Rising Juniors: 2028 Running Backs Expected to Erupt This Year

Continuing with our series of rising players in each recruiting cycle, the 2028 class is extremely deep when it comes to the running back position. Quite a few players could explode in 2026, but these five athletes in particular are some of the most impressive ball-carriers in the class, and they could be in line to put up video game-like numbers this season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1667138' first='Cj' last='Gray'] is a very athletic and well-built ball-carrier who moves extremely well at the position. He runs a sub-4.5 40-yard dash and has very good long speed, consistently showing the ability to pull away from trailing defenders downfield.   He also displays great vision and a decent amount of patience at the line of scrimmage, which allows him to take advantage of developing run lanes on both the front and backside of zone plays.   Gray recently received offers from East Carolina and Old Dominion, and more could be on the way for one of the most explosive running backs in the state in 2026/2027.     [player_tooltip player_id='1699167' first='Adrien' last='Picot'] is a shifty running back who's a threat to score whenever he touches the football. He's very strong and is incredibly hard to tackle despite being "only" around 180 lbs.   He does everything well, from pass blocking to reading blocks, and Picot is effective in both zone and power schemes. He was an All-District and All-Region running back last season, and he should be even better as a junior in 2026.   Picot is undoubtedly one of the most exciting ball-carriers to watch in the 2028 class, and he recently impressed at West Virginia's camp in late June.     [player_tooltip player_id='1699515' first='Yuji' last='Porter'] came out of nowhere in 2025, rushing for over 650 yards and 7 touchdowns for Osbourn, resulting in an All-District selection as a sophomore.   Though Osbourn has quite a few star players on its roster, don't overlook Porter's ability to dominate on the ground. He exploded for 231 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Gainesville last year, and I'm expecting more of those types of performances from him in 2026 as the full-time starter.   He has very good speed, vision, burst, and runs bigger than his size. Porter should definitely be on college coaches' radars heading into his junior year.     [player_tooltip player_id='1133951' first='KeShawn' last='Waller'] was incredibly productive as a sophomore, rushing for over 2,000 yards and 24 touchdowns.   One of his most impressive attributes is his ability to stop and start on a dime, which allows him to be unusually shifty when running close to or at full speed. He shows a lot of skills that college coaches love to see, especially on different wide/outside zone variations.   He's consistently able to stretch and pierce the defense with excellent vision and cutting ability, breaking off big runs left and right. Waller is one of the most dangerous ball-carriers in the 2028 class.     [player_tooltip player_id='1692127' first='Sam' last='Ahn'] is a well-rounded ball-carrier who shined back at PRZVA's February Showcase. He moves very well and can be a threat as both a runner and pass-catcher out of the backfield.   He also played slot receiver for IHS last season, showing off the versatility to be effective out there, mostly due to his ability to separate with quickness on two-way go's. Ahn does a little bit of everything on offense, but he should see more time as a traditional running back as a junior in 2026.   Ahn plays in a run-heavy offense, and he could burst onto the scene this fall.

Continuing with our series of rising players in each recruiting cycle, the 2028 class is extremely deep when it comes to the running back position. Quite a few players could explode in 2026, but these five athletes in particular are some of the most impressive ball-carriers in the class, and they could be in line to put up video game-like numbers this season.