2028 Watch List: 14 Running Back Prospects to Know

Our 2028 Watch List has been updated for the first time at the high school level with many new faces emerging from this past season. Here are some 2028 running back prospects you need to know now and for the future.    The leading freshman rusher in the state last season was Riverside's [player_tooltip player_id='1309691' first='Malakhi' last='Hope'] who's put himself in the conversation for the early top running back in the 2028 class. Hope totaled just under 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns during his freshman campaign as the Warriors have a promising talent to build around for four years. He's a balanced runner with homerun speed that he can continue to add to as his body matures and develops over time. Hope does a great job finding space and has a natural feel for the running back position.      After getting a glimpse of 2028 Huntington RB [player_tooltip player_id='1624358' first='Mayshaun' last='Okonkwo'] this season, it's going to be fun seeing him at the varsity level for the next three years. Okonkwo may have the highest ceiling out of all the early notable 2028 running backs and flashed some serious potential in his freshman highlight tape. He appears to be the type of athlete who could hit legit 4.3-4.4 speed in time based on how fast he looked on film. Okonkwo is extremely elusive, especially in the open field, and was nearly impossible to tackle 1-on-1. He has innate playmaking ability and is a dynamic athlete with great change of direction and twitch. Okonkwo is a special talent in the making if he continues on the trajectory that he's shown early on.      Keyser's [player_tooltip player_id='1624361' first='Dominik' last='Crawford'] is another very promising 2028 running back that impressed us from the flashes of film available of his freshman season. He's a well-put-together athlete for his age and doesn't look like a freshman physically. Crawford is a versatile running back who can run between and outside of the tackles and is also a threat in the passing game out of the backfield or lining up as a receiver. He's a balanced physical runner with the speed to hit chunk plays based on the limited film available of him. Even with only a handful of clips to evaluate, Crawford will certainly be a 2028 RB to know and will be in the mix at the top of the running back rankings for years to come.      2028 John Marshall running back [player_tooltip player_id='1624347' first='Dalton' last='Cooper'] came on strong towards the end of the year on the Monarchs' varsity team and took over as their starter the last couple of games of the season. We got eyes on Cooper as an 8th grader where he was heads and shoulders above most middle schoolers in the area athletically and physically at that stage of their development. He's continued that at the high school level with legit 5'11 190 size and developed speed. Cooper is a one-cut-and-go runner who can add some change of direction and wiggle to his game but will come downhill physically or outrace defenders down the sideline if he gets a step on them. Look for him to put up some big numbers for the Monarchs over the next three years.      North Marion freshman starting running back [player_tooltip player_id='1311022' first='Brian' last='Poindexter Jr'] opened eyes during his first year at the high school level. He's a quick and shifty scatback with very good speed and acceleration. Poindexter Jr can consistently get to the edge and turn the corner with the ability to break loose often. He has good footwork while making cuts and making defenders uncomfortable in the open field. Poindexter Jr's mix of speed, quickness, and elusiveness will have him among the state's best running backs in the 2028 class for four years.      The Washington Patriots have a promising young running back in freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1409030' first='Xavier' last='Mack'] who flashed on their JV team this past season. Mack has a good early build and appears that he'll develop into a versatile power back with the speed to break loose too. He proved he could run hard between the tackles for tough yards along with getting to the sideline and outracing defenders. Mack had some good reps at linebacker as well in his limited film available and flies to the ball. We'll learn more about his game in the coming years but keep tabs on Mack as he awaits his varsity opportunity with the potential to emerge as one of the more notable running backs in this class.   <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/Y9wFEIuktV">pic.twitter.com/Y9wFEIuktV</a>— [player_tooltip player_id='1409030' first='Xavier' last='Mack'] (@XavierMack_34) <a href="https://twitter.com/XavierMack_34/status/1864789572535648737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2024</a></blockquote>     A small school running back that you need to know is 2028 Doddridge County RB [player_tooltip player_id='1591340' first='Lyric' last='Blake'] who led the Bulldogs in rushing as a freshman in 2024. Blake averaged over 6 yards per carry for 769 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding 30 tackles and an interception on defense. We got to see Blake in action at the Stock Up Showcase last month, and after a strong freshman season, he's among the early top running backs in the 2028 class at this juncture. Blake is light on his feet with good footwork and cutting ability that allows him to shake defenders consistently. He can pound the ball inside but is very good at getting to the edge and turning the corner consistently.      [player_tooltip player_id='1624359' first='Elijah' last='Morris'] flashed for the University Hawks' younger squad this past season and is a prospect to keep an eye on in the future once he gets his varsity opportunity. Morris showed glimpses of dynamic playmaking ability out of the backfield with a very good burst. He's very quick and shifty and can make sudden cuts which makes him a difficult tackle, especially in space. Morris can accelerate to his top speed almost instantly and also has very good make-you-miss ability. He'll have to battle teammates in his own class for varsity running back snaps, but Morris is likely the type of athlete who could develop into a very good receiver or defensive back as well.      We've only gotten a brief glimpse of 2028 Robert C. Byrd running back [player_tooltip player_id='1624363' first='Isaac' last='Barksdale'], but the limited film makes you excited for his future. Barksdale has just a handful of clips available to evaluate but clearly has playmaking ability and dynamic potential. He looks like the type of athlete who just has a natural feel for the game and knows what to do with the ball to make a big play. We're looking forward to seeing more from Barksdale to get a better picture of his game, but he's definitely a prospect to keep tabs on.      [player_tooltip player_id='1624353' first='Gage' last='Orem'] was another Martinsburg product that we saw glimpses of in their freshman team video cutups and liked the flashes that we saw of him. Orem could potentially be better classified as an ATH prospect given the versatility he flashed and can do a variety of things on offense with defense ability as well. He lined up everywhere from Wildcat QB to running back and slot receiver on offense and made plays at all three spots. Orem looked quick and speedy with the ball in his hands and appears to be a natural playmaker that Martinsburg will be able to utilize in multiple ways in the future.   <a href="https://fan.hudl.com/usa/wv/martinsburg/organization/18890/martinsburg-high-school/team/52780/boys-freshman-football/watch?hr=SGlnaGxpZ2h0UmVlbFN1bW1hcnk2NmZlMjU4YWEyMmZkNWNjNGJjNDNhNWQ%3D&ot=TEAM&oi=52780">Film Link</a>     [player_tooltip player_id='1221845' first='Mason' last='Bryant'] did a nice job for the Cabell Midland JV team this past season playing mostly at one of their wingback spots. Bryant is a stocky-built running back but got outside consistently on his tape with speed to get to the corner. He can also take it inside from the wing and does a nice job cutting it up when needed if the outside gets crashed. Bryant is a physical runner between the tackles and will often fall forward with the first defender bearing the brunt of him coming downhill. Depending on how his body develops and Cabell Midland's future scheme, Bryant has the potential to play fullback at the varsity level given what he's shown to this point, and could excel in that role.      [player_tooltip player_id='1221846' first='Zach' last='Hickman'] has some further growing to do physically but appears to be another plug-and-play running back in the Indians' single-wing scheme. It's tough to defend that system, especially at the freshman and JV level where Hickman shined this season, but he executed his job well and ripped off a lot of big runs. Hickman hits the hole at full speed and consistently outran defenders to the end zone if they didn't have angles on him. Even as a smaller running back right now, Hickman still ran hard between the tackles and didn't shy away from contact which is typical of Bridgeport running backs. They'll have some big shoes to fill after a lot of graduation departures from last year's state champion squad, so keep an eye on Hickman to get potential varsity opportunities as soon as his sophomore year.      Another promising 2028 running back who we've only seen glimpses of is Point Pleasant's [player_tooltip player_id='1624362' first='Khileel' last='Bryant']. In the few clips available, Bryant has quality early size and gets downhill quickly. He appears to have good speed and can break it outside and get loose. Bryant should have varsity opportunities this year for the Big Blacks as part of a young but talented freshman and sophomore group that could have them at the top of their class again in the future.      Another small school running back to know at Class A Clay-Battele is [player_tooltip player_id='1624352' first='Caleb' last='Hall']. Hall is a familiar name for the Cee-Bees wearing the same number as older brother Zac who graduated last year after a great career. Younger brother Caleb appears to be on a similar track as his brother and got a lot of action as a freshman showing some good things for his first season of high school ball. Hall looks like he'll have similar track speed as his brother did as a smaller scatback. Keep tabs on this young small school running back who showed potential during his freshman year.

Our 2028 Watch List has been updated for the first time at the high school level with many new faces emerging from this past season. Here are some 2028 running back prospects you need to know now and for the future.