Paving the Path: 2027 Rushers Who Dominated 4A

2026 has gotten so much love this past month, that it's time for 2027 to gain some attention. I went ahead and gained the stats from the best rushers in 4A who happened to be sophomore. We have some standout running backs as well as dual-threat QBs that gash the defense with their feet. Let's get into it.    Mangrum leads all 2027 running backs with 1404 yards on 171 yards, 15 touchdowns, 32/59 551 yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 INT. He's a very versatile player, playing QB, RB, and SS. Mangrum has very good athletic ability due to very good speed, change of direction, acceleration, and balance. He's the whole package. He is more of a weaving type of RB, using his very good vision to create himself a path. He has home run speed, and once he gets loose, he's gone. Mangrum is very elusive and shifty. He bounces off defenders like a pinball. Good juke move and dynamic cuts to make defenders miss. Mangrum has good catching too. He adjusts to the thrown ball. As a safety, he consistently attacks the ball, and ball carrier. He is a name to know moving forward, and has been dominating as a sophomore.     The #2 sophomore rusher goes to Golden's QB [player_tooltip player_id='1549755' first='Thatcher' last='Matthews']. Matthews is a dual-threat QB who punishes the defense with his legs when they least expect it. Measuring in at 5'11 165-pounds, he went 112/221 on 1523 yards with 16 TDs, 8 INT, 204 carries for 1099 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Matthews has very good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, speed, change of direction, and good balance. He has a good release with a big arm to launch it downfield. Matthews has good ball placement, especially with contested catches. Putting it only where his WR can make a play. Fits the ball in tight windows. He stays poised under pressure. Matthews steps up in the pocket, not relying on pure arm strength, but technique too. Good throw on the run, and good touch on deep balls. He's an electric runner. Makes himself smaller to run through the OL. Matthews is a mixture of a weaver & power. He runs through defenders with his physicality. Or he'll use dynamic juke moves to break some ankles. Once he's out in space, he uses his home run speed to run into the endzone. Keep an eye on him as he develops more as a passer.     Perkins is another dual-threat QB this time for Aurora Central. He went 43/78 for 673 yards, 4 TDs, 3 INT, 107 carries for 862 yards, and 3 TDs. First thing to note when you throw on the tape, is how smooth of a runner he is. Looks like he's gliding around the field effortlessly. He has good athletic ability due to very good acceleration, balance, good speed, and change of direction. Perkins has a good release. Very good touch on the ball, makes it easier for the wide receiver to catch instead of a straight bullet. When he's under pressure, he'll use his athletic ability to scramble out and attack them for a big gain. He's shifty and elusive. Perkins has good accuracy and good ball placement skills. I'd like to see him pass more instead of relying on his feet. He's a dynamic dual-threat QB that I'm excited to see develop over the course of the next 2 seasons.     Measuring in at 5'11 150-pounds, Payne carried the ball 150 times for 751 yards and 5 touchdowns. Payne was major reason in Monarch's success. He has very good athletic ability due to very good speed, change of direction, speed, and good balance. Payne is a power back that excels at running downhill. He has good vision, and if one of the holes is covered, he'll use his dynamic cut to move into the open hole. Uses dynamic jump cuts out in open space to make defenders miss. Payne thrives on physicality and uses his good strength to run through defenders. He puts his shoulder down and trucks through them. Powerful stiff arm as well. I'm excited to see more of Payne next season, as he'll on a great trajectory so far.     Measuring in at 5'10 165-pounds, Christopher carried the ball 70 times for 480 yards and 6 touchdowns. Christopher has very good athletic ability due to elite balance, very good speed, change of direction, and good acceleration. Deon can not be taken down by defenders. If he starts to fall, he regains composure and attacks. Very good vision to find the path at the line of scrimmage and out in open space. Christopher has good trucking, and runs through the defense with ease. He uses his powerful stiff arm to push defenders away. I'm very impressed with what I've seen so far, and with more playing time, college scouts will too.

2026 has gotten so much love this past month, that it's time for 2027 to gain some attention. I went ahead and gained the stats from the best rushers in 4A who happened to be sophomore. We have some standout running backs as well as dual-threat QBs that gash the defense with their feet. Let's get into it.