Landen Williams-Callis is moving toward a college decision, and the 2027 running back market is about to get a lot clearer.
The four-star prospect from Richmond, Texas, plans to announce on August 1 after trimming his list to five Power Four finalists. Rivals has Williams-Callis slotted as the No. 3 running back in the class, the No. 6 prospect in Texas and the No. 49 overall player in its industry rankings.
What makes him such a coveted target is easy to see in the production. Over his previous three high school seasons, Williams-Callis piled up 7,551 rushing yards and 125 touchdowns, while adding 54 catches for 728 yards and seven more scores. He also helped Randle High School reach consecutive state championship appearances in 2024 and 2025.
His background only adds to the intrigue. Williams-Callis comes from an NFL family, with uncle Michael Lewis and cousins James and Jacquizz Rodgers all having played in the league over the last 25 years. Jacquizz Rodgers, of course, was a running back at Oregon State before spending nine seasons in the NFL.
The scouting report backs up the eye-popping numbers. In March, Gabe Brooks of 247Sports called Williams-Callis an "ultra-productive back who boasts high-volume durability and explosive big-play juice" and wrote that he "often plays at a different speed than everybody else on the field" in his evaluation.
That profile has made him a priority for several major programs, especially the SEC schools in Texas. Texas A&M has the nation’s strongest 2027 recruiting class, but it still doesn’t have a running back committed. Texas, meanwhile, already landed Noah Roberts, the No. 19 running back in the class, when he committed on May 2.
Missouri remains firmly in the mix as well. The Tigers’ staff has visited Williams-Callis twice, and he took an official visit to Columbia on June 5.
Missouri has also already added another back in the class, flipping Kingston Miles from Auburn on June 22. Miles is ranked as the No. 17 running back in 2027.
The other finalists are Houston and SMU, two in-state Power Four programs that are still trying to land their first top-150 commitment in the class. SMU’s class currently sits at seven commits, with no running backs among them and only quarterback Malachi Zeigler and wide receiver Trey Haralson classified as blue-chip pledges. Houston has just two blue-chip commitments, but it does already have a running back in the fold after in-state three-star KJ Porter committed on April 22.
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