City Series: Top Running Backs In Albuquerque Metro For 2026

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We continue with our annual City Series by telling you about the top running backs in the Albuquerque Metro Region for 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1604956' first='Jagger' last='Casillas'], Los Lunas</strong>: Entering his third season as a major contributor to the Tigers' offense. He rushed for over 700 yards and averaged 6.8 yards per carry as a sophomore in 2024. Last year he rushed for close to 800 yards and averaged 8.0 yards per carry in a very balanced Tigers' ground game. Los Lunas has a new head coach (Stephen Johnston), so we'll see how Casillas is utilized in 2026. The Tigers are also moving to 5A. Casillas should be a significant piece of potentially a very dynamic offensive backfield. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1423739' first='D'Angelo' last='Mitchell'], Volcano Vista</strong>: Emerged on the scene in 2024 when he was a sophomore at Volcano Vista. Injuries prevented him from reaching 1,000 yards in 2025 as he played in 10 of the Hawks' 12 games. Last season he rushed for nearly 800 yards. He should surpass 1,000 yards this coming season if he stays healthy. Volcano Vista is moving to the new look District 6A-2 in 2026 as they leave behind Cleveland and Rio Rancho as district rivals. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1154954' first='Hershul' last='Olloway'], St. Pius X</strong>: The gold standard for Albuquerque Metro running backs in 2026. Olloway has already put together back-to-back 1,700+ yards rushing seasons, including nearly 2,000 yards in 2025. If he stays healthy, he's got a chance to eclipse 6,000 career rushing yards, which would put him in the Top 5 of the state's all-time career rushing list (per NMAA). Blazing speed. Arguably the state's fastest player in 2026. And he's already flashing mid-season form, running a sizzling 10.72 in the 100 meters at a recent track meet. Holds multiple FBS offers. &nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1613434' first='Nolan' last='Romero-Williams'], Eldorado</strong>: Only two sophomores in the entire state rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2025, and Romero-Williams was one of them. He packs great size (6-1, 185), speed and elusiveness into a single package. He's a workhorse, too, as he totaled over 160 carries last season. Eldorado ran the ball almost 400 times in 11 games last season. Between Romero-Williams and others, the Eagles won't lack for offensive weapons in 2026. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1629861' first='Vaughn' last='Saunders'], La Cueva</strong>: The first thing that stands out about Saunders is his terrific size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and his elite athleticism. He was one of the camp standouts at the Prep Redzone Stock Up Showcase in December. He's powerfully built – making him tough to bring down – with elite athleticism. He jumped over defensive backs in passing drills. Saunders will be a huge part of the La Cueva offense in 2026. The Bears return plenty of experience at the offensive skill positions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>HONORABLE MENTION</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1613656' first='Andres' last='Acosta'], Highland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1688720' first='William' last='Anchondo'], Highland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Andreas Archuleta, Del Norte</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1606048' first='Xander' last='Chavez'], Legacy Academy</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1606132' first='Aiden' last='Farless'], Valencia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1613382' first='Gad' last='Harris'], Sandia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Antwan Lozano, Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1605046' first='Zachary' last='Perez-Verdeja'], Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Damian Rodriguez, Cleveland</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1606046' first='Mario' last='Romero'], Moriarty</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Eli Vigil, Rio Rancho</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Track Season Opener<br>🚨New PR 200m 22.07 sec<br>100m 10.72 sec<a href="https://twitter.com/thecoachflakes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thecoachflakes</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CouchPSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CouchPSports</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://t.co/P6LCifL8Th">pic.twitter.com/P6LCifL8Th</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1250361' first='Hershul' last='Olloway Jr'] (@Hersh_Olloway2) <a href="https://twitter.com/Hersh_Olloway2/status/2035781555625578827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">End of the season highlights‼️400 yards 48 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/LaCuevaFootball?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaCuevaFootball</a>⁩ ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a>⁩ <a href="https://t.co/e0TUVDvH9t">pic.twitter.com/e0TUVDvH9t</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1629861' first='Vaughn' last='Saunders'] (@VaughnSaunders7) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaughnSaunders7/status/1997855380169511055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2025</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html --> <!-- wp:html --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Co of 2028<br>Sophomore season<br>Rb<br>1,006 rushing yards<br>111 receiving yards<br>12 tds<br>11 games played<a href="https://twitter.com/nmpreps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nmpreps</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepRedzoneNM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PrepRedzoneNM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CouchPSports?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CouchPSports</a> <a href="https://t.co/oHaeWQUiXv">https://t.co/oHaeWQUiXv</a></p>&mdash; [player_tooltip player_id='1613434' first='Nolan' last='Romero-Williams'] (@RomeroWNolan) <a href="https://twitter.com/RomeroWNolan/status/2026139064538472617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2026</a></blockquote> <!-- /wp:html -->