Kentrell Rinehart turned heads — those of his coaches, fans and defensive players who had a tough time catching him — when he rushed for 387 yards and six touchdowns in Week 1 against Newark Catholic.
Ready's junior running back shouldered the load with 43 carries and, within a few hours, amassed more than a quarter of his entire production of a season ago, when he combined for 1,256 yards rushing and receiving.
To say Rinehart and the Silver Knights didn't see it coming is both accurate and a misnomer, given that he was crucial to both the running and passing games each of the past two years and expected to take on more responsibilities this fall . But until a week before this season 's opener, Rinehart was to have shared top back duties with classmate Anthony Campbell .
An injury to Campbell during the team's second scrimmage changed all of that.
"We went from having multiple good backs to one with experience," coach T.J. Burbridge said. "Kentrell took it on himself and he's embracing it. He's doing what's best for the team. It didn't take much (convincing) on our part. Kentrell just wants to be on the field nonstop. He just took it and ran with it."
Rinehart has rushed for 1,057 yards and 17 touchdowns on 98 carries, leading Ready to a 3-1 start entering Friday's visit to DeSales. He is second nationally in yards and third in both touchdowns and points scored according to MaxPreps, although that site does not necessarily include every player nationwide.
Rinehart has 2,421 career rushing yards and 37 touchdowns entering Friday. He caught 65 passes for 522 yards with five scores the past two seasons, leading the Knights in receptions as a freshman with 30.
"Being a three-year starter, I kind of saw (this) coming, that I had to step up and be the leader," Rinehart said. "When (Campbell) got hurt, I had to be the workhorse. I am not able to get out and receive as much as I'd like, but it's working out."
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Rinehart followed up his opening performance with 298 yards and seven touchdowns against Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and 209 yards and three scores against Whetstone.
The 6-foot-1, 205-pound Rinehart has the ability to both welcome and escape contact up the middle and break outside.
"What he's doing, he brings all of us a lot more energy," senior right tackle Jude Kusan said. "You get more excited on the big-hit plays. You don't feel as tired making the long drives. You're up and ready to go on every single play."
While Burbridge is trying to assemble complete program records, it's undeniable that Rinehart is the latest in a line of powerful running backs to come through Ready.
Devin Dukes rushed for 4,601 yards and 60 touchdowns in three seasons (2014-16) before adding another 1,287 yards and 13 scores as a senior at Grove City. Jack Foley amassed more than 4,200 yards and scored 35 touchdowns from 2016-19, and Akili Taylor racked up 3,117 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2012 and 2013 before playing at Navy.
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Rinehart admits goals and records drive him, as does a three-star rating from at least one recruiting service. 247Sports.com recently ranked him as the 52nd-best running back nationally and No. 30 overall player in Ohio .
"There aren't 52 better RBs than me in the country and there sure aren't 2 better than me in Ohio," he posted in response on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "But I'm thankful because this is just the starting point. I will be a 5 star and will be top 5 in the country and the best in Ohio when it's all said and done."
Campbell, Central Michigan, Marshall, Miami University, Toledo and Western Michigan already have offered Rinehart.
"(Ratings) give me a boost to push myself more and show everybody what I'm about, what I can do," Rinehart said. "My mindset going into everything has to be that I am better than anybody else."
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Kentrell Rinehart emerges as star running back for Ready football
