Backs for the future?

Associated Press Top-tier recruits like Northwest Nuggets Jonathan Stewart, left, and J.R. Hasty, right, have the leverage to remain at running back when they make the jump to college. Other players might be asked to switch positions.

Related Stories • Leading Man • Meet the virtual recruit • Tolar’s a big (huge?) part of Pasco’s success 2005 Northwest Nuggets Anthony Felder LB 6-3, 225 O'Dea Committed to: California J.R. Hasty RB 5-11, 200 Bellevue Committed to: Undecided Leon Jackson ATH 6-3, 200 Pasco Committed to: Nebraska E.J. Savannah LB 6-2, 215 Bellevue Committed to: Undecided Jonathan Stewart RB 5-10, 225 Timberline Committed to: Oregon Ndamukong Suh DT 6-5, 275 Grant (OR) Committed to: Nebraska • 2005 Honorable Mentions Related Projects • 2005 Western 100

After hearing about position rankings for so long, Timberline High School’s Jonathan Stewart finally had a chance to see other blue-chip running backs in person – and not just their names – at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

One of the players Stewart was looking forward to teaming up with in San Antonio came from his state, Pasco High’s Leon Jackson.

On the first day of practice with the West team, Stewart reported to the running-backs huddle and didn’t see Jackson.

Only when he lined up for a light scrimmage did he see the speedster from the Tri-Cities – playing free safety.

“I saw him on defense, I said, ‘Oh, OK,’ ” Stewart said. “He did pretty good. He had a couple picks and stuff in practice.”

Running back is the heralded position for the 2005 class, not only in the Northwest, but nationwide.

Across the board of rankings, Stewart stood at the top of the list as the No. 1-rated tailback in the country. He made a verbal commitment to Oregon on Friday.

Perhaps what gets overlooked isn’t so much the talent at running back, but the talent of these running backs. Recruiters would take most of these players at other positions, too, if those positions were where they wanted to play.

“It’s been the year of the running back,” said one recruiter, who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to speak of specific high school recruits until signing day Feb. 2. “But what there is a large number of is running back/safety and potential cornerback guys, an overabundance of those guys, really. The difficult thing was to sort them out to see where they fit in our systems.”

Players such as Stewart, Bellevue’s J.R. Hasty (considering Oregon, Washington, Penn State, Arizona State), even Pasco’s Jackson (Nebraska commit) and Evergreen of Vancouver’s Taylor Rank (South Carolina commit) were so coveted by NCAA programs, they could choose colleges that wanted them as running backs.

Stewart and Hasty never really got attention other than as running backs. Some wanted to tab Jackson with the “athlete” label – something he would not hear anything of. He shunned a scholarship offer from California because of that.

“When they started talking about me being an athlete, that was a minus,” said Jackson, the Big Nine Conference’s top rusher the past two seasons.

“I want to be a running back.”

But if running back was not part of Jackson’s future?

“That’s hard,” he said with a muffled laugh. “Probably receiver, safety or cornerback.”

The second-tier group of Northwest recruits – some who would have grabbed a bigger spotlight if it had not been for the likes of Stewart and Co. – have a number of running back/athlete-type prospects.

Washington players such as Makai Borden of Puyallup, Tony Coburn of Pasco, Tony Davis of Capital, Robert Jackson of Wilson, Robert Pearson of Sumner and Matt Schweitzer of Gig Harbor; Oregon senior Matt Bramow of South Eugene High; and Idaho recruit of Cade Hulbert of Capital High in Boise are such types.

“Throw in Stewart and Hasty, there are 15 safety/running back/athlete types on the board in the Northwest,” the recruiter said.

“Some of these guys will fall to the NCAA Division II level, where in past years they might be Division I or Division I-AA.”

What position they end up at comes down to the negotiations. Some who want to stay a running back recruit choose a lower-level school to do so. Others are willing to acquiesce for a bigger school, or even the chance to play sooner.

“I thought I always could play at the next level,” Rank said. “It was weird. Every school was looking at me as a running back except WSU, Oregon and (Washington). Oregon wanted me to play strong safety or weak-side linebacker. Washington wanted me to play wide receiver, and WSU wanted me as kind of a safety.

“I didn’t want to do that. But it is kind of a compliment for them to know how you can do those different (positions) with your God-given talent.”

Stewart isn’t sure where his fellow 2005 recruits playing, but he does know they have the talent to play just about anywhere.

“I’ve been really impressed,” Stewart said. “I’ve never seen a class like this, the one I’m part of.”

Todd Milles: 253-597-8442

todd.milles@thenewstribune.com