Deep Dive: Top 7 Wake County RBs

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Welcome back to our deep dives series. Maybe you're an avid fan who reads every ranking, or maybe you just follow your favorite counties. Maybe you're just here for a particular tagged player. Whatever the case may be, welcome! Here, we're breaking down the top seven running backs in one of the biggest counties in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Top 7 RBs in Wake County</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Editor's Note: The ranked running backs are listed in order from first to seventh. Other names are in no particular order. Rankings reflect predicted 2026 impact.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Other Wake County Deep Dives:<br><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/03/wake-county-qb-deep-dive/">QBs</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["378957"],"_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-69a5f5a6acf37"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Brown has college size and speed, and he's been on the radar for a long time. An early Nebraska commit, Brown paced the Rolesville offense with over 1,300 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. The Rams showed a few surprising struggles from a balance perspective last season, but expect them to rely on Brown's vision and tackle-breaking abilities and return to top form in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["378921"],"_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-69a5f5a6acf91"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Freeman has been the lead back for an excellent Southeast Raleigh squad for multiple seasons, running for over 1,300 yards this season after almost 900 as a sophomore. His ability as a receiver out of the backfield is what sets him apart, with 44 catches for well over 500 yards over the last two seasons. He's one of the top backs not only in the county, but also in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2142898"],"_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-69a5f5a6acfd6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">I'll be the first to admit that I was late to the [player_tooltip player_id='2142898' first='Micah' last='Olu'] bandwagon, but now that I'm here, I'm petitioning to be the driver. He's one of the best athletes in the state, as he's a home run threat from multiple alignments while weighing over 200 pounds and showing tremendous power. On most of his big runs, he's not simply hitting an open hole and using speed to the end zone; he's shedding tacklers at even level, <em>then</em> winning with speed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1225217"],"_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-69a5f5a6ad018"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Wallace could fly up this list, and he might be higher if we knew what the depth chart looked like behind him. Garner loves to rotate backs, but Wallace led the team in rushing by a wide margin in 2025. That's because he averaged 9.1 yards per carry, an absurd number given the difficulty of competition every week. His vision is probably his best trait, and he continues to develop physically in the weight room.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1883038"],"_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-69a5f5a6ad057"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Daniels doesn't look like a running back, but when he steps on the field, it's obvious that he belongs. His vision and lateral movement, even at 6'2" stand out, as he's able to cut upfield to get north and south quickly. There, the speed takes over, as he's a mid-4.4 guy who can really move when he gets in the open field. He eclipsed 1,000 yards as a sophomore and could go even bigger in 2026.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1272624"],"_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-69a5f5a6ad092"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Pagan's patience is among the best in the state, and his ability to wait for holes to open and then maximize yardage is impressive. He has some highlight-reel runs, but I'm most impressed with his ability to pick up five when it's blocked for three, or pick up 10 when it's blocked for five. Pagan ran for over 1,000 yards and provided stability to Green Level's offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1251476"],"_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-69a5f5a6ad0ce"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Adams has the upside to finish the season much higher on this list. It all comes down to opportunity. Southeast Raleigh's depth and another backfield running mate on this list limited Adams to 135 touches last season. Still, he eclipsed 1,000 scrimmage yards and scored 14 touchdowns to help lead the Bulldogs to a regional semifinal.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Names To Know</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1263702' first='Santonis' last='Wright']</strong> | Millbrook</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1658600' first='Akshar' last='Barnes'] </strong>| Leesville Road</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keon Williams</strong> | Sanderson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1421052' first='Matthew' last='Ziglar']</strong> | Fuquay-Varina</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Make sure we don't miss anyone. Let me know on Twitter/X (@whelms21) which players need to make our deep dive rankings. Don't miss out on everything Prep Redzone has to offer. Our 7-Day free trial offer runs from March 5-9.</em><br><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->