COVINGTON — Kevin Hartsfield recently said a couple of things that no one would expect to hear from the No. 1 junior running back prospect in America. The Newton junior is rated as the nation’s No. 1 RB and the No. 35 overall prospect for 2028 by both the 247Sports Composite and the Rivals Industry Ranking.
But when asked about his game, his answer was steeped in humility.
“With my film, I’ll watch it,” Hartsfield said. “I don’t really like it. For me, I’m a person who wants to be perfect in everything. So when I watch my film, I just look at it, I’m like, ‘I’m not seeing what they all be seeing’ when they be saying this and saying that. I just see the little things I could be doing better. Like, I had the ball in the wrong hand. Or, even though I scored, I could have made this cut and that run would have been even better.”
He still prepares with the same mentality he had as a freshman. The mindset is to be good enough to get on the field. Then work hard enough to start.
“When I go to college, there’s going to be somebody there that once had the same No. 1 by their name or the same five stars by their name,” he said. “So for me, it’s not really something.”
When he was asked about his dreams, he also veered off any expected script.
He mentioned dominating in the NFL. Then a business degree. He wanted to own a car wash and a plumbing company, but then explained why those businesses are recession-proof.
This young man just seems different for more reasons than how he’s never been chased down. Or how that first defender never tackles him.
Hartsfield is also focused on faith.
“That’s the goal in life, but I want to get closer to God for sure,” he said. “Definitely, the end goal is to make it to heaven for sure. That’s my end goal, but on Earth right now, definitely all of that.”
When it comes to his name, image and likeness, he has a different outlook than most elite recruits.
“When I get my money set, I’m definitely opening up a church or something where I can get the word out there,” Hartsfield said. “I’m using my name, my image, and my face, or whatever I gotta do, to either help people or guide people in the right way. Just to impact the world in a good way. Not a bad way.”
Those are answers no one would expect to come from the mouth of a player MaxPreps has already ranked as one of the top 10 RBs in America this season, regardless of class standing.
Well, anyone except the Newton High community.
“He’s cut from the old cloth,” Newton coach Josh Skelton said. “Great kid. Most humble kid ever. It’s hard for him to ever talk about himself. He’s conditioned to talk about the things that are going on around him. His dad has done a good job with that.”
Elite players transfer to bigger schools at an unprecedented rate these days. Yet Hartsfield is supremely loyal to the program he’s been around since the fourth grade. His older brother, Marcus Calwise, was his role model.
“When we were running sprints, [Hartfield] was running sprints with us,” Skelton said. “Even though he was just in the fifth grade.”
Hartfield says he’d never think of leaving the Rams.
“Most of the team here, I’ve been playing with since I was five or six,” he said. “So this goes way beyond Newton High School or Newton football. This goes into all those relationships built along that way.”
Check out his impressive sophomore tape below.
Credit: Jeff Sentell
Credit: Jeff Sentell
Scouting Kevin Hartsfield: The total package
Slow. Slow. Slow. Fast. That’s the rhythm he plays with.
He’s been trained to slowly look for his hole to develop, find his crease and then explode.
When he carries the football, there’s another beat going through his head. He doesn’t go blank, but rather to a happy place.
“I like to listen to Rod Wave or Lauryn Hill before a game,” Hartsfield said. “Something that makes me feel like I am playing smooth. Like I’m fixing to kill them. I’m going to be smooth all game.”
The current career rushing average is a silky smooth 12.9 yards per attempt heading into his junior year. There’s one snap where he broke seven tackles on the play.
“This guy is chiseled, man,” Skelton said. “The weight room is working. You don’t see kids looking like this walking around Kroger.”
There have been some truly great players to walk the halls of Newton High: Dale Carter. Jake Reed. JJ Holloman. Go ahead and count Hartsfield among them.
“Without question,” Skelton said. “There’s really nothing he can’t do.”
Hartsfield has already clocked a 10.9 in the 100 meters. He’s been a phenom on the basketball court. He can squat 425 pounds for three reps. He estimated his current bench press at 320 pounds. His power clean max would be at least 360.
While watching him on the 7-on-7 circuit, he flashed an impressive array of skill sets as a receiver. Look for Hartsfield to split out wide and also gash defenses as a receiver this season.
“I don’t think nobody really knows that my original varsity starting position was at receiver,” Hartsfield said.
Credit: Jeff Sentell
Credit: Jeff Sentell
Kevin Hartsfield discusses the schools that have his eye
Hartsfield is often found at camps or practices wearing UGA gear. UGA is the most accessible school to him. He’s been there a lot. That’s why he’s always repping the red and black at camps, in the weight room and at practices.
“I’ve got a great relationship with them,” he said. “Because I’ve been going there since middle school. Watching their games and, like, coming up now, I would’ve never thought I’d be a priority for them. So for that to be [real], that is definitely a blessing. I want to show that I appreciate it by wearing the stuff.”
He said Georgia is a constant in his recruitment, but the June 15th window opening was “game-changing” for him. It allowed other schools to start to catch up to what he’d built at UGA.
The 4-star has been hearing from Michigan running backs coach Tony Alford a lot. Miami head coach Mario Cristobal is also personally recruiting him. Texas and Tennessee are also weighing in hard. He even plans to visit Oklahoma and Wisconsin this fall.
Hartsfield has set a commitment date of May 4, 2027. That’s the day he has in mind to honor the memory of his older brother, Kameron Armstrong.
Credit: Jeff Sentell
Credit: Jeff Sentell
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