Top 20 running backs in high school football: Nebraska commit Jamarion Parker leads shining stars | Sporting News

It’s playoff time throughout high school football across the country. With most of the season behind us, here’s a look at who we think have been the nation’s top 20 running backs this year.

The primary criteria were 2024 production and team success relative to strength of schedule. Performance in prior seasons and recruiting accolades were also taken into account. Recruiting info is per 247Sports unless otherwise specified.

Top 20 running backs in high school football

(List is in alphabetical order)

Cole Allen – St. John’s (TX) – Sr.

Allen isn’t a projected Power-4 starter like most of the rest of the players on this list, but the Harvard commit just had a season for the books. Playing against solid Texas competition, he ran for 2,588 yards and 42 touchdowns on 10.4 yards per carry, caught 19 passes for 374 yards and five more touchdowns, and threw a touchdown pass for 2,964 total yards of offense in just 10 games. Including kick returns, Allen totaled 3,130 all-purpose yards. That’s 313 a game, and he even averaged over 250 a night in St. John’s losses.

Harlem Berry – St. Martin’s Episcopal (LA) – Sr.

The top-ranked senior running back in the country, Berry is a career 8,000-yard rusher and 5-star LSU commit. After totaling nearly 2,500 yards of offense as a junior, he ran for 1,666 yards and 32 touchdowns on 12.7 yards per carry this regular season alone, and caught for 247 yards and three more TDs. Berry is fast as it gets at the running back spot with a 4.37 40-yard dash.

Tory Blaylock – Atascocita (TX) – Sr.

With a 10.62 time in the 100m to go with solid size and pass-catching ability, it’s easy to see why more than 40 schools offered Blaylock. And his high school production follows suit. Despite missing a bit of time due to an injury, Blaylock has run for 1,076 yards and 21 touchdowns on 9.5 yards per carry as a senior for a top-20 team in the country playing a national schedule. The Oklahoma commit has also recorded 19 catches for 265 yards and three TDs, and his ability to fly out of the slot has helped clear the box for run-centric QB Cardae Mack. 

Ezavier Crowell – Jackson (AL) – So.

A 5-star recruit and the top-ranked RB in the Class of 2027 with the numbers to show for it. Crowell came out of the gate with 29 touchdowns and 1,737 rushing yards as a freshman, and has already rushed for 1,667 yards and 25 touchdowns on 11.7 yards per carry in 2024 to go with two TDs and 233 yards receiving. His Aggies are 21-1 with their only loss coming by one score to nationally-ranked Saraland, and even then he went for 200 yards and three TDs. Crowell is up to 22 offers with ‘Bama, Auburn, and UCF listed as the early frontrunners by 247Sports.

Gideon Davidson – Liberty Christian (VA) – Sr.

Over the last two seasons, Davidson’s Bulldogs are 26-0, and he’s run for 4,315 yards and 71 touchdowns (and counting). Davidson is a speedster with a 10.69 personal record in the 100m, but has good size for a tailback at 6-0, 195. Easy to see why he’s ranked third at his position in the Class of 2025 and is committed to Clemson.

Jordon Davison – Mater Dei (CA) – Sr.

Davison is averaging over 100 yards of offense per game for a Mater Dei team on pace to run away with a national title. He’s run for 13 touchdowns in nine games as a senior, and committed to Oregon over the summer out of a whopping 50 colleges to offer. Davison proved as a sophomore that he can carry a heavy load, rushing for 17 TDs and 1,514 yards for the nation’s No. 2 team in 2022.

Akylin Dear – Quitman (MS) – Sr.

After rushing for 27 touchdowns and more than 2,000 yards as a junior, Dear has surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in eight games as a senior – despite spending real time at QB. In addition to his rushing production, the 4-star Alabama commit has caught a touchdown and completed 17 of 26 passes for 249 yards and three TDs, good for a 118.9 passer rating. A 6-foot-1 bruiser with tremendous straight-line sprinting speed, Dear is widely considered a top-two RB in his class.

Alvin Henderson – Elba (AL) – Sr.

Jake Crandall/ Montgomery Advertiser/ USA Today Network/ Imagn

What do you get when a top-10 RB recruit in the country plays in the right system at the 1A level?

One of the most dominant high school careers of all time. And some 44 Division I offers.

Henderson first experienced varsity action in eighth grade, ran for 1,115 yards and 24 touchdowns as a freshman, doubled his production as a sophomore, and made history as a junior a year ago. The 4-star Auburn commit ran for 3,525 yards and a state-record 61 touchdowns while leading the nation with 68 total touchdowns, and did it all on “just” 225 carries thanks to his jaw-dropping 15.7 yards per carry. Henderson has already rushed for 3,456 yards and 61 TDs as a senior, with career totals of 10,766 rushing yards, 193 rushing TDs, and even 327 yards and two touchdowns passing on 11-17 completion.

Marquise Henderson – Belton-Honea Path (SC) – Sr.

For what is not the first time, this 4-star Clemson commit is one of the premier halfbacks in high school football in 2024. Henderson has only needed 116 carries to guide the Bears to an 11-1 record and rack up 1,631 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing, good for a massive average of 14.1 yards per carry. He also has 23 catches for 206 yards and a touchdown. In 14 games as a junior, Henderson totaled 39 touchdowns and over 2,700 all-purpose yards.

Dierre Hill Jr. – Althoff Catholic (IL) – Sr.

Hill ran for 1,788 yards and 25 touchdowns on 13.6 yards per carry for a 10-2 team as a junior, and he’s been even better in 2024. The 4-star Oregon commit has run for 2,150 yards and 34 touchdowns on an insane 17.3 yards per carry, and is having a breakout year as a pass-catcher with 16 catches for 303 yards and five more TDs. To top it off, he’s still going, as his Crusaders are one win away from an undefeated 1A state title run.

Savion Hiter – Louisa County (VA) – Jr.

The top-ranked RB in his grade and the only 5-star running back in the Class of 2026, per 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. Hiter’s 2024 stats aren’t up yet, but he’s crossed the 200-yard mark a handful of times and been considered a major stock-riser in recent months by scouts after running for a little over 1,000 yards as a sophomore.

Nolan James – DePaul Catholic (NJ) – Sr.

James is a high 3-star Notre Dame commit who hasn’t quite gotten the national recognition he deserves for powering the Spartans through a tough schedule into national rankings. In 11 games against strong foes, he’s run for career-highs of 1,677 yards and 17 touchdowns, and also has 26 catches for 326 yards and three TDs.

Ousmane Kromah – Lee County (GA) – Sr.

Ranked fourth at RB in his class, Kromah checks every single box of a top recruit. With a rare combination of power running and receiver skills, the 4-star Clemson commit has run for 4,477 yards and 54 touchdowns in his career, and has caught for 1,312 yards and 18 TDs as well. Kromah also uses his 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame to block particularly well for a halfback. The cherry on top is his winning pedigree, having propelled Lee County – which is 12-0 entering state 5A quarterfinals – to national relevance.

JT Lindsey – Alexandria (LA) – Sr.

The longtime LSU commit ran for 1,729 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior, and he has been even better as a senior. Lindsey piled up nearly 946 yards of offense in the first five games of 2024 alone, and his Trojans are undefeated and nationally-ranked. Speed is the 4-star recruit’s main calling card with a sub 11-second 100m dash.

Byron Louis – American Heritage (FL) – Sr.

He’s one of the top breakout stars of 2024 at running back spot statistically – although the top college programs in the country have been in hot pursuit of the 4-star recruit for years. In just 10 games games, Louis has run for 1,313 yards and 13 touchdowns and has 17 catches for 229 yards and three TDs, putting him at 154 yards of offense per game for an 9-2 team playing a national schedule. He’s also a standout in the blocking department. Louis committed to Florida State out of 29 offers in September, but there’s a lot of attention being paid to his upcoming official visit at Florida.

Jeffrey Overton Jr. – Hayfield (VA) – Sr.

An 8,000-yard rusher for his career, Overton is up to 1,561 yards, 426 receiving yards, and 36 touchdowns as a senior with his team at 10-1 after dominating its postseason opener. And while it wasn’t a factor in his inclusion, his mark of seven interceptions at safety is extremely impressive too. Before transferring to Hayfield, he had a decorated career at Freedom (VA) that included a Gatorade State Player of the Year award. Overton is a 3-star Virginia Tech commit.

Jamarion Parker – Cardinal Ritter (MO) – Sr.

Bill Welt/ The State Journal-Register/ USA Today Network/ Imagn

Parker led Cardinal Ritter to an undefeated season and state title as a junior with 1,644 rushing yards on 11.2 yards per carry and 26 touchdowns. The 4-star Nebraska pledge was just as good as a senior the regular season with 1,564 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing on 10.3 yards a try in the regular season alone. Parker also had 12 catches for 134 yards and two more TDs during the regular season.

Deondrae Riden Jr. – DeSoto (TX) – Sr.

A tireless power back for the perennial Texas powerhouse Eagles, Riden’s senior season has been his best yet – and his third above 1,000 rushing yards. Leading DeSoto to a 10-2 record and national top-25 ranking against a national schedule, Riden is up to 1,685 yards and 24 touchdowns with nearly all of it coming on the ground. A 4-star recruit in 247Sports’ composite rankings, he picked Texas A&M out of nearly 40 schools to offer.

Cornelius Warren III – North Crowley (TX) – Sr.

Warren’s full senior year stats aren’t up yet, but consider the following. North Crowley is ranked fifth in the nation by High School On SI and ninth by MaxPreps at 12-0. And Warren ran for 350 yards and four touchdowns in the first three games alone, including 153 yards and three touchdowns to knock off another top-25 team in the nation in DeSoto (TX). Warren, a 3-star recruit, picked UNLV out of 15 schools to offer, which included some high-major stalwarts like Ole Miss and Utah.

Damarius Yates – Kemper County (MS) – Jr.

Yates built on an All-American sophomore year with an even better junior campaign possessing a trifecta of standout speed, strength, and pass-catching. In 2024 he rushed for 1,339 yards and 15 touchdowns on over 10 yards per carry, made 31 catches for 453 yards and four TDs, and totaled 358 yards and two more scores as a return specialist, putting him over 2,000 all-purpose yards. And the 4-star recruit was a force to be reckoned with even in the Wildcats’ two losses, showing that you can’t stop him but can only hope to contain him. Yates committed to stay home for Mississippi State in September.