RB Rankings: Will Shipley

As we review the RB rankings, players have had a chance to raise their stock and move up the rankings. Before we jump into Will Shipley, here’s a few reminders about the rankings themselves:

• The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
• Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
• Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
• We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the College Football RB Rankings here.

Clemson running back, Will Shipley was one of the top recruits in the 2022 class, arriving at Clemson as a true freshman who was expected to contribute right away. He took a couple of weeks to take over as the top running back but despite missing three games with injury, finished the season strong. Shipley ran for over 100 yards in three of his last five games and showed he could be a game changing back for the Tigers. As a true freshman he rushed for 739 yards and 11 touchdowns on 139 carries while also catching 16 passes for 116 yards. Shipley is an excellent athlete who will only continue to improve as the Clemson offense finds more consistency.

Shipley is a gifted athlete at the running back position. He has a quick first step, with the acceleration to hit a hole quickly and break away from defenders. Shipley has plenty of speed in the open field, making him difficult to catch from behind or get an angle on. He makes clean, quick cuts to avoid defenders and then accelerates back up to speed in an instant to take advantage of the space he created. Shipley has big play ability and is a threat to make a game changing run at any point in the game.

While the speed and athletic ability make Shipley a home run threat, he is also a relentless runner who grinds out yardage. The 5’11” 205 lb running back has shown the leg drive to move the pile and drag defenders forward for extra yardage. His burst and strength help him to break arm tackles and get to the second level more often. Shipley finishes runs with power, delivering the hit to the defender and picking up extra yardage by falling forward. While he is not a big back, he runs with the attitude needed to grind out yardage in a tough game.

Will Shipley is an athletic running back who makes big plays for the offense regularly. He gets downhill and runs with the mindset to power for extra yardage in traffic. Shipley is also a capable receiver who can create mismatches in the passing game for the offense to exploit. In 2021 he flashed as a true freshman, as he continues to develop in 2022 he will become one of the better running backs in the country.

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