NKY 26s to Watch: RB

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we head deeper into the month of June, the 2025 high school football season is quickly approaching. With that in mind, I wanted to take some time to highlight some incoming seniors in specific areas of the state of Kentucky. Over the next week, I will be highlighting incoming seniors at each position in Northern Kentucky. After already covering the quarterbacks, here are some notable running backs to watch in the class of 2026 in Northern Kentucky.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["283974"],"_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-684c7eabc2c70"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='283974' first='Keagan' last='Maher'] is a running back who has been on my radar for a while now and continued to impress as a junior, running the ball 162 times for 1,433 yards and 22 touchdowns in 14 games. Maher is a very tough running back to tackle as he has the elusiveness to make defenders miss and the strength/contact balance to break tackles with ease. He has also shown the burst of speed to run away from the defense once he hits the second level. Keagan also made an impact in the passing game as a junior, catching 22 passes for 237 yards and three touchdowns. Maher currently holds an offer from DePauw and I expect more to come his way going into his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1584315"],"_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-684c87f7cc8e9"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1584315' first='Dylan' last='Gaiser'] had a breakout year as a junior, running the ball 131 times for 1,378 yards and 15 touchdowns in 14 games. Gaiser is a physical runner, showing the ability to lower his shoulder and keep his legs running through contact to break tackles without losing stride. He is also dangerous once he hits the open field as he has the elusiveness to make defenders miss and speed to run away from them on long runs. Gaiser also caught 19 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown as a junior. He also returned one punt for a touchdown and made an impact on defense this past season, finishing the year with 35 tackles and a team-high three interceptions. Dylan doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect a lot of eyes to be on him heading into this upcoming season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1176977"],"_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-684c8994816de"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='1176977' first='Jordan' last='Pendleton'] is a player who caught my attention with a strong junior year. This past season at Bellevue, Pendleton ran the ball 104 times for 901 yards and 16 touchdowns in nine games. Pendleton has explosive speed which he uses to run away from the defense with ease once he hits the open field. When defenders are able to catch up to him, he has shown the vision to find cut back lanes then make quick cuts to make defenders miss. He also caught eight passes for 107 yards and a touchdown as a junior, and returned two kickoffs and a punt for touchdowns. Pendleton also made an impact on defense this past season, finishing the year with 53 tackles, one tackle for loss, and three interceptions. Jordan doesn't currently hold any offers but I expect a lot of eyes to be on him this season after transferring to Simon Kenton for his senior year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1690420"],"_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-684c8b9c36a3e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">My final notable 2026 running back to watch in Northern Kentucky this season is [player_tooltip player_id='1690420' first='Dion' last='Abernathy']. Abernathy is coming off a solid junior year in which he carried the ball 134 times for 715 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games. He has impressive vision as a ball carrier, showing the patience to let the running lane open then burst to hit it in a hurry once it opens. Once he hits the open field, Abernathy has shown the ability to use his explosive speed to run away from the defense on long runs. He also caught six passes for 61 yards as a junior and made an impact on defense, leading his team with 54 tackles. Dion doesn't currently hold any offers but he should be a player to keep an eye on as he has the talent to play somewhere at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->