Deep Dive: Durham/Orange County RBs

Now that I'm finally back in North Carolina, we can go a bit deeper with our coverage. I'm going to drop top player lists by position for some of the counties around me in the Raleigh-Durham area, much like <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/03/deep-dive-top-mecklenburg-county-quarterbacks/">Matt Morrow has done in Charlotte</a>. In these articles, we will share why these players are ranked and their best attributes as potential college-level football players in their respective futures.    Last week I looked at the quarterbacks, and I looked at the <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/deep-dive-wake-county-qbs/">Wake County</a> and <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/deep-dive-johnston-harnett-county-qbs/">Johnston/Harnett County</a> running backs. Here, we deep dive into the best RBs in Durham/[highschool_tooltip highschool_id='1495436' name='Orange'] County.   Past Durham/Orange County Deep Dives   <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/04/deep-dive-durham-orange-county-qbs/">Quarterbacks</a></li> </ul>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top 5 Durham/Orange County QBs</h2>    With good size and homerun speed, Holloway is one of the most dangerous rushers in the state. Southern does a great job of getting him in deep pistol sets to maximize his acceleration at the line of scrimmage. When he gets going, he's tough to bring down and his 1,100 yards as a sophomore are proof of that.     A transfer this offseason, Ross was outstanding last season for Riverside. Now, he joins a run-heavy [highschool_tooltip highschool_id='1478705' name='Hillside'] team that lost three of its top four rushers. It's safe to say there will be ample opportunities for a guy who averaged over 180 rushing yards per game last season on just 140 total carries. Ross does a tremendous job of being patient and waiting for his blocks to develop before exploding to the next level.     Hayes is a chain-mover who gets north and south in a hurry and always falls forward. He rarely gets pushed back and that's a valuable trait for a back on a solid team. CE Jordan loses a 2,000 yard rusher, so it's not out of the question to think Hayes could get over 200 carries next season as the offense looks to replace plenty of carries. As one of the most experienced backups in the state, it's now time for Hayes to take over.     As he continues to add weight, Douglas is becoming a valuable short-yardage back with the speed and power to break off the occasional long run. He has good vision and the ability to break arm tackles. He keeps his feet moving which allows him to fight for extra yardage. With more opportunity, he should have bigger numbers as a junior     Mayo is an athlete who plays multiple positions, but we've listed him at running back in this deep dives piece. He doesn't often line up as a traditional running back, but when he does, he uses his speed and vision to get to the edge and make people miss. It's not hard to see how he averaged nine yards a rush and 16 yards a catch, even on a struggling offense.    Want to make sure you're on our radar or raise your stock? Sign up for our <a href="https://events.prepredzone.com/e/1488/register/combine-series-north-carolina">2025 Spring Combine</a> at [highschool_tooltip highschool_id='1477583' name='Clayton'] High School on May 4. Use offer code 'HelmsCombine25' to get $10 off your registration. Prep Redzone and college scouts will be in attendance to evaluate prospects as they go through combine drills, position work, and 1-on-1s.

Now that I'm finally back in North Carolina, we can go a bit deeper with our coverage. I'm going to drop top player lists by position for some of the counties around me in the Raleigh-Durham area, much like Matt Morrow has done in Charlotte. In these articles, we will share why these players are ranked and their best attributes as potential college-level football players in their respective futures.