Midlands full of impact players on offense

This week we will talk about the top returning non-quarterback offensive skills players in the Midlands and rank them as impact players:

1. Rudy Mitchell, RB, Westwood – Mitchell returns as the top production leader at running back in the Midlands. Last year, he rushed for close to 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. With a new coach who is run-based offensive minded, he should put up bigger numbers this year.

2. Austin Connor, WR, Dutch Fork – Conner is one of the fastest guys on the offensive side in the Midlands and was a 1,000-yard producer. Look for him to be one of the top offensive skills prospects in the area.

3. Maurice Jones, RB, White Knoll – Jones is a tough inside runner and has good speed to the edge. Last season, he rushed for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns.

4. Kerryon Richardson, WR, Airport – Richardson is a multi-position player who is going to impact both sides of the ball, but could be lethal in the 5-wide set for the Eagles.

5. Jay Washington, RB, Dreher – Washington is a rising junior and has the ability to navigate traffic and break to daylight with great speed.

6. Ward Hacklin, WR, Dutch Fork – I like Hacklin as the top sleeper in this group. At 6-foot-4, he has excellent height with a solid skills. He could actually be a go-to guy for the Foxes this year.

7. TyQuandre Davis, RB, Richland Northeast – A rising junior, Davis had 1,300 yards rushing with 11 touchdowns last season, and will be a focus of their ground attack.

8. Cam Brown, RB, Brookland-Cayce – Brown will be the feature back after the other two backs in their three-back attack graduated. He’s got good speed and deceptive power.

9. Chylon Thomas, WR, Gray Collegiate Academy – Thomas is undersized and that will be an obstacle in recruiting but he has lethal speed and is a big-play playmaker for the War Eagles.

10. Cole Owens, RB/WR, Ben Lippen – Owens is often overlooked because he plays in SCISA, but he could start on any of the public school teams. He’s an outstanding athlete with great speed and put up 1,631 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. He’s also a dangerous return specialist.

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 10:54 PM with the headline "Midlands full of impact players on offense."