Photo from Gwinnet Sports
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He’s no stud quarterback like Tajh Boyd, but Georgia running back Josh Boyd could be a difference maker in the Syracuse backfield somewhere down the line. The Norcross (GA) High School product is having a solid senior stint in the state of Georgia’s sixth-best high school program. As a member of the 2014 recruiting class, Boyd has his services down to a two-horse race between Syracuse and Washington State.
The 5’10”, 160-pound back averages just less than 110 rushing yards per game and has scored eight touchdowns on the ground for the Blue Devils. Boyd visited WSU back on September 21 and Scout reported that “everything stood out” to him. Scout also notes both the Orange and Cougars are the only schools Boyd has “high interest” in. He’s got offers from lower-tier FBS teams such as Air Force, Buffalo, Indiana, Northern Illinois, Ohio, South Alabama, Toledo, UAB and UNLV.
Watch Boyd’s highlights here.
Boyd transferred from South Gwinnett Prep High School in Snellville, GA. Current SU running back George Morris II played for Central Gwinnett. Norcross High lost its leading rusher in Alvin Kamara, the all-class player of the year who signed with Alabama. The Blue Devils earned the honor of 2012 Class AAAAAA champions, but had major holes to fill after seniors like Kamara departed. Boyd has entered and produced big time.
Prior to the season’s start at the end of March, he was named the top RB at the Atlanta MVP Camp. Boyd runs a 4.4 40-yard dash and displays a lot of quickness out of the backfield. Evidence from his highlights, he’s a back who very rarely gives up on a play and can burn you from all angles, up the middle, from the left or right, anywhere. Boyd does have a small body but makes up for it with his speed. He’d absolutely thrive in George McDonald’s up-tempo pistol offense.
The Orange offered Boyd back on May 19 and it’s unclear if it has any edge over the Cougars to land him. The WSU visit is the freshest campus in Boyd’s mind now. Mark Sandritter of SB Nation CougCenter reported in September before Boyd’s visit the reason Washington State recruited him because his high school team had recently played in a nationally televised game.
Boyd’s numbers at Norcross compare almost exactly to last year. The 2-star Boyd is literally mimicking his Gwinnett 2012 campaign, as he finished with 760 yards rushing and nine touchdowns last year.
SU represents Boyd’s first major BCS offer. He has the makeup to join an already talented 2014 RB group in Ervin Philips of West Haven and West Genny’s Naesean Howard. Agility-wise, Boyd offers just as much speed as the other backs. The program also continues to build its ties in the state of Georgia by scouting Boyd. Six current Orange hail from the Peach State and Syracuse can only recruit more.
Posted by: Brendan Glasheen
