Class of 2026 RBs Running Towards Greatness

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we prepare for the upcoming season, it's time to turn the spotlight to five Iowa High School Football RBs who are <a href="https://www.gobound.com/ia/ihsaa/football/2023-24/leaderlist?competitor=athlete&amp;range=season&amp;block=total&amp;grade=SO&amp;idMetric=h2018112010264141b01317e0dd485ca&amp;idMetricGroup=h2020013103313188014d330346cea4b">dominating the run game</a>. These players excelled running in the trenches, displaying speed and power that will translate to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While exhibiting greatness early on in their careers, these <a href="https://prepredzone.com/iowa/rankings/2026-rankings/?position=RB">running backs</a> are poised to have excellent careers, helping their team win games and putting their names on the recruiting map. Let's get into the film of these five Iowa High School Football RBs and what makes them so special.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401669"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Larmie had a fantastic sophomore season, posting 1000 rushing yards, averaging five yards per carry, and totaling seven touchdowns. The first thing that stands out in his film is his balance, both in contact and throughout his cuts. He has a good pad level to take hits from defenders and keeps that low center of gravity when making cuts and scraping the line of scrimmage to find open running lanes. Larmie has good patience at the line to set up his blocks, wait for the hole to open up, and explode through it. He has excellent burst and acceleration, getting to top speed quickly. When defenders try to arm-tackle him, he keeps his feet moving, fighting for the dirty yards and falling forward. Larmie is a tough, elusive runner capable of running you over or making you miss in the open field and is a threat for the home run play on the ground.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65affbab4df10"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["856075"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Ross had a tremendous sophomore season, totaling 729 yards on 120 carries, reaching the end zone on eight of them. He's a versatile weapon for his team, being used as a running back and quarterback, mainly for designed quarterback draws. He has a phenomenal frame that towers over his opponents, and his frame possesses a ton of strength, both in his lower and upper body. Combine that with his overall speed, and he's an imposing weapon on offense. Ross can turn the jets on and win the track race against defenders, or he can put his foot in the dirt and explosively cut to make them miss. He's also capable of lowering a shoulder and putting defenders on their backs, but he can also evade tacklers by hurdling over them or stopping on a dime and juking past them. Overall, Ross has a very well-rounded skillset that can be used in many facets of a game, making him a multi-dimensional player teams will love to deploy.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65affbab4dffa"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1240413' first='Evan' last='Allie']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Algona","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Allie had a great season on the ground, totaling 744 yards on 122 carries, seven of which found the end zone. His size is exceptional for the position, keeping a low center of gravity, and when he turns on the burners, he leaves defenders in the dust. Allie has explosive cuts, and once he puts his put in the ground, he gets upfield quickly, using his tremendous burst and acceleration. He has great contact balance with his low center of gravity, keeping a low pad level with his legs churning to get the tough, dirty yards. Allie is elusive in the open field, using his agility to evade defenders and create space with his athleticism. He's a solid receiver out of the backfield, giving his quarterback a check-down option with the potential to turn a bad play into a home run.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65affbab4e075"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":" AJ Walker","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'8u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Oskaloosa","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"On 124 carries last season, Walker made the most of them, gaining 790 yards and ten touchdowns, with an average of 6.4 yards per carry. What immediately stands out is his compact frame that can take contact and power through hits. He's a tough running back to bring down and has a lot of strength throughout his frame. He'll keep his feet moving through contact, making him challenging to bring down no matter the situation. Walker is a north-south type of runner who does a good job keeping his pads square at the line before hitting the gas and exploding through the open hole. He has quick feet and solid speed, as he's able to stick his foot in the dirt and get upfield and outrun defenders on the boundary.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65affbab4dfaf"} /--> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1242268' first='Owen' last='Backer']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'11u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Clarksville","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Statistically, Becker had a tremendous season, posting 1376 rushing yards on 124 carries and a whopping 24 touchdowns on the ground. He runs with a combination of speed and power, which allows him to turn tough plays into big gains. When he gets to top speed, he's tough to catch. He'll get the boundary, stick his foot in the dirt and quickly get upfield. If a defender gets in his way, Becker's not afraid of putting his shoulder down and run them over. He's a downhill running back who turns into a freight train in the trenches and the open field. When he's one-on-one with a defender, Becker can create his own space, making him a tough running back to track and bring down. With those numbers and the film he put up last year, there's no doubt he's in for a big season in 2024.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65affbab4e0ee"} /-->