Run-Heavy: 2027 Ball Carriers Getting It Done On The Ground

Wise old coaches will still tell you that to win football games, you need to run the ball and stop the run.   Let's focus on that first part.   A bunch of guys in the 2027 class can run it well. There are some who have set themselves apart through their first three seasons, and who are now looking at senior years where they can create even more separation and show what they can do.   There are power backs, and speed backs, and what's equally intriguing is a number of quarterbacks who use their legs first to create havoc for opposing defenses.   Here's a look at some of the 2027 guys who are getting it done on the ground.   [player_tooltip player_id='1215391' first='Jayven' last='Williams'] RB, Summerville   Williams is a guy with a different gear. Even on film, you're watching and thinking he's got a good little run going but somebody's got an angle and SURELY they'll get him - and then he's gone. His 2,000 yards on the ground show pretty clearly that they don't often get him. He catches it well out of the backfield, and just seems to have every tool you're looking for in a RB.    [player_tooltip player_id='1036721' first='Tre' last='Segarra'] RB, Byrnes   Segarra made a statement from his very first game last season, scoring the first touchdown at Byrnes' new Nixon Field, then quickly adding a 91-yard score to get his 2025 season off to the races. He ended with 1,460 yards and 17 scores, adding four more touchdowns in the air. He's got the speed, power, and balance to excel at the next level, and Segarra just continues to show it every time out.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172345' first='Trenton' last='Lynch'] RB, Spartanburg   The Vikings were beat up at several positions in 2025, sometimes leaving Lynch as the only (and obvious) option on offense. It didn't much matter. He still managed more than 1,200 yards, more than 9 yards per carry, and 17 touchdowns on the ground. Lynch is a consistent presence for the Vikings. You might bottle him up for stretches, but one wrong step and he's gone for 80 yards. He's just absolutely dangerous with the ball in his hands.    [player_tooltip player_id='1036753' first='Aiden' last='Gibson'] RB, Woodruff   We're not saying that Gibson (pictured) is the most complete back in the state. We ARE saying that if there's such a thing as that list, he's on it. How many things does he do well? He was Woodruff's third-leading receiver. How's that? That's not the main attraction, though. That comes from the backfield, where Gibson matches speed with sometimes terrifying power, to the tune of 1,611 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. He's a lot of fun to watch.    [player_tooltip player_id='755890' first='Amire' last='White'] RB, Irmo   White rushed for more than 1,300 yards and 15 touchdowns despite missing two games for the Yellow Jackets. It's easy to see him being an even bigger piece of the offense this year. He's got speed, just like everybody on this list, and he's got the ability to bang through contact and keep going. He's got great hands out of the backfield, and he also seems to be attentive to the little things that make a back better when he doesn't have the ball. Check out his massive block in the second clip below.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172364' first='Mah'ky' last='Green'] RB, Cross   Green's a walking first down. He averaged more than 10 yards per carry and more than 13 yards per catch, meaning that he gave the chain crew a bunch of work whenever he touched the ball. Green rushed for more than 1,600 yards as a junior, and his field vision and initial burst make him really difficult to deal with.    [player_tooltip player_id='1790589' first='Muntu' last='Brown'] RB, Wren   There are guys who can shift over to RB from a defensive position and carve out nice seasons. Then there's Brown. While we can't know exactly what the Hurricanes expected to get when they moved him over, we're betting nearly 1,700 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns on 229 carries was a pleasant surprise. Brown's quick enough to run away from you, but it seems like he'd much rather go through you. Arm tackles simply aren't going to get it done.    [player_tooltip player_id='1149057' first='Spencer' last='Bobian'] RB, Ridge View   Bobian is a throwback. He's got a ton of speed, yes. But basically the Blazers use him to just pound away at a defense until something good happens. He had more than 1,400 all-purpose yards, with more than 1,300 of those on the ground. That included a per-carry average north of 6 yards, and 20 touchdowns.    [player_tooltip player_id='1422587' first='Kordell' last='Holley'] RB, Bluffton   Holley's going to be an interesting guy to watch this season. In a crowded backfield, he emerged as one of the Bobcats' leaders, and the senior he largely split carries with will be gone. Holley could take on a much bigger role for Bluffton, and he surely looks capable. His 623 yards came on 95 carries, both numbers that could increase dramatically this year.    [player_tooltip player_id='1664350' first='Nick' last='Means'] RB, Dorman   Means is in almost a reverse situation from Holley. He was THE guy for Dorman in their run to the 5A Upper State championship game, as his backfield mates were kind of dinged up down the stretch. But his main complementary back should return and be healthy, and a sophomore will emerge as another threat for the Cavaliers. Means will still be the feature guy, and should have plenty of help, making him even better. That's scary when you consider how good he is already.      [player_tooltip player_id='1603974' first='Franklin' last='Richardson'] QB, Sumter   It's easy to point out the numbers that matter for Richardson. He's 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, ran for more than 1,400 yards, threw for more than 600, and accounted for 35 total touchdowns. What's not easy, though, is trying to explain why. It's not just that he's a good runner after contact, you have to consider that he's rarely even touched. You've all seen that guy on the field, the one who nobody seems to be able to bring down, or even catch up to. Often, Richardson is that guy.    [player_tooltip player_id='1603963' first='Mason' last='Evans'] QB, Crescent   Evans is a 2,000/1,000 guy, leading the Tigers' offense. He was Crescent's leading rusher last year with 1,032 yards, and accounted for 45 total touchdowns, including 19 on the ground. He doesn't just move the pocket effectively, he makes defenses account for him, and takes advantage if they don't. And sometimes even if they do.    [player_tooltip player_id='1654910' first='Makorean' last='Anderson-Wallington'] QB, Mountain View Prep   Anderson put up video game numbers last season, with 3,000 yards in the air and more than 1,100 on the ground and 58 total touchdowns. He was far and away the Stars' biggest threat on the ground, and designed runs often looked like he could tell the defense where he was going and get there anyway. He's fast and elusive, but he's also physical and does everything he can to extend plays and pick up extra yardage. He's an absolute dual-threat nightmare to prepare for.    [player_tooltip player_id='1822457' first='Brian' last='McMillan'] QB, Bamberg-Ehrhardt   Why are we focusing on a guy here who threw for more than 4,000 yards? Well, McMillan ran for nearly 1,000 too, picking up nearly 5,000 total yards, accounting for 70 total touchdowns, and completely changing the game for the Red Raiders. He can also turn around and play defense if they need him. His arm is incredible, but what McMillan can do on the run truly sets him apart.    [player_tooltip player_id='1809232' first='Evan-Reece' last='Lawter'] QB, Chesnee   Lawter is a physical runner who's hard to tackle, but more than that he's fast. Very, very fast. He rushed for 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns last year for the Eagles, throwing for 1,000 additional yards and seven more scores. He moves the pocket, he makes good decisions, and that speed helps him turn disaster in to something positive a lot of the time.

Wise old coaches will still tell you that to win football games, you need to run the ball and stop the run.