A-List No. 12: Tuscaloosa Countyâs Kevin Riley does it all
The A-List is AL.com’s ranking of the top 15 senior prospects in the state of Alabama. We will count down one each day until No. 1 is revealed Aug. 23.
When speedy power runner Kevin Riley takes the field for Tuscaloosa County, defenses are not surprised by what they are going to try to contain. They are rarely very successful.
When recruiting gurus were following Riley’s decision-making, it’s pretty safe to say it was a surprise when he picked the University of Miami over just-down-the-road suitor Alabama and recent powerhouse Georgia and farther down-the-road Auburn.
Riley, ranked as the No. 140 player in the nation by On3, announced his commitment to Miami via Twitter on June 19. Three days later, a Hurricanes fan posted a shot of the 195-pounder – said to be anywhere from 5-foot-11 to 6-1 – doing a standing back flip.
Brian Smith, the publisher of the Miami recruiting site “All Hurricanes” was not expecting Mario Cristobal and his staff to lure Riley to South Beach. In a review of Riley’s highlights, Smith said, “I don’t know why Miami would waste the time going up there. Full disclosure, you’re not just going to recruit a kid in Nick Saban’s backyard unless you have a sincere interest at this point to try to get him on campus for a visit.”
Cristobal did that, hosting Riley on June 16.
Smith’s analysis of Riley’s film included: “Miami is going after this running back because he’s a do-it-all, all-around, catch the ball, run the ball between the tackles, run away from guys kind of player. He’s a modern running back, but he has the power that one would think of from a running back from the 1980s or 1990s – dotting the ‘I’ and being 7-8 yards deep in the I formation and running the toss sweep, counter and power. … This is a young man who can be in any situation. … This is a three-down running back: catch, block, run between the tackles, run outside, he could even probably line up in the slot a little bit as he continues to develop his game. … I really like Kevin Riley.”
The 4-star recruit ran for 1,306 yards for the Wildcats last season against some of the toughest competition in Class 7A in Region 3. Riley scored 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.43 yards a carry. He also caught 18 passes for 182 yards and three more scores. Against Spain Park, Riley ran 25 times for 277 yards with a score and he caught two passes – both for TDs – for 61 yards.
Tuscaloosa County head coach Adam Winegarden told AL.com that “in the right college program and with consistency from his end, I think he could blossom into a great player on the Division I level. When you get to that level, the talent is very equal. He just needs to understand the level of commitment when he gets to college, and I think he will do that.”
After the All Gas Athletes Showcase in late July, founder and organizer Adrian Steele said, “He’s a wonderful fit at Miami. Real fluid running routes.”
Riley narrowed his college choice from 28 offers to the Hurricanes and the three SEC schools. He had 11 teams in the Southeastern Conference offering scholarships, according to 247sports, including Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Penn State, Purdue, Colorado and UAB also made offers for the runner.
National recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna of 247 said Riley is a “north-south runner that projects as a multi-year starter in a Power Five conference at the next level. Excels between the tackles and tends to play his best when playing downhill with a one cut mentality. Possesses a collegiate-ready frame and should be able to contribute early in a potential change of pace and/or special teams role at the collegiate level.”
Winegarden, in a 2023 preseason preview interview with Tuscaloosa’s Gary Harris of WVUA-23, said, “Coach [Nick] Saban talks about it a lot – you get your best player the ball. It’s pretty cut-and-dried, we’ll try to get Kevin the ball as much as we can.”
A-LIST NO. 12: KEVIN RILEY, TUSCALOOSA COUNTY
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 6-1, 195
College status: Committed to Miami.
Randy Kennedy’s scouting report: Kevin Riley displays every skill needed to be a star back on the college level. He is fast, he finishes runs with physicality and he catches the ball well. Stardom is in his future.
THE 2024 A-LIST
No. 15: Josh Flowers, QB, Baker