Billy Reagins is a name most indoor football fans are aware of due to his performance in 2023 with the Southwest Kansas Storm of the Champions Indoor Football League. He was stuck on a bad team and often asked to carry the load even if it meant he was expected to break a tackle before he left the backfield.
As Southwest Kansas struggled on their way to a 3-7 record, Reagins stormed his way to 346 yards on the ground, 94 yards through the air, and 452 yards in the return game. Collecting 892 total yards in 11 games scoring 8 touchdowns. Headed into 2024 Reagins was signed by an LFA team but unfortunately, Billy wasn’t able to get his passport fast enough and Reagins was forced to part ways with the team before ever traveling to Mexico. He assures me his passport is in hand, and he’s prepared to catch a flight at a moment’s notice.
This has left him a free agent as we watch the IFL, NAL, UFL, and LFA begin to wrap up their regular seasons. Luckily for Reagins football doesn’t end there, with the ELF, CFL, and GFL all starting their seasons. He has started to pick up some interest in outdoor leagues not named the LFA, and if we are being honest his skill set is better suited to the outdoor game.
College Career
Reagins played at multiple schools in college trying to find his footing and the best scenario for success. He began as a true freshman at the University of Northern Colorado where the 6’2 220 pound athlete played running back for UNC, before playing at Cisco Junior College, and Prairie View A&M before finishing his career with Howard Payne University.
At Cisco Junior College he almost immediately made an impression. Playing in just 6 games in 2019 he managed his first 100 rushing game and a separate game in which he scored four rushing touchdowns. On 58 carries he averaged 5.2 yards per carry to the tune of 302 yards and 6 touchdowns. He added 1 reception for four yards.
In a COVID-19-shortened season, he played all 5 games and put up better numbers than he did the year before. Despite logging 5 fewer carries he managed 3 more rushing yards and the same amount of touchdowns. He again had just 1 reception this time for 2 yards. He also managed 3 tackles and 1 forced fumble.
In 2021 Reagins returned for year three but he was relegated to the bench for Prairie View after his best season yet. He would not log any statistics for the entire year. This led to his decision to transfer to Howard Payne University where he finished strong in 2022. He set career highs in carries, yards, receptions, and yards, and matched his high in touchdowns while also playing defense, and special teams He collected 8 tackles on the year.
Reagins didn’t stop there, he would go on to participate in the National Scouting Combine, and the CJFL Combine to make sure he got in front of as many scouts as possible and find his way to a team. His numbers didn’t hurt his case, nor did his interview:
Striving for More
Some would simply rest on their laurels, not Billy. At 220 pounds running a 4.52 is impressive in its own right, but more recently Reagins reinvented himself coming back leaner, and faster running a personal best 4.46 40-yard dash dropping .06 off of his CJFL combine performance. I can’t even imagine what his 3-cone time would look like at this point given the 6.69 he ran for the CJFL.
While speed and agility are certainly part of Reagins repertoire, what makes Reagins so good is his power and vision. He rarely goes down on first contact, and defenders trying to take him down with arm tackles might want to think twice. He has a great vision whether it’s in the open field or out of the backfield, he tends to find the area of the field where if he beats one defender, it’s off to the races.
I haven’t even begun to talk about his blocking. It’s few and far between when you see a true running back like Reagins start his highlight tape with two straight pancake blocks where he leaves an opposing player flat on their back.
While he has yet to truly be unleashed as a receiver, he shows soft hands, and an ability to find the hole in a zone where he can present a target for his quarterback. Three things get and keep young running backs on the field; pass blocking, pass catching, and special teams. Safe to say Reagins should be coming to a backfield near you soon.
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