Building the State of Iowa’s Perfect Running Back – Class of 2027

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cultivating the perfect running back in the state of Iowa's class of 2027 with different attributes from tailbacks across the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/05/building-the-state-of-iowas-perfect-quarterback-class-of-2027/">Building the State of Iowa's Perfect Quarterback – Class of 2027</a></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Agility </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1197445' first='Savion' last='Miller'] - Iowa City High</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Miller has almost everything a Power 4 program could want in a running back (likely why he has offers from the likes of Miami (FL), Minnesota, Missouri and others). One of his biggest strengths is his lateral quickness and ability to make cuts on a dime. With a lethal juke move that puts defenders in the dirt, plus his use of blockers in front of him, navigating through and around them with a stutter step and the ability to put his foot in the ground and just <em>go </em>puts him among the best running backs the state has seen in recent memory. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Balance</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1366537' first='Isaiah' last='Hansen'] - Newton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The second of two elite running backs in the state with Iowa State in his future, Hansen has an incredible ability to stay upright after taking intitial contact. The type of runnes that is just back-breaking to continue to try to bring down play after play, the Newton tail back has such a strong lower half that makes him able to shake off would-be tacklers with ease and then keep going. Hansen is the type of back that just takes the wind out of the defense with his ability to keep up off the ground. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Breakaway Speed</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1361313' first='Dawson' last='Kahl'] - Cedar Rapids Prairie</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the fastest track athletes in the state with a PR of 10.85 in the 100-meter dash (and weighing over 200 pounds doing so), Kahl displayed the ability to put on the jets and out-run the defense during his junior campaign. He's got the lateral quickness and strength, too, but Kahl's calling card is his ability to reach the third level of the defense and then blow past them to the endzone. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Power</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1617589' first='Stanley' last='Cooper'] - Southeast Polk</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The type of runner that every linebacker <em>hates </em>to meet in the A-gap, Cooper is the running back that will run through a dude's face and put him on his butt. A prospect that looks like 5-foot-11 and 225-pounds of muscle and meanness on the football field, Cooper has clearly spent his fair share of time in the weight room, and he shows it with his running style. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Patience</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1621099' first='Jarin' last='Hoffman'] - Kuemper Catholic</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing behind one of the best offensive lines in the state, Hoffman took every advantage on the ground for Kuemper Catholic, the 2A state champions. Waiting for holes to develop, and creases to open up, Hoffman was not one to rush the play during his junior campaign. Making the offensive line look better than they already were, Hoffman's willingness to wait and then explode through a gap provided made him one of, if not the top back in 2A last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Versatility</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1901425' first='Laken' last='Caves'] - Alburnett</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The state-leader in all-purpose yards last year with 2,846 total, Caves provided so much more than just carrying the football for Alburnett. A prospect that was a top-tier returnman in the state, while also taking 235 carries for 1,880 yards and 22 touchdowns<em> and </em>leading the Pirates in receiving with 31 catches for 390 yards and three score, Caves did it all for Alburnett in 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Playmaking as a Receiver</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1925483' first='Braylon' last='Lopez'] - West Sioux</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another running back that did a little bit of everything last season, Lopez played a mixture of running back, receiver, returner for West Sioux. Finishing with 2,401 all-purpose yards, fifth-most in all classes, Lopez was absolutely deadly out of the backfield as a pass-catcher. Whether it was a swing pass, a screen, a wheel route -- what have you -- Lopez could take any given short passing play as a receiver and turn it into a 50-yard touchdown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->