The Next Barry Sanders

Recruiting by nature is about looking for "The Next...". In this case, some lucky team will get the next Barry Sanders — literally.

Recruiting by its nature is about finding "The Next...". When I first started in this business 10 years ago, every linebacker was the next Derrick Brooks, every running quarterback the next Michael Vick, and now every 6-foot quarterback the next Drew Brees.

Well in this case, we literally have the next Barry Sanders. 

Barry Sanders Jr. is a senior running back at Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City and the son of legendary Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. 

Many sons of former players begin to get notoriety simply because of their last names. Sanders is not one of those guys. Even without his famous name, he'd still have every team in the country after him because of his jaw-dropping ability.

Sanders has all of the physical traits, size, speed, and balance, but he also has drive and selflessness. He is a good receiver out of the backfield and, if given the opportunity, will lay out a defender on a block. He plays hard on defense when asked. He does all of the little things well from setting up his blocks to switching the ball from inside arm to outside arm as he sweeps wide. 

He's the rare player who doesn't slow down as he makes cuts and seems to be slalom skiing through moguls while everyone else is stuck in snowshoes. Keep an eye on his cuts as he seems to be locked in, his vision as he sets up blocks downfield, and the way he seems to make everything look so easy, natural, and fluid when checking out his highlights.

Sanders is a 5-Star rated running back on Scout.com and is considering Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Stanford among others.

#26 RB Barry Sanders 2011 Highlights

Scott began with Scout as the Southeast Regional Manager in 2002. In addition to his recruiting responsibilities, Scott developed and ran the National Scout Combine series from 2005 thru 2008. Scott has been Director of Scouting since 2006 and oversees the Recruiting Rankings for Scout.
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