Know the Name: 16-year-old Emeka Megwa is built like Saquon Barkley

Share or Save for Later

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Save to Favorites

If Saquon Barkley ever needed a stunt-double, look no further than Fort Worth Nolan Catholic phenom Emeka Megwa.

Literal tree-trunks for thighs? Check.

Biceps that should be outlawed in all 50 states? Check. Check.

Sprinter’s speed? He runs a 4.4 40-yard dash so…

Did we mention the 6-foot-1, 225-pound chiseled-from-granite running back is only 16-years-old?

Though he still has two years left in high school, Megwa is already one of the most offered recruits in the country with close to 40.

The list includes Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, Georgia, Houston, LSU, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Texas, Notre Dame, Ohio State [give yourself time to breath], Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, SMU, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC and Washington.

It’s really a shame he doesn’t have anything going for him.

“Megwa passes the eyeball test better than any 2022 prospect,” said Greg Powers, President of Next Level Athlete and the senior recruiting analyst for TexasFootball.com. “His size and build immediately catch attention, and he is a bruiser on the field. However, he also brings plenty of speed to the table. He's in line to be one of the next great Texas high school running backs.”

One of the next great Texas high school running backs. That, there, is the part that Megwa would have you focus in on. While his size might tempt some to project his future as a linebacker, Megwa would like it to be known he’s focused on playing one position.

“Those guys [some recruiting services] really want me at linebacker, which I really don’t know why,” he said. “I had almost 2,000 yards last year, so I don’t know what else to prove that I do play running back.

“There’s a running back [ranked] ahead of me that’s like 5-6, 160, little skinny boy. To me it’s all jacked up. Some of those guys really have like five offers and are a top five back in the country. It’s weird to me.”

It’s weird to Nolan Catholic head coach David Beaudin too.

“No disrespect to any of those guys, but I don’t get it,” he said. “I think they look at him sometimes and think he’s going to out-grow the position and be too big. But he’s still really fluid and really flexible. He’s much more fluid an athlete than he looks; he’s so yoked up but he’s not stiff. He’s a dude at running back.”

Megwa, who was born in Chicago and moved to Texas in middle school, rushed 156 times for 1,488 yards (9.5 yards per carry) and 24 touchdowns in 2019, including rushing for at least 200 yards in four games. He also had three receiving TDs on his way to earning first-team all-state honors.

For the record, every single school that’s offered Megwa wants him at running back.  

“I take it how it is; I don’t really care for it,” he said. “At the end of the day I’m a running back.”

And, contrary to popular belief, not a power back.

“I don’t do too much running over people,” he said. “On my film, you can see I’m running by defenders. So when those people say I’m a power back it’s clear that you didn’t watch my film.”

Beaudin, who could wax poetic about Megwa for days, would simply call him one heck of a football player.

“Again, no disrespect to these services, but he’s as complete a back as I’ve been around,” Beaudin said. “We’re going to put him all over the place this year because he can handle it. He’s great in the pass game, understands protection. He’s not just a power kid; he can run away from you or over you. I don’t know much more that they want.”

In addition to what he can do on the field, Beaudin has been thoroughly impressed with his actions off it.

“Our first game last year, his first game as the full-time starter, we’re up by a bunch and he’s out by halftime,” Beaudin recalled. “I think we had our fourth running back in, and he was toes to the sideline going crazy for him. I brought it to his attention after the game and he was like, ‘Of course, those are my guys.’ I don’t think he realized how big that was.

“There’s such a ‘me’ mentality out there, especially for a guy with all of his accolades. But he could care less; he was just all about seeing another guy succeed. He always befriends the guys on the team that aren’t necessarily the most talented, he just tends to gravitate towards those guys.

“He’s got this big, hard exterior and everyone thinks he’s this big, bad dude; trust me he is on the field. But to me, just the way he takes care of other people and is just a really cerebral kid. That’s who he is.”

An intelligent, gifted, yoked running back who cares for his teammates.

Hey Saquon, Emeka Megwa might need a stunt-double.

 

This article is available to our Digital Subscribers.
Click "Subscribe Now" to see a list of subscription offers.
Already a Subscriber? Sign In to access this content.

Sign In
Don't Miss Any Exclusive Coverage!

We've been the Bible of Texas football fans for 64 years. By joining the DCTF family you'll gain access to all of our exclusive content and have our magazines mailed to you!