MO Under the Radar 2026s: Running Backs

As we head deeper into the summer, the 2024 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that being said, I wanted to take the next week to focus on some under the radar players in the upcoming junior class at each position. These players include those who fall just outside the top five at their positions and don't currently hold any offers. After already covering the quarterbacks, here are some 2026 running backs to keep an eye on in the state of Missouri!    [player_tooltip player_id='369029' first='Jaylen' last='Ballard'] is a running back who is coming off a strong sophomore season. He finished this past season with over 1,500 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Ballard has explosive speed, showing the ability to get to the outside or into the open field in a hurry then run away from the defense on long runs. He also has the contact balance and elusiveness to make defenders miss with ease. I could see some offers coming Jaylen's way soon as he has received a solid amount of college interest.     [player_tooltip player_id='402113' first='Courtney' last='Rivers'] is a ball carrier who stood out to me when evaluating sophomore year film. He had a strong sophomore season, finishing with 639 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns, with 531 rushing yards on 100 carries. Rivers gets downhill and hits the running lane with a sense of urgency then shows the burst of speed to run away from the defense. He has also shown the ability to lower his shoulders and run straight through any defender in his path. Courtney has received some college interest and I expect a lot of eyes to be on him heading into his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='849692' first='Antoine' last='Gunn'] is another running back who had a strong sophomore year. He finished this past season with 901 all-purpose yards with 668 on the ground. Gunn is a strong, physical runner, showing an impressive stiff arm along with the ability to lower his shoulder to break tackles without losing stride. He has also shown the speed to run away from the defense once he hits the open field. Antoine hasn't reported much college interest but he is definitely a player who coaches should keep an eye on heading into his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='849683' first='Makai' last='Robinson'] is another ball carrier who stood out as a sophomore. He finished this past season with 68 carries for 473 yards and seven touchdowns. Robinson has very impressive vision, showing the ability to find open cutback lanes and hit them with a sense of urgency. He is also dangerous once he hits the open field, showing the speed and elusiveness to break away on long runs at any given moment. Robinson also caught five passes for 36 yards and finished the year with 34 tackles on defense. Makai has received some college interest and he should be a player to continue to watch over the next couple seasons.       My final under the radar 2026 running back to keep an eye on in the state of Missouri is [player_tooltip player_id='1127295' first='Ka'Von' last='Tiger']. Tiger is a very shifty running back, showing the ability to make cuts on the dime in the open field to make defenders miss. He has also shown very explosive speed once he hits the open field which he uses to run away from the defense on long runs. Ka'Von hasn't reported any college interest but he should be a player to keep an eye on heading into his junior season.

As we head deeper into the summer, the 2024 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that being said, I wanted to take the next week to focus on some under the radar players in the upcoming junior class at each position. These players include those who fall just outside the top five at their positions and don't currently hold any offers. After already covering the quarterbacks, here are some 2026 running backs to keep an eye on in the state of Missouri!