2026 Rankings Update: Running Back
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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…
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Continue ReadingNow 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.
Evan Hampton Evan Hampton 6’0″ | 180 lbs | RB Owensboro | 2026 State KY 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.
JayQuan Crawford JayQuan Crawford 6’0″ | 200 lbs | RB Franklin County | 2026 State KY 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.
Markezz Hightower Markezz Hightower 5’10” | 180 lbs | RB Madisonville-North Hopkins | 2026 State KY 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.
Gerian Traynor Gerian Traynor 5’11” | 155 lbs | RB DuPont Manual | 2026 State KY 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.
To wrap up our top five running backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have DJ Wilson DJ Wilson 5’9″ | 190 lbs | RB Paducah Tilghman | 2026 State KY . 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.
Highlights
Best of the Rest (Players Included in Top 150):
6. Keagan Maher Keagan Maher 5'8" | 170 lbs | RB Randall K. Cooper | 2026 State KY (Cooper)
7. Chayce Burton Chayce Burton 5'10" | 185 lbs | RB Male | 2026 State KY (Male)
8. Davaree Gude Davaree Gude 6'0" | 210 lbs | RB Trigg County | 2026 State KY (Trigg County)
9. Ace Caudill Ace Caudill 5'5" | 140 lbs | RB Belfry | 2026 State KY (Belfry)
10. Jayden Gibson Jayden Gibson 5'8" | RB Breathitt County | 2026 State KY (Breathitt County)
11. Brayden Baxter Brayden Baxter 5'8" | 155 lbs | RB Monroe County | 2026 State KY (Monroe County)
12. Jeffrey Vazzana Jeffrey Vazzana 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Christian Academy of Louisville | 2026 State KY (Christian Academy of Louisville)
13. Laysen Anderson Laysen Anderson 5'2" | 160 lbs | RB John Hardin | 2026 State KY (John Hardin)
14. Jaxen Smith Jaxen Smith 5'7" | 150 lbs | RB Bowling Green | 2026 State KY (Bowling Green)
15. TayTay Allen TayTay Allen 5'10" | 180 lbs | RB Frederick Douglass | 2026 State KY (Frederick Douglass)
16. Erik Pickett Erik Pickett 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Fern Creek Highschool | 2026 State KY (Fern Creek)
17. BJ Evans BJ Evans 5'10" | 175 lbs | RB Tates Creek | 2026 State KY (Tates Creek)
18. Kole Greenwell Kole Greenwell 5'7" | 175 lbs | RB South Oldham | 2026 State KY (South Oldham)