Top Five Rushing Leaders Returning in Class A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taking a look at each of the top five rushing leaders in yards that return in Class A this fall.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/top-five-rushing-leaders-returning-in-5a/">Top Five Rushing Leaders Returning in 5A</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/top-five-rushing-leaders-returning-in-4a/">Top Five Rushing Leaders Returning in 4A</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/top-five-rushing-leaders-returning-in-3a/">Top Five Rushing Leaders Returning in 3A</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/top-five-rushing-leaders-returning-in-2a/">Top Five Rushing Leaders Returning in 2A</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/top-five-rushing-leaders-returning-in-1a/">Top Five Rushing Leaders Returning in 1A</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2025/08/top-returning-passers-in-class-a/">Top Five Returning Passers in Class A</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1242828"],"_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-68ac8887e2b73"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">A volume runner and the only player in the class returning with more than 30 rushing touchdowns on the ground, [player_tooltip player_id='1242828' first='Jaxon' last='Gordon'] of Riverside took 285 rushes for 1,985 yards and 31 scores last season. Being named to the 1st-Team All-State squad as a running back, Gordon posted those numbers in just ten games last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A long strider, Gordon's calling card is his ability to run away from defenses. If he's able to get a head of steam and reach the third level of the defense, he's gone almost every time, posting a barrage of touchdown runs from 30+ yards out to average 6.8 yards per carry in 2024. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Rogan Heidt","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"170","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_weight":"field_65b288425ecf6","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"2408","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Maquoketa Valley","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68ac8887e2c4c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The lone junior on this list, Rogan Heidt is small in stature, but possesses burst that separates him from the rest of the group. Once the 5'9", 170-pound back gets the ball in his hands, he takes off through or around the defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taking 179 carries for 1,580 yards and 25 touchdowns last fall, Heidt's explosion out of the backfield and vision to find open space and exploit it make him unique. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1221942"],"_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-68ac8887e2ca4"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The first of two quarterbacks and the second time making one of these lists in Class A, [player_tooltip player_id='1221942' first='Beau' last='Burns'] out of BGM is the definition of a dual-threat quarterback. Moving up to Class A from 8-man, Burns will be tested in his ability to repeat his outlandish production after posting 1,474 yards and 25 touchdowns on 177 carries last year and 2,930 yards and 46 touchdowns rushing over the last two seasons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the top passers in 8-man last season, too, Burns completed 134-of-193 passes (67.3%) for 2,391 yards, 34 touchdowns and just six interceptions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1615327"],"_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-68ac8887e2cef"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">With the smallest amount of carries on this list, [player_tooltip player_id='1615327' first='Korben' last='Michels'] finds himself amongst the group after taking 117 carries for 1,295 yards and 16 scores last season, averaging a whopping 11.1 yards per carry. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A stout running back and all-state linebacker, Michels is a confident smalltown football player if I've ever seen one, and that's exactly what he is -- a football player. One can see by the way he moves -- fluidly with a desire to hit someone -- that he could be placed anywhere on the gridiron and find a way to be impactful. He just so happens to be a linebacker/running back hybrid, and he's damn good at it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the ball in his hands, Michels can run around, over and through defenses, taking carries through the middle of the OL, bouncing off would-be tacklers for easy chunk yardage, and bursting through open spaces for big gains. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1615325"],"_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-68ac8887e2d39"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The second of two quarterbacks is [player_tooltip player_id='1615325' first='Karter' last='Murphy'] of Wayne. Leading a run-heavy offense for the Falcons, Murphy took 153 carries for 1,231 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>He did quite a bit more than carry the ball last year, though, as Murphy was an integral part of all three phases of the game for Wayne. Defensively, Murphy posted 48 tackles and snagged a 46-yard pick-six. As a returner, he took back 10 kicks for 135 yards and three punts for 25 yards. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->