Breaking Down The Top Running Backs in The 2026 Class

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2026 class will be in their junior season next year, and I thought it would be a good idea to break down some of the top guys tape in this class. This is a strong running back class with several guys who have skill sets that will allow them to succeed in at the collegiate level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='206418' first='Jayden' last='Terry'] | Grandville | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2ME21t">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Terry has good contact balance and good strength that allows him to run through arm tackles. Terry has an exceptional ability to make people mess. I love how comfortable he is working through traffic. Defenses really had to stay gap discipline in order to keep Terry contained. Terry has good hands as well and made plenty of plays catching the ball. I am a fan of Terry's game and he is a guy who should continue to keep getting attention as he already has a tremendous skill set. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='568050' first='Jakoby' last='Lagat'] | Goodrich | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/v/2MwfGs">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lagat has very good strength and power and can run defenders over. He certainly is a guy who can finish runs for touchdowns at the goal line. Lagat is a good receiver as well and can make receptions down field. Lagat shows good acceleration and has natural feel of when to bounce runs to the outside. Lagat has a good stiff arm as well and used it effectively many times this past season. Lagat is a good football player who made a big impact for his team this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='402064' first='Tomarion' last='Steward'] | Muskegon Mona Shores | <a href="http://www.hudl.com/video/3/17833272/6564f14aa681b113647f29a2">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Steward has great size at 6-0, 214 lbs. He shows good burst and can really accelerate through the hole. He has good strength and has no problem breaking tackles. Steward has good change of direction and can make quick and effective jump cuts. Steward's strength allows him to fight off arm tackles in the open field with ease. With Steward's size and power he has you get a sense that defenders are a little shy to try to bring him down. Steward does play with tremendous effort and does a great job of fighting for extra yardage. I like his game a lot and he will be a guy that opposing defenses will have trouble tackling next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='568142' first='Connor' last='Olszewski'] | Grand Rapids West Catholic | <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/17936246/6536be9b38642e037cc8ccea">Hudl</a></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olszeweski is a great receiving back. <strong>West Catholic </strong>would often line him up in the slot to take advantage of his excellent hands and his route running ability. Olszeweski is very good after the catch and can create big play touchdowns. He has a power element to his game that allows him to run over defenders. He has good acceleration and <strong>West Catholic </strong>took advantage of his ability to do this by giving him the ball on end-arounds. Olszeweski shows how athletic he is on defense. He is very good in coverage at the linebacker position and had many pass breakups this past season. Olszeweski does a good job of working the middle of the field and can get off the line of scrimmage in a hurry. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->