program are three things that really stand out about Clemson.”
Lathan Whisenton — Notre Dame
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 154 NATL. (No. 9 RB)
School: Midway (Texas)
Committed Since: March 25
For the second cycle in a row, Notre Dame is set to sign a pair of blue-chip running backs. Whisenton is one half of that duo this time around after committing back in March. The No. 20 recruit in Texas opted for the Fighting Irish over in-state offers from SMU, Texas and Texas Tech. Whisenton rushed for over 1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns as a junior last season.
“That’s a major part of the component as far as selling it to Notre Dame. Coach (Ja’Juan) Seider has developed multiple backs,” Larry Whisenton, Lathan’s father, told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman. “He had the two backs at Penn State and also Jeremiyah (Love) and Jadarian (Price). They checked all his boxes. Notre Dame, It’s like a win-win program there. You know, it’s just the tradition and then they also should be in the playoffs. That’s exciting to them as well.”
Trey Martin — LSU
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 160 NATL. (No. 10 RB)
School: Franklin Parish (La.)
Committed Since: June 17
LSU kept Martin home during official visit season, just one day after swiping Segarra’s pledge. Florida made it tight down the stretch, but the Tigers’ new staff made a real splash with the four-star and he’s excited to play under Kiffin and Co. in Baton Rouge. Martin is the No. 6 recruit in Louisiana.
“Trey Martin had an impressive workout at Rivals Houston and was one of the more dominant pass catchers during the 1-on-1 period. His ability to separate from linebackers at every level of the field in the passing game was quite impressive,” Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire previously wrote. “He showed an advanced understanding of leverage and route running in order to break off and separate from defenders at the top of his routes. Plus, he caught the ball consistently away from his frame and was natural when tracking the football. And at nearly 190 pounds, Martin showed he has the suddenness and long speed to be a homerun waiting to happen every time the ball touches his hands.”
Andrew Beard — Florida
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 173 NATL. (No. 11 RB)
School: Prince Avenue Christian (Ga.)
Committed Since: May 8
Jon Sumrall has flexed his recruiting muscle in his first season leading the Florida program. Beating Georgia and Clemson for Beard was massive, as UF came from behind down the stretch. The UGA legacy has bought into what’s being built in Gainesville and wants to play for Sumrall next year. He’s the lone RB commit in Florida’s top-10 recruiting class.
“Just the passion, the energy, and how he has been a winner everywhere he has been stands out about Coach Sumrall,” Beard told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “He has a great energy about him. He has come in and changed things. I feel like he can really build Florida back up … Development was a big thing in this decision.”
Other top committed running backs
CaDarius McMiller — Oregon
Ty Keys — Miami
Isaiah Rogers — Notre Dame
AJ Tillman — Louisville
Tyson Robinson — Michigan
Kingston Miles — Missouri
Nigel Newkirk — Alabama
Noah Roberts — Texas
Kingston Allen — Wisconsin
Christian Alexander — Mississippi State
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