SI All-American Candidate Ricky Parks Highlights and Evaluation

Ricky Parks is a running back prospect from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla. Parks is an SI All-American candidate.

Prospect: RB Ricky Parks 

Projected Position: Running Back 

Status: SI All-American Candidate 

Vitals: 5-foot-10, 192 pounds 

School: Tampa (Fla.) Gaither 

Committed to: Utah

Frame: Mature build with a well-proportioned, muscular upper and lower half. Not much room to add mass at the next level. 

Athleticism: Good straight-line runner with acceleration through the hole. Strong footwork, especially laterally while navigating second and third levels. Good balance and body control with comfort in the passing game. 100 and 200-meter sprinter in track and field with varsity success. 

Instincts: Runs with the low center of gravity and lower-body power to wear down a defense. Comfortable playing behind his pads and certainly through contact. Combines patience and vision to set up blocks and open up cutback lanes as necessary. Combative runner in the open field with a strong off-hand game. 

Polish: Mature back with a no-nonsense approach in pressing line of scrimmage. Subtle elusiveness in the wash or out in space with the ability to accelerate through contact. Excellent blocker with the ability to aid passing game as a pass catcher on occasion, too. Could prove more technical in the ball security department, securing possession on the correct arm and limiting chest exposure. 

Bottom Line: Parks is an old school back with workhorse qualities in an age where it has become the minority. He is decisive with strong acceleration and cut-back ability in pressing the line. He won’t break off the home run but will gash defenses in chunks and create business decisions when working the secondary. There won’t be much a physical adjustment to him doing similar in college.