College Football Recruiting: Thornton RB Jamal Towns an Elite Back

Thornton junior running back Jamal Towns is beginning to make a name for himself in northeastern Illinois. 

The diminutive back (5'8", 170 pounds) is lightning quick, and can break numerous tackles for extra yardage. In 2011, Towns has 533 yards rushing on 84 carries (a 6.35 yards per carry average) for six touchdowns. 

Towns has led Thornton to a 3-1 record and a 2-0 Southwest Suburban Red conference mark. 

The junior back seems to get stronger as the game progresses. 

Against Bradley-Bourbonnais on Sept. 10, Towns had only 28 yards on 10 carries. When the second half rolled around, Towns had 105 yards on 23 carries, with a key 32-yard run on a 3rd-and-12 to keep a late fourth quarter drive going. He also ran for two scores for a 26-14 Wildcat victory. 

On Sept. 16 against Lincoln-Way North, Towns again had an amazing second-half performance, gaining 110 of his 146 rushing yards during that time frame. Towns had a two-yard touchdown run in the second quarter while fighting three Lincoln-Way North defenders. 

Towns also ran for 42 yards on a six-minute fourth quarter drive, and had three rushes of over 10 yards, leading his team to a 20-7 win. 

"We worked so hard in practice all week that we wanted to have a good victory," Towns said after beating Lincoln-Way North. 

For his play, the young Towns was named Chicago Tribune Player of the Game for two consecutive weeks. 

Bob Bajek is a freelance reporter and can be followed at Patch.com and Twitter.