We’re taking a look at two more running back recruits today, both of which were four star recruits with a lot of potential coming out of high school. Washington County running back Dontavius Braswell committed to the South Carolina Gamecocks while Stony Point running back Cameron Cook headed to TCU.
Both backs join running back groups with the chance to play early as top 20 running back recruits in their class. Today we’re breaking down their freshman playing potential, long term college potential and fantasy value over the next few seasons.
Dontavius Braswell – Running Back, South Carolina
Dontavius Braswell came in as the number 15 running back in the class of 2023, and was a popular recruit coming out of high school with interest and offers from Alabama, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee and many more.
Braswell is a tough running back with a tonne of speed, who is already listed at five foot eleven and 200 pounds. He comes into the college game ready to go with the body type to match, and has proven in high school that he can be productive in multiple areas of his game.
His highlight film includes punt return touchdowns, rerouted runs for touchdowns and the ability to outrun everybody on the field. He reportedly ran a 10.75 in the 100 meters in high school, so the speed is real.
Cameron Cook – Running Back, TCU
Sonny Dykes landed a four star recruit to rebuild his running back room after the departure of both Kendre Miller and Emari Demercado. Cameron Cook is ranked as the 19th running back in the class of 2023 and comes into the college game fresh off of a productive senior season at Stony Point.
He’s a smart back with great vision and the ability to put his foot in the ground and make a nice cut to force a missed tackle. Some of his best runs came on rerouted rushing attempts due to poor play from the offensive line or unblocked defenders, and you can see his football IQ kick into gear on those plays.
Cook is listed at five foot ten and 180 pounds, so a little undersized coming into college, but if he adds a little muscle he should be just fine with the skills he possesses.
2023-2024 CFB Season Opportunity
Dontavius Braswell
The South Carolina Gamecocks running back group didn’t run the ball particularly well last season, which opens up an opportunity for fresh faces to break into the line up in the 2023 college football season.
Juju McDowell is currently listed as the lead back, a junior who had just 62 carries last season. Then there’s former Division II talent Mario Anderson, who has four years of experience at the second level and is now stepping up into D1 football with his hometown school.
Braswell should be able to show out and compete with these guys at practice, and I could see him working his way into 100+ carries as a freshman this season without too much trouble. There’s a lot of buzz about his potential to play, and when you look at the experience and impact the other backs in the room have had up until this point, there’s nothing stopping him from earning reps this season.
Cameron Cook
TCU’s running back group did an incredible job in what was a sensational season for the Horned Frogs last year. Kendre Miller exploded with 1,399 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, and Emari Demercado supported him with 681 yards and six TDs of his own.
The good news for the 2023 TCU running backs is the vacated carries. Miller and Demercado combined for 345 carries in the 2022 CFB season, leaving a wealth of opportunity for whoever is ready to step up.
Trey Sanders is expected to be the teams starter having transferred to TCU from Alabama, where he has spent the last three years. Sanders is a former five star recruit out of IMG Academy who fell on some hard luck when he tore his ACL in camp prior to his freshman season.
Sanders is joined by Emani Bailey who was in the running back room for the Horned Frogs last season and had 31 carries as a depth running back, as well as redshirt sophomore Trent Battle.
Cameron Cook could surprise TCU fans this season if he does end up getting on the field. Right now it feels like Sanders will be RB1 with Bailey stepping up as RB2, but anything goes with an unproven group of players in the TCU offense.
Pro’s and Con’s for playing time
Dontavius Braswell
The Gamecocks don’t really have anything to lose this season in the run game department. Last year the lead back was MarShawn Lloyd, who carried the football 110 times for 565 yards and nine touchdowns. Behind him the depth running backs came in with four yards per carry or less, which includes Juju McDowell.
Braswell arriving at five foot eleven and 200 pounds only adds to the value in putting him on the field early. He has proven he can manage a heavy workload in high school and has the body type for the college game already, so why would he not play?
The best case scenario for his playing time is giving him limited reps and watching him burst into the open field early in the season. If he can do that as he proved he could at Washington County, then the starting job could be his.
As far as concerns with playing him or reasons not to, I can’t see any. The only potential risk is the fact that the Gamecocks just didn’t run the ball all that much last season. Spencer Rattler is going to throw the football a tonne this year, and he continues to develop as the starting quarterback for the program, so perhaps that limits the production of Braswell even if he does earn his way onto the field.
Cameron Cook
Cameron Cook’s production in his senior year could be a strong reason to give him some playing time this season. He picked up some additional hype this year when he rushed for over 1,400 yards on 10+ yards per carry with 19 rushing touchdowns.
Cook does it all in the run game, receiving game and as a returner, and that production and willingness to do whatever is required for the team will be a big plus for Sonny Dykes and the Horned Frogs offense/special teams.
There have been some comparisons with his game to Austin Ekelers high school/college tape. Both are considered to be undersized but use their strength and ability to redirect their runs to show out under the lights. Cook’s ability as a receiving back only furthers that comparison, so if you have a young potential Austin Ekeler caliber running back, why not put him on the field?
The drawback to him seeing some real time this season is the anticipation for the Horned Frogs with Trey Sanders. It’s fair to say Sanders hasn’t really had a fair crack in the college game yet, and will now get that at TCU. That said, there’s so many vacated carries now available this season that both guys could be very productive if given the opportunity.
Why draft him in CFB fantasy leagues?
Dontavius Braswell
Dontavius Braswell is going to be the starter for the Gamecocks before long. If it happens in his freshman year it’ll be a bonus for college football fantasy players that draft him. If he doesn’t and you’re playing in a CFB devy league, then you’re still going to get two or three good years out of him starting in 2024.
Braswell is an explosive back with an impressive skill set and that is going to be a real asset to the Gamecocks. There’s a reason that this young man is getting so much buzz around the fan base and within the program itself.
Cameron Cook
Belief in the prospect and belief in the system. Look at what the TCU coaching staff and the offense was able to do last season. Kendre Miller is a very different style of running back to Cameron Cook, but the production doesn’t lie.
There’s a lot of volume on offer for Horned Frog running backs, and all Cook needs to do is break into the lineup to grab some of those. If you like taking a risk, the fact that the rest of the group is completely unproven too means reps are up for grabs, and what if Cameron Cook emerges as one of their most productive options?
Stock Radar as an NFL prospect
Dontavius Braswell 6%
Braswell just looks the part. From the high school tape I’ve watched on these top freshman running backs, his is as good as any. His speed really shows up on film, and while his college opponents might be faster than they were in high school, he still has a superb combination of size and speed at the position. He cuts through the line well, bursts into space well and when he gets down the sideline it’s over.
Cameron Cook 5%
When you can do everything at a high level in high school, the expectation is for something similar in college. If Cameron Cook is running back kicks and punts, exploding out of the backfield and catching footballs as a receiving back just as he was in high school over the next three or four years, the NFL will be very interested.