Amari Latimer

Physical Profile

Listed at 5-11, 230 lbs. Taller than 52% and heavier than 99% of 2026 Running Back prospects in the SEC Scouts database (138 with a listed size).

Play Style

Latimer plays like a downhill hammer. He presses the line, gets his shoulders square and gets north quickly, looking for contact instead of dancing. He falls forward, keeps churning after first contact, and makes linebackers and safeties pay for arm tackles. He's patient enough on inside zone and gap runs, and he can also bounce runs to the edge where his size wears on defensive backs. As a receiver he catches cleanly and turns upfield on swings and checkdowns. He isn't a make-you-miss back in space, but he's a physical finisher in the red zone and on short yardage.

Strengths

• Contact balance and leg drive: 247's Andrew Ivins calls him 'a true downhill force that can ram his way through contact and extend plays with his strength and balance.' Ivins compares him to Phil Mafah.
• Consistent production: 5,332 career rushing yards and 74 TDs, both Sandy Creek records, plus school single-game records of 7 rushing TDs and 287 yards. As a junior he ran for 1,113 yards and 15 TDs on 136 carries (8.2 YPC).
• Useful receiver out of the backfield: as a junior he caught 27 passes for 363 yards (13.4 per catch) and 4 TDs, including a 67-yard TD catch. He is more than a two-down back.
• Ready early: he played well in spring practice after arriving at WVU and moved into the No. 2 RB spot as a true freshman. Coaches called him 'exactly what we thought he was.'

Areas to Improve

• Long speed: he doesn't pull away from secondary angles, so his big plays at the Big 12 level will come from breaking tackles more than outrunning people. Tightening his top-end speed without losing mass would raise his ceiling.
• Pass protection and blitz pickup: this is the usual gap for a young power back who was the focal point of his high school offense. He'll need it to earn third-down snaps.
• Weight management: with listings from 215 to 230, he needs to stay at a playing weight that keeps his burst while handling a heavy workload across a full season.

College Projection

He fits well in Rich Rodriguez's run-heavy spread at West Virginia, which historically runs the ball a lot. In fall 2026 he is the No. 2 back behind Cam Cook and is projected for around 650 rushing yards as a true freshman, mainly in short-yardage, goal-line and change-of-pace work. Realistically, he should be a key part of a two-back rotation in 2026, have a chance to be the lead back by 2027, and could become a Power Four workhorse (1,000+ yards) by his second or third season if his pass protection improves.

NFL Outlook

His NFL path looks like a Day 3 power back, in the same mold as Ivins' Phil Mafah comparison: a sturdy early-down and short-yardage runner who can catch passes. His draft stock will depend on two things. First, whether he shows enough burst and speed in pre-draft testing at 225-230 pounds. Second, whether he becomes reliable in pass protection. If both happen and he produces at a lead-back level in the Big 12, a mid-round grade is realistic. If not, he projects as an undrafted free agent or late-round rotational back.

Best Fit

He fits best in a gap- or inside-zone-heavy offense that lets its running backs press downhill and wear down defenses over four quarters, which is what West Virginia runs under Rodriguez. He's less suited to wide-open space offenses that want a perimeter home-run back. His value peaks in a rotation where he gets the physical carries and finishes drives.