PrepRedzoneMN 2026 Rankings Update: Hard-Charging RBs

Only a few more articles left covering the recent PrepRedzoneMN 2026 Official Rankings Update! After covering the update's Top Newcomers, Biggest Stock Risers, Fastest Prospects, Hardest Hitters, Most Versatile, and best Pass Rushers, we're moving to the offensive side of the football and the always exciting Running Backs. Not only are we covering the RBs, PRzMN is covering the hardest running RBs, and boy is there some hard-chargers in the Minnesota 2026 class. From 6A to AA, bulky ball carriers to smaller dynamos, these dudes are more than challenging to bring down and would rather run you over than run around you. Let's get to know them below!   --    The toughest 1v1 tackling assignment on this list goes to Orono junior [player_tooltip player_id='1602718' first='Rory' last='Kvern'], a 6'1, 190 lb. pickup truck of a RB who had a great season in 2024. PRzMN got multiple exposure points on Kvern this past season, including in the Spartans Class 4A state semifinal 30-21 loss to Totino-Grace, and he impressed every time. Kvern has a no-nonsense, unflinching, North-South, grind-you-down run style that is unrelenting through four quarters, forcing defenders to make business decisions as well as simply wearing them down carry after carry, opening up seams and space that the 190 lber. can take advantage of. Kvern averaged 5.7 yards per carry in 2024, totaling 1,099 rushing yards and 15 TDs, earning him an All-Conference selection on the way to Orono's state semifinal appearance.   Kvern is a tall, poised, filled out tailback on film who smoothly skates and floats by traffic and does a good job of finding and exploiting holes and gaps in an opponent's defense. When he dips his shoulders and drops his pads you better look out. Kvern can drop and sit down would-be tacklers as easily as running through a tackling dummy, sometimes trucking multiple defenders on a single carry. He isn't the fastest, but does show solid speed, and his noticeable burst allows him to get to the second and third level of a defense in a hurry, where he can begin to break tackles in electric fashion behind his full head steam, balance, and quick feet on a thick, powerful frame. Plus, the 190 lbers. impressive balance absorbs contact and sends would-be tacklers flying off him in violent fashion, and it takes multiple defenders to bring him down in most of his carries on his junior tape. His impressive one-cut ability helps him do a good job of powerfully sticking & planting past that third-level defender and free safety. Even more exciting, Kvern is also a stud forward on the Spartans heavyweight hockey team who totaled 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) as a sophomore and 29 points as a freshman. With a multi-sport background like that, Kvern could be a scholarship hockey signee, but he deserves some money for his ability on the gridiron as well. Really fun RB to watch potentially rise up the 2026 Big Board.     If you like broken tackles, especially ones broken through physicality, STA's Dom Baez is for you. The 5'8, 185 lber. was an exciting watch when PRzMN checked out some section championship action in early November as STA hosted Apple Valley The class 5A, Section 3 crown. With his natural pad level and balance, as well as a powerful lower body on his 185 lb. frame, Baez displays electric balance when facing contact. The junior has a rep that saw him absorb and then spin off two Hastings tacklers on one leg before shooting forward like he was blasted out of a cannon in a beautiful display of body control and athleticism. The STA product totaled 835 YPC and 9 TDs on a 6.5 YPC average as a junior, in large part thanks to his sudden COD ability and footwork that saw Baez freeze, stun, and embarrass free defenders in the hole and at the third level of the defense. He can stop on a dime and was unpredictable in the timing of his cuts, creating some thrilling broken tackles at high speeds against quality defenses. The 185 lber. fights to stay upright and squeeze every yard possible out of a carry, owns sure hands and is a reliable and dangerous target out of the backfield, and possesses a mean stiff-arm and does a good job of keeping his play side hand free and using his weapon to punch defenders off him. He's laterally twitchy, owns good vision, and is a tough kid who will get you hard yards and has no problem lowering his pads and running over defenders North-South. I'd like to see him finish some of these big runs for six, especially when he gets the sideline, as a senior, but he's got a great skillset to play RB at the next level and has a ton of good football in front of him.     The younger brother of 6', 250 lb. University of Jamestown senior DE Daniel Erlandson, Breckenridge's junior RB [player_tooltip player_id='591735' first='David' last='Erlandson'] has consistently put out nothing but electric carries, broken tackles, and explosive film since he entered the high school ranks. Thanks to some impressive weight room numbers, including a 275 lb. bench press, 385 lb. squat, and 265 lb. clean, Erlandson slices and slips through tackle attempts like a knife through butter, in large part due to his sudden footwork and wiggly hips, and his quick feet and powerful lower body are a tough combination for opponents to try and tackle 1v1, as he creates tough angles at the last second and has the leg strength to work and power through tackle attempts at his lower body. The 205 lber. displays a frantic running style, combined with both power and finesse, making him a ball carrier you can't take your eyes off of. The Breck product has done a great job of improving his speed this past offseason and has added an explosive dimension to his skillset that showed he could crack open a defense and finish big runs for six. Erlandson also demonstrates sudden footwork, broke some ankles, and had some defenders hitting the floor in 2024, great hands out of the backfield and can effectively utilized as a pass catcher as well as an effective stiff-arm. He will lower his pads and sit down would-be tacklers at the contact point, can break multiple tackle attempts in a single carry and continue forward for more, and is also a hard-hitting and instinctive LB and two-way starter. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined his older brother in Jamestown, which also would happen to be a great fit skillset and projection-wise. Love watching this dude play football.     With one of the deepest athletic resumes in Class 6A, Edina Hornet 6', 210 lb. junior is a heckuva multi-sport athlete, playing goalie for the Hornet's decorated prep hockey team (5 games played in 2024, 1.40 GAA, .950 SV%, 5-0 record), as well as a heckuva baseball player who is on the MN All-Star team and has earned regional and national recognition as well. As they say, hockey goalies can be a little bit crazy, and that's exactly what I want out of a hard-charging RB standing at 6', 210 pounds. Bjorgaard posted 206 carries for 1,164 yards and 10 TDs for the state quarterfinalist Hornets in 2024, great numbers against MN Big School competition, and was an impressive ball carrier when PRzMN got to see #21 tote the rock. The 210 pounds serve him well, as he bounces would-be tacklers off him like a pinball machine while showing off a patient running style that includes clear vision, quickness, and a ton of physicality and fight. Sadly, the junior doesn't have any updated junior tape available, but you don't need to see any film to recognize that this kind of athletic resume doesn't come around very often. We'll see where and what this dude plays in college soon enough!     An absolute bowling ball of a ball carrier, BSM's Sean "Suga" Washington has been an experienced and productive varsity tailback going into his third season as the Red Knights' starter. Washington is coming off a junior campaign that saw him post 171 carries for 823 yards and 8 TDs while helping the Red Knights to a Class 4A, Section 5 runner-up finish. He displays great contact balance and runs through tackle attempts like it's middle school competition trying to bring him down. Washington bowls over defenders while shoving their heads to the turf, walking through the wrap up, slipping through, and continuing forward like it was nothing more than a strong gust of wind, and he can carry defenders draped on his back for extra yards like they were a school backpack. He displays quick, active feet and good vision also do a good job of remaining patient and allowing holes and creases to develop in a defense, and runs into dogpiles and contact full throttle, moving mass and finding first downs and touchdowns despite fierce resistance. There's a smooth and fluid run style and COD ability combined with power, physicality, and aggressiveness, a scary combination for opponents. Plus, the Coon Rapids product has loads of varsity experience to strengthen his resume. North Dakota State just got him to Fargo for a Junior Day and it should remain a busy offseason for the BSM tailback.     Representing Class AA semifinalist Chatfield, a prep program far from lacking in toughness, 6'1, 200 lb. RB/FB [player_tooltip player_id='1602703' first='D'Andre' last='Williams'] was certainly an eye-catcher during PRzMN's countless hours spent at U.S. Bank Stadium for the 2024 state semifinals and Prep Bowl. Williams visibly stood out in person and on the gridiron as a hulking and well-built utility back who could pop pads and create big holes for his fellow ball carriers as a lead blocker and earn tough yardage between the tackles when he got to carry the pigskin. The size, strength, physicality, and leg drive, as well as the snap-to-snap toughness and versatility, make him an easily rankable prospect for the college level and a kid that DIIIs, NAIAs, and DIIs should be aware of a talented Chatfield 2024 roster. He had a big game in the Gophers thumping of Triton during the regular season, posting 13 carries for 106 yards and a TD, and also scored a 2pt conversion in the Gophers playoff win vs. Caledonia, so you know he can put on an offense on his back if needed as well. Sadly, no film or stats, or social media for that matter, but the size, in-person, padded evaluations, utility, and role in a Class AA semifinalist should have college programs that recruit Minnesota excited about the potential once you get him into a college strength program.     One of the best multi-sport athletes in Minnesota's 2026 class, Staples-Motley standout [player_tooltip player_id='1552404' first='Colbe' last='Tappe'] is a three-sport stud who already holds a Minnesota-Duluth baseball offer, was the 2024 MSHSL 152A state runner-up on the wrestling mat, and is a force on the gridiron as a running back and defensive back. The 175 lber. scored four TDs in the Class AA state semifinal win against Chatfield, where he remarked that the junior is a "strong kid who looked unstoppable at times, Tappe is shifty, strong, and a powerful lower body that can carry defenders for extra yardage and easily run through arm tackles and weaker tackle attempts at his lower body." He was named to the 2024 PRzMN All-Prep Bowl State Semifinal Team for his efforts, and the limited junior tape displays a three-phase contributor as a RB, DB, and returner who is a playmaker in all units of the game. His low center of gravity, powerful lower body, and nonstop leg drive combine to help Tappe churn through tackle attempts like a machine, pulling in and chomping through tackle attempts like a RB of a much bigger stature. His strong and emphatic cuts are sudden, quick, and well-timed, and he does a good job of both seeing and creating space when he sticks his cleat in the ground and works laterally. Tappe is also a rangy defensive back who covers ground in both run support and pass coverage, runs the alley especially well and is able to make 1v1 TFLs behind the LOS as the high safety and is a violent tackler as well as effective at tackling space. I hope he makes a complete highlight tape soon, but given the limited film, the in person eval, and the multi-sport resume, it's safe to say the kid is a stud.     Representing the 612 and the Minneapolis Public Schools, Washburn High School's 5'8, 220 lber. [player_tooltip player_id='1255150' first='Kevin' last='Hayes III'] is a runaway boulder of a RB who easily smashes through contact like he wasn't just hit by 150-200 lb. defensive backs and linebackers in succession. The Millers tailback only played six games in 2024 but totaled 83 rushes for 571 yards and 5 TDs, and his size and balance allow Hayes III to easily work through an opponents tackling momentum. The size and strength force defenders to put in extra effort as tacklers and needing them to work hard to get Hayes III to the ground, where he can spin and maintain his balance through multiple gator rolls and tackle attempts in a rep. He also forces defenders to go low on him, occasionally too low, where he easily ricochets off contact and can step through and maintain his balance through the collision. The 220 lber. powers through arm tackles and shoves would-be tacklers off him like they are half-hearted tackle attempts, owns good lateral quickness for a bigger back, solid vision and can anticipate and see the cut back, and hits like a brick if you try to square him up off a full head of steam. Has multiple reps of him ragdolling safeties off him when he's bursting through the A or B gap between the tackles. Must-know name out of the Millers 2026 class!     We recently broke down East Ridge's athletic 2026 EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1256218' first='Henry' last='Bern'] and his renowned pass-rushing capability for a PRzMN sack master special, but today we'll be highlighting the 6'2, 235 lber. and his XL RB skillset. More than a hard-charging RB, Bern carries the ball like a runaway train that got off the tracks, tensing up all those around him anticipating contact with him and needing more than a single would-be force to try and corral and stop his massive momentum. Bern is a strong, well-rounded verified athlete to boot, creating an intimidating 1v1, 2v1, and 3v1 tackling assignment for worried opponents.   The 235 lber. shows great fight with the ball in hand, works to stay upright, and punches, drag, and claws opponents for every inch of possible yardage. He absolutely bowls would-be tacklers off their feet and onto their rear ends when he squares them up and makes contact, displays good vision, sees and attacks the hole, and gets vertical and up to the second and third level of the defense well. Bern also demonstrates some cutback and COD ability in space and is overall one of the last players in MN I'd want to see 1v1 in the hole. Gotta like the dynamic ability of the 6A product as well.    --

Only a few more articles left covering the recent PrepRedzoneMN 2026 Official Rankings Update! After covering the update's Top Newcomers, Biggest Stock Risers, Fastest Prospects, Hardest Hitters, Most Versatile, and best Pass Rushers, we're moving to the offensive side of the football and the always exciting Running Backs. Not only are we covering the RBs, PRzMN is covering the hardest running RBs, and boy is there some hard-chargers in the Minnesota 2026 class. From 6A to AA, bulky ball carriers to smaller dynamos, these dudes are more than challenging to bring down and would rather run you over than run around you. Let's get to know them below!