Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase: Top Running Backs

ABERDEEN-- We move to the running backs that flashed during our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase on Sunday in Aberdeen, as there was a lot of talent to go around in the backfield. This grouping showed 16 standouts that were logged into my notebook and a handful that even in a small sample size I got of reps, all look like they should be playing college football in the near future in my eyes.   [player_tooltip player_id='1555791' first='Isaiah' last='Felicia'], RB, Lower Brule 2026 <a href="https://x.com/Isaiah171642542">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2081-rotated-crop-481x316-1733949660.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578138" style="width:325px;height:auto" /></figure>   Isaiah was a running back in the 2026 class that had a rise for me towards the end of the season from watching his tape, as I liked what I saw out of his skillsets at the Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase last Sunday. He came into Aberdeen with more frame than I expected, and I could tell is a running back with great upside upcoming as I felt brought a higher game-speed than what his 40 yard dash might tell you in he tested in the low 4.9s on Sunday. His skillsets also appeared well-versed with the vision I saw on Sunday in Aberdeen as a RB prospect that has some wiggle room to develop with his change of direction.   [player_tooltip player_id='670033' first='Bryce' last='Hawkinson'], RB, Britton-Hecla 2026 <a href="https://x.com/hawkinson_bryce">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2047-rotated-crop-481x316-1733949840.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578140" style="width:337px;height:auto" /></figure>   Bryce was a a 2026 that struck a chord quickly in my eyes with the vision he showed off in Aberdeen at Sunday's showcase. I also felt his change of direction was intriguing in the live reps I got to watch during Indy drills and 1v1s and that checked out with Bryce too with his pro agility (4.6), as he landed in the top-middle tier with his pro agility amongst the running back group. He also landed within the top tier with his testing in the L-drill as well posting a 7.34 as a 2026 running back that in my eyes is on the rise after his Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase performance.   [player_tooltip player_id='1275173' first='Mack' last='Saxon'], RB, Mobridge-Pollock 2027 <a href="https://x.com/MackandRodWave">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1868-rotated-crop-481x316-1733948554.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578112" style="width:341px;height:auto" /></figure>   Mack was a 2027 running back that surely impressed at our spring Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase and left another great impression in Aberdeen. He surely has developed with his change of direction from last spring putting together some sound testing numbers and I have to add, he was tied for the biggest hand size amongst all position groups at 11 inches, which is pretty absurd for a running back. He also showed off the durability I was hoping to see in his reps as the 5'10 220 pounder showed why he logged over 1200 rushing yards last season and plenty of yards after contact to go with that stat. He will be another 2027 prospect you will see get a bump in his ranking by our upcoming update.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575922' first='Jack' last='Stocklin'], RB, Sioux Falls O'Gorman 2026 <a href="https://x.com/JackStocklin13">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2041-rotated-crop-481x316-1733950120.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578142" style="width:338px;height:auto" /></figure>   The 5'11 180 pounder out of Sioux Falls O'Gorman was a running back that excelled in my eyes with his change of direction (4.32 pro agility) not just once either, but on numerous reps on Sunday in Aberdeen. He also relished as a RB prospect that I liked his attention to detail pre-snap in Indy reps as you could tell Jack has a quickly growing football IQ that he put to great use during his reps in Aberdeen. I'll be excited to get some tape on this young man hopefully in the coming months as he was one of the most agile running backs in attendance at our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase.   [player_tooltip player_id='929969' first='Sawyer' last='Hesse'], RB, Kindred 2026 <a href="https://x.com/hesse_sawyer">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2023-rotated-crop-481x316-1733949402.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578136" style="width:323px;height:auto" /></figure>   Sawyer's athleticism flashes quickly when you roll his tape, and it flashed with his vertical (29.5) which was in the top-tier amongst the running back group in Aberdeen on Sunday. He also showed off plenty of consistency across his testing numbers which is always key to see as an evaluator especially with his L-Drill of 7.41. Sawyer also impressed me with his hands during Indy and 1v1s from the reps I got to watch, as he showed off a great amount of balance in his route-running as well. He surely will be a 2026 x-factor to track for the Kindred Vikings in the 2025 class as I also like the shot Sawyer has playing at the next-level with great position flexibility offensively.   [player_tooltip player_id='1113068' first='Aiden' last='Samek'], RB, West Fargo 2026 <a href="https://x.com/AidenSamek">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2011-rotated-crop-481x316-1733949234.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578129" style="width:343px;height:auto" /></figure>   Aiden flashed as a defensive back at our last winter showcase and after the great season he had for the West Fargo Packers, I liked what I saw on Sunday from him at the running back position. Where Aiden popped out right away to me was in the L-Drill (7.16) which I surely liked seeing as one of the top L-drills we saw within the running back group. Once we got into Indy drills, although you don't see much of it on tape at the moment, Aiden showed off great hands and showed off the fluidity I wanted to see as a route-runner which shows to me that the position flexibility for Aiden at the next-level looks to be sound on both sides of the ball. Aiden looks like another 2026 prospect that is destined to play on Saturdays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575913' first='Grayden' last='Juve'], RB, Rapid City St. Thomas More 2026 <a href="https://x.com/GraydenJuve">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2075-rotated-crop-481x316-1733949028.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578123" style="width:341px;height:auto" /></figure>   Grayden was one of the first running backs in the group that caught my eyes during our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase in Aberdeen, as we expected him to be leave an impact in our showcase preview. He ran a 4.78 (twice) in the 40 yard dash and 7.22 in the L-drill as far as the testing number that popped out. The 5'9 175 pounder, showed off the sound hip flexibility that I grasped from the early reps and while watching him in the 40-yard dash he showed off the finish I like to see out of the running back position as he ran inside a 4.8 but I gauged later his game-speed appears faster than that. He also showed off the instinctive twitch with his route-running towards the end of the showcase that flashed immediately in my eyes. Across the board, we saw a ton of promise upcoming from this group of athletes from Rapid City St. Thomas More.   [player_tooltip player_id='670031' first='Jesiah' last='Baum'], RB, Warner 2026 <a href="https://x.com/jbaumer_4">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2121-rotated-crop-481x316-1733948788.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578117" style="width:328px;height:auto" /></figure>   Jesiah took the cake for the top 40-yard dash (4.65) in the running back group as the 2026 running back from Warner continued to show off the explosive traits I have seen on display for well over a year now. I also saw a great amount of development from Jesiah with his change of direction, not only in testing but his Indy reps showed off the growth that this young man has developed since last Spring. Jesiah also showed off a growing football IQ, as it seemed during Indy and 1v1s he could gauge pre-snap on where to utilize his vision best against the linebackers in attendance. A young man that has also always impressed me with his character as a 2026 prospect that continues to climb up our PRZ Dakotas radar.   [player_tooltip player_id='1422312' first='Brody' last='Dybvig'], RB, Tri-Valley 2026 <a href="https://x.com/Brody_Dybvig">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2101-rotated-crop-481x316-1733950680.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578157" style="width:326px;height:auto" /></figure>   Brody's straight line speed was also shown off on Sunday in Aberdeen, as he recorded a 4.68 40 yard dash which was second in the running back group. He was another consistent running back and amongst our top tier of testers showing off the change of direction we've seen on tape, with a 7.41 (twice) in the L-Drill. Brody also brought some pure instincts to our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase, as a running back you can gauge uses every ounce of fluidity on every carry he got in Aberdeen. His instincts were also seen with his hands as we saw a running back prospect that has a different level of game-speed and got sound seperation in the reps I got to watch. He surely will be another RB on this list I would bet to see playing on Saturdays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575879' first='Braydon' last='Terveen']-Smith, RB, DuPree 2025 <a href="https://x.com/Braydon2025">Twitter</a>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_1896-rotated-crop-481x316-1733948407.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578107" style="width:318px;height:auto" /></figure>   Braydon is a 2025 running back that not only left me impressed by the live eval, but I could hear the same from the college coaches in attendance on Sunday in Aberdeen.Braydon ran a 4.79 40 yard dash at 6'0 202 pounds, 4.51 in the pro agility, and a lot of consistency in the L-Drill, running a 7.31 twice with his great RB size. In the reps I watched, Braydon showed off great fluidity with his burst and change of direction as an RB prospect I already had as a significant stockriser in this 2025 class, but he surely passed the eye test and to me gained even more ground with that rise. You could also tell the football IQ that is instilled with Braydon as the 6'0 200 pounder I will be intrigued on how his testing numbers come out on my SES test (size, explosive, speed). He surely showed off why he should be playing on Saturdays and is significantly under recruited still waiting on his first offer.   [player_tooltip player_id='1314732' first='Beckett' last='Price'], RB, Bismarck St. Mary Central 2027   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepredzone.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2024/12/IMG_2183-rotated-crop-481x316-1733948266.jpg?w=480" alt="" class="wp-image-1578100" style="width:323px;height:auto" /></figure>   Seldomly is it an underclassmen that wins MVP at our showcases, but the college coaches and myself saw everything we needed to see out of Beckett to take the RB MVP nod. I had a high mark on as one of our top North Dakota running backs from his performance at the NDSU camp this summer, but man he was another one that surely deserves even more of a bump in the coming weeks with our 2027 rankings update. Beckett showed off even smoother change of direction and instincts in the reps I got to watch live and put a couple linebackers on skates in the reps I watched out of Beckett. It was also evident that this young man's vision has grown since I saw him in Fargo over the summer as he surely has grown his football IQ since then. The 5'10 170 punder has a great shot to take over as our new RB1 in this 2027 North Dakota class in the coming weeks. Surely an early grade that I will put on playing on Saturdays.   More RBs that Stood Out:   This small group of running backs are all ones that grazed their upside in the smaller sample size I got from their reps.   [player_tooltip player_id='1575914' first='Harrison' last='Beyers'], RB, Edmunds Central 2026   [player_tooltip player_id='1575528' first='Bennett' last='Eisenbeisz'], RB, Aberdeen Central 2026   [player_tooltip player_id='1309993' first='Brayden' last='Morris'], RB, Bismarck Century 2026   [player_tooltip player_id='1575830' first='Beckham' last='Presley-McKay'], Bismarck Legacy 2028   [player_tooltip player_id='1242970' first='Hunter' last='Dunn'], RB, Wyndmere-Lidgerwood 2025

ABERDEEN-- We move to the running backs that flashed during our Prep Redzone Dakotas Showcase on Sunday in Aberdeen, as there was a lot of talent to go around in the backfield. This grouping showed 16 standouts that were logged into my notebook and a handful that even in a small sample size I got of reps, all look like they should be playing college football in the near future in my eyes.