2025 Preseason All-State: Running Backs and Athletes

The link between those players we selected as tailbacks and athletes in the 2025 Prep RedZone All-State Preseason Team Presented by Johnson & Lambe isn't a mystery.   On one hand, you've got eight running backs, many of whom have flashed brilliance doing something as simple as catching the ball out of the backfield on top of their first job. On the other, you've got seven multi-faceted athletes who spent last fall proving that pigeon-holing them into one description is nothing short of foolish.   Collectively, the 15 players are among the most dangerous weapons in all of South Carolina.    When you look at the data points and their film, when you see the recruiting influence and their success, the argument for their inclusion on a 75-player all-state team doesn't seem anything less than obvious.   ATHLETES   [player_tooltip player_id='1592198' first='Jontavious' last='Canty']   School: Manning   Class: 2026   By the (2024) numbers: Defense - 97 tackles, 15 TFL, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, forced fumble. Offense - 769 rushing yards, nine touchdowns. Special teams - three blocked kicks, 32 punts.   What's next?: As we spoke to last week, Canty is the now the every down leader for a Monarch squad that is hoping to making it a step further than last year's Lower State final. If he comes off the field, it won't be for long.   [player_tooltip player_id='212416' first='J'Zavien' last='Currence']    School: South Pointe   Class: 2026   By the (2024) numbers: 34-of-53 passing for 469 yards and eight touchdowns. 42 carries for 318 yards and four touchdowns. 17 receptions for 243 yards and five touchdowns. 48 tackles, three TFL, two interceptions.    What's next?: A projected college safety, Currence verbally committed to South Carolina. However, the No. 1 overall player in our 2026 rankings is arguably the most talented and diverse player on a team expected to compete for a state title this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='1165092' first='Tylin' last='Drakeford']   School: Camden   Class: 2026    By the (2024) numbers: Offense - 56 receptions for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns; 20 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns; three-of-three passing for 91 yards and two touchdowns. Defense - 54 tackles, one interception. Special teams: 16 punt/kickoff returns for 310 yards.   What's next?: Drakeford is going to need to sneak some breathers early in the year. But come October, he's not only going to be an every-down receiver but also in the defensive backfield during any situation where his playmaking ability can make a difference.   [player_tooltip player_id='378969' first='Jaiden' last='Kelly-Murray']    School: Summerville   Class: 2027   By the (2024) numbers: Receiving - 81 catches for 1,202 yards and 13 touchdowns. Rushing - 33 carries for 215 yards and four touchdowns. Passing - three-of-four for 89 yards. Special teams: 12 kickoff/punt returns for 177 yards.    What's next?: We can pretend all we want exactly how Summerville will use Kelly-Murray for his third act. But we also aren't going to ignore that a 100-tackle freshman turned into a guy who put up nearly 1,700 yards of combined yardage as a sophomore.   [player_tooltip player_id='1618012' first='Tony' last='O'Banner']   School: Thomas Heyward Academy   Class: 2026   By the (2024) numbers: Offense - 1,970 rushing yards for 27 touchdowns; 34-of-51 passing for 384 yards and four touchdowns; four receptions for 71 yards and a touchdowns. Defense - 62 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three QB hurries, one sack, one forced fumble.   What's next?: O'Banner's 99 career offensive touchdowns rushing, receiving and passing put him into elite company. And when he hits triple digits, don't expect him to use the rest of the season as his high school swan song. His size and strength are very real on any level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1036748' first='Sequel' last='Patterson']    School: Indian Land    Class: 2026   By the (2024) numbers: Receiving - 52 catches for 758 yards and seven touchdowns. Rushing - 76 carries for 441 yards and three touchdowns. Passing - 5-of-13 for 160 yards and two touchdowns. Defense - 23 tackles.   What's next?: No matter how you shake it Patterson's skill level, his offer and commitment to South Carolina and his reclassification up a year have put him into rare territory. He's playing with house money, and we should see a freer Patterson during his final prep season.   [player_tooltip player_id='779428' first='Tajeh' last='Watson-Martin']   School: Belton-Honea Path   Class: 2027   By the (2024) numbers: Offense - 45 receptions for 899 yards and 13 touchdowns. Defense - 32 tackles, two tackles for loss, seven pass break-ups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Special teams - 13 punt/kickoff returns for 211 yards.    What's next?: While Watson-Martin transitioned into more of an offensive threat as a sophomore, you can't ignore why so many teams don't throw his direction when he's on defense. Those six 2023 interceptions loom large and will for some time.   RUNNING BACK   [player_tooltip player_id='1161156' first='Javen' last='Cook']   School: Clinton   Class: 2026   Highlights: 222 carries for 1,824 yards and 21 touchdowns. Averaged 8.2 yards per carry and 130.3 yards per game. Accumulated 10 100-yards games, including three during the playoffs of last year's state championship run.    What's next?: For as much as Clinton loves to spread the ball around to different ball carriers, Cook had twice as many carries, yards or touchdowns than any other Red Devil last fall. We may start to see him as even more of a focal point for a team breaking in a new quarterback.   [player_tooltip player_id='402503' first='Mike' last='Doe']   School: North Augusta   Class: 2026    By the (2024) numbers: 242 carries for 1,828 yards and 32 touchdowns. Averaged 7.6 yards per carry and 130.6 yards per game while piling up 13 100-yard games. Also caught 32 passes for 405 yards and two more touchdowns.    What's next?: The Gardner-Webb verbal commitment (pictured) will be the first and second priority for every opposing defenses during his senior year. And while that could be a detriment to the perception of his game, we'd like to point out the same was true last fall, too.   [player_tooltip player_id='1148537' first='Jaryn' last='Fox']   School: Carolina Forest   Class: 2026   By the (2024 numbers): 212 carries for 1,774 yards and 21 touchdowns. Averaged 8.4 yards per carry and 161 yards per game. Put up eight 100-yards games, four 200-yard games and a. 357-yard performance against region foe Myrtle Beach. Caught nine passes for 198 yards and two scores.   What's next?: Considering that Fox didn't even hit his full stride until four or five weeks into the 2024 season, there's no telling what kind of numbers he could put up as a senior. He's the clear-cut favorite to lead Region VI-5A in rushing and earn an all-star nod in the process.   [player_tooltip player_id='1172345' first='Trenton' last='Lynch']   School: Spartanburg   Class: 2027   By the (2024) numbers: 171 carries for 1,379 yards and 16 touchdowns. Averaged 8.1 yards per carry and 114.9 per game. Also caught five passes for 86 yards. Had a stretch of five straight 100-yard rushing games in September and October.   What's next?: Spartanburg isn't shy about its plans to use Lynch in an even more expanded role this fall. Coach Mark Hodge said he intends to use Lynch much like he did Deebo Samuel at Chapman during the latter's senior season. If that's the case, expect a lot more catches to balance out the rushing workload.   [player_tooltip player_id='473029' first='Jaiden' last='McDowell']   School: Gaffney   Class: 2026   By the (2024) numbers: 70 carries for 302 yards and five touchdowns. 21 receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Noted: McDowell only played in six games after getting injured in early August and sitting out all of September and October.   What's next?: Since going for just shy of 700 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, McDowell has always sort of been on the cusp of greatness. He's been hampered by injuries the last two seasons but is as healthy and physically capable as ever. Get ready.   [player_tooltip player_id='1036721' first='Tre' last='Segarra']   School: Byrnes   Class: 2027   By the (2024) numbers: 48 carries for 259 yards and one touchdown. 8 receptions for 70 yards. Noted: Segarra was hurt four carries into the season opener against TL Hanna last fall and didn't play another game until he returned in November.   What's next?: Don't bet against Segarra. After all, this is a player who had 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground as a freshman while playing against extremely solid competition. He's still young, and removing most of the contact from his sophomore year could prove huge.   [player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams']   School: Summerville   Class: 2027    By the (2024) numbers: 246 carries for 2,007 yards and 25 touchdowns. Averaged 8.2 yards per carry and 143.4 yards per game. Accumulated 11 100-yards games, which included back-to-back 250-plus-yard performances in region play in October.   What's next?: With as loaded as Summerville is on both sides of the ball, Williams will have even less pressure on him as a junior. He's got explosive speed and while his overall carries may decrease, he doesn't need a huge rhythm to make him a touchdown threat every play.   [player_tooltip player_id='1267286' first='Amadre' last='Wooden']   School: Batesburg-Leesville   Class: 2026   By the (2024) numbers: 248 carries for 2,138 yards and 26 touchdowns. Averaged 8.6 yards per carry and 165.5 yards per game. Broke school record for rushing yards in a game when he went for 334 (and five touchdowns) against Andrew Jackson in the second round.   What's next?: Wooden is sniffing around a bunch of other school records for his career, and while replicating last year's total won't be easy, a slight drop-off won't take any luster off his abilities. Wooden is the guy for an offense and we'll see more creativity to keep him at the top.

The link between those players we selected as tailbacks and athletes in the 2025 Prep RedZone All-State Preseason Team Presented by Johnson & Lambe isn't a mystery.