Iowa City Liberty’s offense may be the Tennessee of Iowa High School Class 5A football. Everyone and their mother thinks of them as an air raid-esque offense — but in reality, they can run the ball, too.

Though first-string running back, Brody Beaver Brody Beaver 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Iowa City Liberty | 2027 State IA doesn’t rank first in any rushing category for the Lightning, he does still carry a good chunk of the load on the ground, and he showed off what fresh legs can do on Friday night in Cedar Falls.

On just ten carries, Beaver ran for 93 yards and a score, averaging 9.3 yards per carry. He added four receptions for 25 yards, as well. His playmaking ability really popped on a 53-yard run in the fourth quarter, where he showed patience and burst, weaving in and around blockers and would-be tacklers for the near score.

Liberty lost a lot of production from its offensive backfield to graduation after last season. Beaver has made those exits less impactful with his performance in 2025. That included the junior rushing 16 times for 105 yards in a first-round playoff win against Waukee. That lifted his season total to 472 yards (7.6 YPC) and five scores. Beaver is a downhill runner, first and foremost, getting it and hitting the hole. He can make people miss and stick his foot in the ground to change direction, however. His vision his keen as well. While not the biggest back, he his tough to take down with arm tackles and escapes the grasp of defenders often, even when it looks like he’s bottled up. He usually has some extra lean to finish runs.

Another name that should see a significant increase in playing time in 2025 is Brody Beaver Brody Beaver 5'11" | 180 lbs | RB Iowa City Liberty | 2027 State IA . Beaver flashed his potential in the run-game, rushing for 151 yards and a touchdown last season, averaging 6 yards per carry. Beaver has an impressive ability to stop and start on his bursts in a flash, being able to make quick cuts and change of direction instantly to get by defenders. Beaver has solid ball-carrier vision on both the inside and outside run, and once he’s in the open field, he turns on the jets, and it’s not easy to chase him down. With the Lightning’s two leading RBs having both graduated this offseason, Beaver should be propelled into the starting lineup as a junior, where we’ll get an opportunity to see how his skills translate on the varsity team.