2026 Rankings Update: Running Back

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that another season of high school football is behind us in the state of Kentucky, it is time for some rankings updates. The updated top 150 for the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky has been officially published! With that being said, I wanted to take the next week or so to break down these rankings by position. After already covering the quarterbacks, I will now turn my attention to our top running backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["401707"],"_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":"[player_tooltip player_id='401707' first='Evan' last='Hampton'] established himself as the top running back in the state in his class after a very impressive sophomore season. He finished the year with 145 carries for 1,552 yards and 25 touchdowns in 14 games. Hampton has very impressive speed which he uses to burst through the running  lane with a sense of urgency and run away from the defense on long runs. He is also very elusive in the open field, showing the ability to make defenders miss with ease. Hampton also finished the season as his team's leading receiver, catching 44 passes for 527 yards and two touchdowns. Evan is committed to play baseball at Kentucky but has also received football offers from Eastern Kentucky and Illinois State, and I believe he definitely has the talent to play running back at the Division I level if he were to have a change of heart.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["283970"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='283970' first='JayQuan' last='Crawford'] is a player that has climbed up our rankings after his role increased in the Franklin County offense this past season. Crawford still split carries this season but was productive when his number was called, finishing with 62 carries for 294 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games. He is a physical, downhill runner that has shown the strength and contact balance to break tackles without losing stride. Crawford has also shown the burst of speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. JayQuan currently holds an offer from Eastern Michigan and I expect more to come his way as he has received a solid amount of college interest and is a Division I caliber running back prospect.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["401923"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='401923' first='Markezz' last='Hightower'] is a running back that has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to impress this past season. He had a strong sophomore season, carrying the ball 153 times for 1,206 yards and 19 touchdowns in 10 games. Markezz is a downhill runner that hits the running lane quickly and has the contact balance to run straight through defenders without breaking stride. Once he hits the open field, Hightower has shown that he has the burst of speed to run away from the defense. He also played a key role in the passing game this past season, catching 21 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Markezz doesn't currently hold any offers but is a player that college coaches should definitely keep an eye on heading into his junior year.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["971534"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='971534' first='Gerian' last='Traynor'] is a running back that stood out to me with a very impressive sophomore season. He led his team in rushing, carrying the ball 165 times for 1,041 yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 games. Traynor has very impressive vision, showing the ability to find cut back lanes and hit them in a hurry when the backfield gets clogged up. Once he hits the open field, he has the elusiveness to make defenders miss and speed to run away from the defense on long runs. Traynor also finished this past season with 14 receptions for 125 yards and a touchdown. Gerian currently holds an offer from Bethune-Cookman and I expect more to come his way as he has the talent to be a productive running back at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["401703"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"To wrap up our top five running backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='401703' first='DJ' last='Wilson']. Wilson had an impressive sophomore season, carrying the ball 138 times for 1,054 yards and 14 touchdowns in 14 games. DJ is a strong runner, showing great contact balance combined with a very impressive stiff arm to break tackles in the open field without losing stride. He has also shown the elusiveness to make cuts in the open field to make defenders miss. Wilson also played a role in the passing game, finishing this past season with 15 catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns. DJ doesn't currently hold any offers but he is definitely a player to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":5,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65d6832fe9583"} /--> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 150):</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>6. [player_tooltip player_id='283974' first='Keagan' last='Maher'] (Cooper)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>7. [player_tooltip player_id='971533' first='Chayce' last='Burton'] (Male)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>8. [player_tooltip player_id='1176974' first='Davaree' last='Gude'] (Trigg County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>9. [player_tooltip player_id='273452' first='Ace' last='Caudill'] (Belfry)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>10. [player_tooltip player_id='773227' first='Jayden' last='Gibson'] (Breathitt County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>11. [player_tooltip player_id='971536' first='Brayden' last='Baxter'] (Monroe County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>12. [player_tooltip player_id='283971' first='Jeffrey' last='Vazzana'] (Christian Academy of Louisville)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>13. [player_tooltip player_id='873792' first='Laysen' last='Anderson'] (John Hardin)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>14. [player_tooltip player_id='1176931' first='Jaxen' last='Smith'] (Bowling Green)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15. [player_tooltip player_id='1175775' first='TayTay' last='Allen'] (Frederick Douglass)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16. [player_tooltip player_id='1175795' first='Erik' last='Pickett'] (Fern Creek)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>17. [player_tooltip player_id='971535' first='BJ' last='Evans'] (Tates Creek)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>18. [player_tooltip player_id='1176922' first='Kole' last='Greenwell'] (South Oldham)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->