2026 Small-Town Running Backs On The Rise

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Which small-town peach-state running backs are on the rise?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Redzone breaks it all down...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1201681' first='Caiden' last='Wood'] - Oconee County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top running backs in the Athens area, Wood is a productive back out of Oconee County who is coming off a really impressive sophomore season on the ground. He has decent size at 6-foot-0 185-pounds and was a touchdown machine last season, finding the end-zone 17 times this past season. He ended the season with a game for the ages, running for 324 yards and five touchdowns in a tough loss to Lumpkin County. He's not the biggest or fastest back, but he does his job. He runs hard, gives maximum effort, and stays on his feet. He can power his way through defenders and is great in short yardage and goal-line scenarios. He's a possible breakout candidate next year as a junior is he continues to develop and add more muscle over the off-season. As a sophomore this past season, Wood ran for 950 yards and averaged over five yards a carry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1572532' first='Alvin' last='Ricks'] - Wheeler County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough, small-town back who does a good job of following his blocks, Ricks may be on the smaller side compared to other backs in the 2026 class, but he runs hard and can pick up yards after initial contact. When he had the ball, good things happened. A big-play machine, Ricks averaged an outstanding 10.9 yards per carry last year as a sophomore. In total, he carried the ball 85 times for 925 yards. He showed good footwork and the ability to burst through a hole. He can run up the middle but can make plays on the perimeter as well. He's just a natural runner who has been extremely efficient this past season. He's without a doubt one of the more underrated sophomore backs in the area right now, and with a big junior season, Ricks could possibly see some college interest come his way down the road.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1206143' first='Darron' last='Parry'] – North Forsyth</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An elusive and dependable back from Cumming, Parry's size won't blow anyone away, but make no mistake, he's as reliable as any running back in the area, and he's coming off a really impressive 2023 season as a sophomore. The 5-foot-7 160-pounder is quick, shifty, and hits the hold hard between the tackles. He's not afraid of contact and shows good vision and a natural feel for the position for someone his age. He's hard for defenders to get a clean hit on due to his size and overall quickness. On the season, the North Forsyth back has rushed for 849 yards and five touchdowns. He's rushed for over 100 yards five times this season including four games in a row in the middle of the season. He's also rushed for at least 85 yards in seven games this fall. He's a sleeper back in the 2026 class who could have a breakout junior season next year in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->