2028 Rankings Update 3.0: RB

With the month of March coming to an end, the 2026 high school football offseason is in full force and we are in the midst of a new round of Prep Redzone rankings updates in the state of Kentucky. The latest class to get an update is the class of 2028, with our new Top 125 dropping last week. Now that these rankings have been released, I will be taking some time to break them down by position. After already covering the quarterbacks, here are our top running backs in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='470192' first='Ashton' last='Taylor'] is one of the best overall players in the state in his class. He played a key role in Trinity's 6A state title run as a sophomore in a very talented backfield. Taylor split carries this past season and was very productive when his number was called, carrying the ball 70 times for 453 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games. Ashton has an explosive burst of speed which he uses to hit the running lane with a sense of urgency then run away from the defense with ease on long runs. He is also very effective in the passing game both as a pass catcher and when used as an extra blocker. Taylor finished his sophomore year with seven receptions for 138 yards and three touchdowns. He has also proven to be an electric returner on special teams, returning one kickoff for a touchdown this past season along with several long returns. Ashton currently holds several Power 4 offers and I fully expect more to come his way this offseason.     After a strong freshman year, [player_tooltip player_id='1023199' first='Eli' last='Thomas'] picked up right where he left off as a sophomore. Thomas led Breathitt County in rushing this past season, finishing the year with 172 carries for 1,385 yards and 21 touchdowns in 11 games. Eli has impressive vision as a ball carrier, showing the ability to find cut back lanes then hit them without hesitation. He also has the speed to break away for big gains and strength to break tackles with ease. Eli also made an impact in the passing game as a sophomore, catching 13 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns. Thomas doesn't currently hold any offers but I wouldn't be surprised to see some come his way soon as he has received a good amount of college interest.     [player_tooltip player_id='2066932' first='Malachi' last='Kennedy'] is coming off a very productive sophomore season. He led Dayton in rushing, carrying the ball 170 times for 1,509 yards and 18 touchdowns in 10 games. Kennedy is very difficult for defenders to bring down in the open field as he has the elusiveness to make them miss along with the strength to break tackles. He has also shown the breakaway speed to run away from the defense for a big gain at any given moment. Kennedy has also shown the ability to line up outside at receiver and pose as a dangerous threat in the passing game. Malachi finished his sophomore year as his team's leading receiver, catching 13 passes for 274 yards and five touchdowns. He also recorded 58 tackles on defense this past season. Kennedy is a player who college coaches should definitely have on their radar heading into his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='2156978' first='Blake' last='Wireman'] jumped onto our radar with an impressive sophomore season. Wireman led his team in rushing this past season, running the ball 250 times for 1,663 yards and 20 touchdowns in 10 games. He is a very strong runner, showing the ability to lower his shoulder and keep his legs driving through contact to break tackles with ease without losing stride. Blake has also shown the elusiveness to make defenders miss in the open field. Wireman also caught 10 passes for 163 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore. Blake will be a player to continue to keep an eye on over the next couple seasons.     To wrap up our top five running backs in the class of 2028 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='1593996' first='Antonio' last='Kinzer']. Antonio had a strong sophomore season, leading Elizabethtown in rushing with 136 carries for 815 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Kinzer has shown the ability to use his speed to burst into the second level with a sense of urgency then run away from the defense on long runs. When defenders are able to catch up to him, he has shown the contact balance to bounce off potential tacklers without breaking stride. He also caught 12 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore, and made an impact on defense, recording 44 tackles and six tackles for loss. Kinzer will be a player worth paying close attention to as he continues to develop moving forward.