Marcus Lattimore Vs. Michael Dyer: Which Back Will Have the Better Career?

The SEC, already widely regarded as the most talent-packed conference in college football, became the recipient of a major infusion of skill when the two top-rated running backs in the 2010 recruiting class decided to join the show.

The first was South Carolina’s Mr. Football, a powerful runner from the dominant Byrnes High School, considered an elite 5-star recruit by every major scouting service.

The 6'0" 200 lb. high school senior’s name was Marcus Lattimore

The other player was a smaller, yet just as special 5‘8" Arkansas native, who played his high school ball at Little Rock Christian Academy, finishing up his prep career with over 8,000 rushing yards and 84 touchdowns.

His name was Michael Dyer.

Lattimore and Dyer were two of the biggest high school football names in the southern United States, and two of the most sought-after players in the country. Both could play for any major college of their choosing.

Dyer committed to the Auburn Tigers early on in November of his senior season, but Lattimore made the decision to wait things out until signing day to announce his final intentions. His two favorite schools were an up-and-coming Gene Chizik-led Auburn team and an underachieving Steve Spurrier-led South Carolina squad.

Tiger fans all over the country were dreaming and envisioning of the pair as a backfield tandem at Auburn. Could this be the second coming of the Ronnie Brown/Cadillac Williams duo that the Auburn faithful had just finished cheering on a few years ago?

Or would Lattimore stay in state to play in a somewhat less crowded backfield?

The South Carolina native decided that Columbia was the place to be, and announced the decision to sign with Steve Spurrier and South Carolina.

With their commitments set to the SEC, many college football fans started pondering about how quickly both would make an impact, and which young man would be the first to stand out and make a name for himself at the college level.

Lattimore has already gained a national name after leading South Carolina to an impressive 17-6 victory over SEC East rival Georgia this past Saturday. In the contest, the now thickly-built 220-pound back bulled his way for 182 yards and two TDs on 37 total carries.

The Gamecock rusher was coming into the game fresh off an impressive debut against Southern Miss in which he totaled 54 yards on 14 carries, finding the end zone twice in his first collegiate game.

Dyer, on the other hand, has had some more competition for touches at Auburn with guys like quarterback Cam Newton and running backs Mario Fannin and Onterio McCalebb all receiving a fair cut of the carries. Although Coach Chizik has been quoted as saying that he feels the freshman running back is in line for a more critical role as the season goes on.

So far, Dyer has 143 rushing yards on 23 carries in Auburn’s two early season triumphs.

Both players look like they have bright and promising futures ahead of them. Their running ability and football prowess is unquestioned.

But the debates and comparisons will likely wage on for at least the next three years about just who is better.

Both Dyer and Lattimore offer up different types of styles, but there’s no doubt that both can be extremely effective if utilized correctly.

If I personally had to choose which back I’d rather have lining up in my backfield for the next few seasons, it would be Lattimore.

Lattimore is just a very powerfully put together athlete—the type you only see on rare occasions with the great ones like an Adrian Peterson or a Maurice Jones-Drew. Its backs like that who don’t have to rely on pure speed or agility to get the job done. They can count on their physical strength, and that’s one of the main assets that makes Lattimore a potentially special runner and its what sets him apart from your average college back.

Both Dyer and Lattimore should have great careers, but if I was a gambling man, my money would be on Lattimore to be the true supreme force out of the two.

He has all the goods to be college football’s next “it” back.