Run It Back with the Running Backs of 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 24-25 football season in the Show Me State boasted some of the most talented ball carriers in the entire nation. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For several years, I have had the opportunity to witness some of the greatest displays of talented running backsin the state of Missouri. But in this segment, let's take a look at just a few that are ready to shine even brighter in their senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["284039"],"_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":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6799a05d1ef64"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='284039' first='DeZephen' last='Walker'] was the motor of the Raymore-Peculiar offense in 2024. Walker is the type of player that if you get the chance to watch him live, make sure you don't take a bathroom break, because you don't want to miss one carry. He is a big play ready to happen anytime he touches the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He already sports a college running back build with a strong lower body. With the speed to match, my favorite thing about Walker is his vision. He's very patient in how he goes about his business, and before you know it, he's in the secondary. I'm very impressed with this 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17692262/653f1eee0c5e68041086642a' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003ern","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6799a05d1f149"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Roman Miller","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"200","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Seneca High School, Seneca Missouri","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6799a05d1f207"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mr. Miller is an absolute bruiser. I love his game. This young man runs with an absolute chip on his shoulder. A one-cut type of runner that just punishes opposing tacklers. Miller routinely lowered his pads and engaged would-be tacklers all season long with a truly impressive junior season performance. On top of being one of the best ball carriers in Missouri, he's also a 2024 All-Ozark selection at linebacker. In 2024 Miller set southwest MO on fire with 191 carries, 1,711 yards, and 27 TDs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://twitter.com/RomanMiller07">https://twitter.com/RomanMiller07</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/19555930/678309acb441af06b74abc12' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6799a05d1f231"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1128410"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1613847,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6799a05d1f278"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1128410' first='Manny' last='Ellis'] is the true definition of "Lightning in a bottle".</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1128410' first='Manny' last='Ellis'] stands 5'8 and weighs 165 pounds. But don't let his size fool you, he is a tough man to bring to the ground. He turns his legs just as well as the other bigger backs in this class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He's a "burner" in every sense of the word. He torched the STL area in 2024 in dazzling fashion, I really enjoyed watching him play.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17724138/66fc0e89de337b60b14e8afb' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-6799a05d1f2ab"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["849700"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1613838,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679ac37473d2b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='849700' first='Jayden' last='McCaster']'s 2,077 all-purpose yards helped the De Smet Trojans earn the class 5A state championship. McCaster is a smooth operator with the football in his hands. He runs behind his pads and always seems to fall forward after contact. He has a super effective jump-cut that he's added to his repertoire this year, which is a skill you usually don't see used effectively in high school ball. I fully expect McCaster to have a huge 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/17763587/66d71eb56b67173992ceae11' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679ad104d5f92"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1130262"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679ac37473da2"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mr. Holmes is electric to say the least.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I've seen [player_tooltip player_id='1130262' first='Tamarkus' last='Holmes'] listed as an RB, WR, and ATH. After seeing him play I can see why he doesn't have a clear-cut position listed. He can basically do it all on the offensive side of the ball. Forsyth tries to give him the ball in a variety of ways with sweeps, powers, and even sometimes he's running a full route tree on Friday nights. Holmes is a versatile weapon that I fully expect to have a even better senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/hudl {"name":"acf/hudl","data":{"embed_code":"u003ciframe src='https://www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/20119780/6711130df23cc950a4d042c2' width='640' height='360' frameborder='0' allowfullscreenu003eu003c/iframeu003e","_embed_code":"field_62daf7995fd8c"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679ae09eb4732"} /--> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1128436"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1613965,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-679ae09eb5eb7"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">5'8 175 pound A.J. Smith is as tough as nails.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The explosion that Smith possesses is very impressive. He's one of the toughest backs to get to the ground in the state of Missouri. While watching him play you almost hold your breath every time he gets a carry because you just know he has a chance to score six. Everyone keep an eye on this young man in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->