5 2029 RBs Who Impressed in Week 1

The season is upon us, and amidst some of our <a href="https://prepredzone.com/2026/08/3-week-1-winners/">big-picture content</a>, we want to highlight some top performers. I don't like to give out game balls or players of the week honors, simply because those often just go to the guys with the biggest numbers in blowout wins. While we'll highlight some top performers, I also want to go in-depth on a few guys who may have flown under the radar. Here are five 2029 running backs who impressed in Week 1.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">2029 RBs Off to Hot Starts</h2>    We do have to start with a guy who came out of nowhere to lead the state in rushing in Week 1. I love his patience. He'll let his blocks develop, stick his foot in the ground, and get north and south in a hurry. He repeatedly forced Lake Wylie defenders into poor angles, turning likely wrap-up tackles into arm tackles and likely arm tackles into full-blown whiffs. He also has legit speed. Completely off our radar a week ago, Inneh is now under consideration for a high position in our 2029 rankings.     Yellorday's name has popped up in conversations with coaches, but he has yet to break out (though I mentioned him as a potential star in my <a href="https://x.com/whelms21/status/2086505341517176890?s=20">brief Twitter preview</a> of Roanoke Rapids. He's a bigger back who has a surprisingly elusive quality. I'm a fan of bigger backs, but he plays like he's 30 pounds lighter, and it makes him extremely difficult to tackle in the open field. Of course, he can still run through would-be tacklers, as he did about six times on one of his five touchdowns on Thursday.     I've wondered for a while who would move into that important second running back position in Seventy-First's offense after [player_tooltip player_id='653512' first='Shon' last='Pone Jr']. moved into the lead back role. It looks like Bronson has snatched that position, and he looked explosive in Week 1. He has good vision and speed to find open space, and he had a strong 11 yards per carry on Thursday. That wasn't inflated by one big run, and it seemed like every time he touched the ball, Seventy-First earned a first down.     Another watchlist running back who had a strong start to his 2029 season, Hairston wasn't overly explosive on Thursday against a talented Davie County defense, but he picked up some tough yards. His 12-yard touchdown was evidence of that. He took an outside zone handoff, followed his blockers, planted, and got upfield before running through contact at the six-yard line and diving toward the end zone. He runs with plenty of balance and power, and I expect he'll enter our rankings in October.     McLean's ability to make something out of nothing and a home run out of a likely single is impressive. If you pause his tape on any given play and guess where he'll be tackled, you can usually add a few yards at minimum to find the actual spot at the end of the play. He's shifty and can connect multiple cuts without losing speed or momentum. There's a reason he's the top-ranked back in the class, and we're excited to see more of him in 2026.    We'll have more on Week 1 throughout the week, and we'll move to Week 2 on Wednesday. What did we miss? Who needs to be highlighted? Help us help players, and let me know on Twitter (<a href="https://x.com/whelms21">@whelms21</a>).

The season is upon us, and amidst some of our big-picture content, we want to highlight some top performers. I don't like to give out game balls or players of the week honors, simply because those often just go to the guys with the biggest numbers in blowout wins. While we'll highlight some top performers, I also want to go in-depth on a few guys who may have flown under the radar. Here are five 2029 running backs who impressed in Week 1.