Final KY 2026 Rankings: RB

As we get deeper into the month of December, we have been completing our final round of rankings updates for the year. To wrap up these updates, we have released our final Top 300 rankings in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky. With these final rankings being posted, I will be taking the next week to break them down by position. After already covering the quarterbacks, here are our top running backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky.    [player_tooltip player_id='401707' first='Evan' last='Hampton'] continued to prove that he is one of the best players in the entire state this season. He helped lead Owensboro to a 5A state title, carrying the ball 173 times for 2,035 yards and 31 touchdowns in 15 games. Hampton has explosive speed which he uses to burst through the running lane with a sense of urgency then run away from the defense on long runs. When defenders are able to catch up to him, he has shown the strength to break tackles and elusiveness to make them miss. Hampton also caught 19 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns as a senior. Evan signed with Vanderbilt where I can see him having a very successful career at the next level.     [player_tooltip player_id='971533' first='Chayce' last='Burton'] unfortunately missed his senior year due to injury but he still proved throughout his career to be one of the top backs in the state. He is a strong runner who has shown the ability to keep his legs churning through contact to break tackles with ease. Burton has also shown the speed and elusiveness to break away for long runs once he hits the open field. Chayce holds multiple Power 4/Division I offers and I believe he has the potential to still be a very productive running back at the next level if given the opportunity.     [player_tooltip player_id='971534' first='Gerian' last='Traynor'] has been high on our radar for a while now and continued to stand out as a senior. In 10 games, Traynor carried the ball 147 times for 1,166 yards and 14 touchdowns. Traynor has impressive speed which he uses to get into the second level quickly then run away from the defense for big gains. He has also proven to be a very shifty ball carrier in the open field, showing the ability to make quick cuts to make defenders miss with ease. Traynor also caught eight passes for 101 yards and a touchdown this season. Gerian is committed to Bethune-Cookman where I can see him making an early impact once he gets there.     [player_tooltip player_id='1175799' first='Luke' last='Ballard'] is another running back who continued to impress during their senior year. He finished the season with 214 carries for 1,302 yards and 17 touchdowns in 11 games. Ballard is a strong runner, showing the ability to lower his shoulder and run straight through defenders while maintaining his balance to break tackles with ease. Once he hits the open field, Ballard has shown the burst of speed to run away from the defense on long runs. He also caught 13 passes for 87 yards this season. Luke currently holds multiple offers, including Division I offers from Army and Eastern Kentucky, and I expect him to be an impact player wherever he plays at the next level.     To wrap up our top five running backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Kentucky, I have [player_tooltip player_id='824950' first='Jay'Quan' last='Crawford']. In seven games as a senior, Crawford carried the ball 91 times for 539 yards and five touchdowns. He is a downhill runner, showing the ability to hit the running lane quickly then use his speed to pick up big gains. Crawford has also shown impressive contact balance, showing the ability to break tackles with ease without losing stride. He also caught one touchdown pass this season. Crawford currently holds offers from Toledo, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, and Kent State, and I believe he has the potential to develop into a productive ball carrier wherever he ends up playing at the next level.