Stats: 18 Carries, 193 Yards, 4 TDs

The senior RB put on a show in Week 7, and went over 3,000 rushing yards for his career in the process. James ran like a hot knife through butter in Week 7! The standout senior showed off his next level worthy athletic gifts. Speed to get outside and beat angles in space. Agility, elusiveness, and sudden lateral cuts in traffic allowed him to win between the tackles too. The electric athlete reads the field so well too and is able to come up with a plan on the fly, reacting to everything going on around him. Ford is a steal that can change games with his touches at the next level.

One of the most productive and under the radar backs in the Class of 2026 is James Ford III James Ford III 5'9" | 170 lbs | RB Beloit Memorial | 2026 State WI . The junior already has nearly 2,200 yards through two years of varsity football. Last year he almost eclipsed 1,000 yards while only playing 7.5 games. At 5’9″ 165 lbs James has learned to dominate on the field with vision, acceleration, agility, and breakaway speed. James is so quick to slice through the front seven, making DL/LBs miss then getting back to top speed to quickly get through the second level. It is impressive watching him barely slip through small seams then come out the other side for a 60+ yard TD run. Ford can take it all the way on any touch.

Stats: 201 Rushing Yards, 1 TD, 1 2 Pt. Conv.

One of the top junior RBs in WI put together a strong showing in Week 4. James is a talented back who displays vision, patience, burst and agility. Ford’s play behind his offensive line set up so many big plays. He let blocks develop and had no hesitation to accelerate the instant daylight showed itself. James also possesses the ability to quickly cut laterally to make a man miss or to get himself into the running lane. The junior also flashed the speed to take it to the house for the big play. Check him out!

Rankings Movement: #101 to #91

James is moving in the right direction, now inside the Top 100 overall, and also inside the Top 10 of his position group. The 1st Team All Conference back is a productive varsity athlete that could breakout this fall and really turn heads this fall. He has 4.65 40 speed, plenty fast enough to create the big play when he breaks through the defense. When you turn on the highlights you see a gifted playmaker with the vision to find ways to attack the defense while on the fly. James has the agility to be able to cut on a dime and make defenders miss in tight spaces then accelerate to his top speed. The incoming junior also finds a lot of success between the tackles despite his smaller frame. He plays the position fearlessly. I’m a fan of his game.