Under The Radar 3A North Georgia Running Backs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Who are some of the top returning 3A running backs for the 2024 season?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='670311' first='Cal' last='Faulkner'] - Lumpkin County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tremendous athlete who plays both quarterback and wide receiver, Faulkner is a dynamic playmaker who happens to be one of the top returning rushers in the 3A class. He brings excellent speed, impressive change of direction, and easy power five size at 6-foot-2 185-pounds. He plays on a different level and showed last year that he can absolutely play somewhere at the next level. One of the more versatile 2025 prospects across the peach state, this Lumpkin County athlete was named Region 7-3A Player of The Year last year after throwing for 1550 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for 954 more yards and 17 more touchdowns. Defensively, Faulkner picked off three passes from his position in the secondary. He's an electric player who is always there to make a play, and he should only get better over the next few months leading into his senior season. A multi-sport star who shines on the hardwood as well, Faulkner holds one football over from Navy, but more should be coming his way soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><a href="https://www.maxpreps.com/ga/adairsville/adairsville-tigers/athletes/jamarian-pullum/football/stats/?careerid=j634h8i1f7sn7">[player_tooltip player_id='1247342' first='Jamarian' last='Pullum']</a> - Adairsville</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An explosive, shifty runner with excellent one-cut ability, Pullum is one of the top sleeper backs in North Georgia bound for a massive senior season this fall. As a junior last fall, this bigger 6-foot-2 185-pound tackle-breaking back took off for 1197 all-purpose yards, including 755 yards on the ground with 7.4 yards per rush. He also scored 14 total touchdowns during his outstanding junior season. He can catch the ball effectively out of the backfield and does a great job of eluding defenders when there's room to run. He can break tackles with power, but he can also outrun defenders for a big gain down the field. He has the ability to score on any particular play, and he'll be even tougher to stop this fall as a senior. He flashed power five potential and could see some possible D1 interest come his way over the next few months.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1571612' first='Elijah' last='Hayes'] – West Hall</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An under the radar back in Hall County for the 2025 class, Hayes is coming off an incredibly productive junior last fall where he ran wild for 1,394 yards and 10 touchdowns. What's even more impressive was his eye-opening 9.68 yards per carry. Hayes brings a physical style of play and ran like a bowling ball last year, allowing him to be one of the better breakout running backs in the 3A classification. He shows good vision, quick feet for his size, and brings the lumber 6-foot-2 200-pounds. He's one of the bigger backs in the area and did a great job of wearing down on opposing defenses throughout the season. He also showed the ability to put his team on his back, rushing for over 200 yards three times last year while hitting the 100-yard mark five more times. Look for him to have an even bigger senior season in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->