After taking a look at the state’s top quarterbacks a week ago, we now rank the Top 10 running backs entering the 2023 Florida high school football season. But first, we offer a few honorable mentions. (Rankings according to 247Sports Composite.)
Honorable Mention
- Anthony Carrie (Carrollwood Day)
- Stacy Gage (St. Thomas Aquinas)
- Keveun Mason (Lake Placid)
- D’Marius Rucker (Lakeland)
- Sean Cuono (Calvary Christian)
- Deandre Desinor (American Heritage)
- Alvon Issac (The Villages Charter)
- Dallas Golden (Berkeley Prep)
- Chris Wheatley-Humphrey (South Broward)
- Issac Brown (Homestead)
10. Anthony Rogers (IMG Academy)
We begin with the first of two juniors on this list of best Florida high school running backs in 2023. Rogers, a four-star Alabama commit from IMG Academy, is one of Florida high school football’s top out-of-state offseason transfers. He joined the Ascenders from Pike Road (AL), where he rushed for 1,626 yards and 22 touchdowns on 187 attempts last season, while also catching eight passes for 219 yards and two more scores.
9. Rod Gainey Jr. (Tampa Bay Tech)
The No. 9 spot goes to Gainey, a three-star prospect in the 2024 class from Tampa Bay Tech. Gainey helped lead the Titans to a Class 3M regional semifinal appearance while rushing for 1,518 yards and 14 touchdowns on 158 attempts, along with catching 11 passes for 73 yards and three more scores.
8. Taevion Swint (Osceola)
The second junior to make our list of top 2023 Florida high school running backs is Swint, a four-star UCF commit who enjoyed strong back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022 at Osceola in Kissimmee. Swint helped lead the Kowboys to a Class 4S state semifinal appearance last season, rushing for 1,666 yards and 20 touchdowns on 224 attempts, and catching 15 passes for 161 yards and four more scores.
7. Chauncey Bowens (Benjamin)
Bowens, a four-star Georgia commit, has rushed for 2,000+ yards across the last two seasons at Benjamin. He had 940 yards and 8 touchdowns on 130 attempts in 2022.
6. Davion Gause (Chaminade-Madonna)
Gause returns for his senior season as the top rusher for defending Class 1M state champion Chaminade-Madonna. The four-star North Carolina commit rushed for 1,142 yards and 19 touchdowns on 145 attempts last season, while also catching six passes for 93 yards and another score.
5. Jordan Lyle (St. Thomas Aquinas)
We begin the top five with the second player on our list from St. Thomas Aquinas. Lyle, one of the marquee names for the defending Class 3M state champions, is a four-star Ohio State commit who rushed for 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns on 91 attempts as a junior last season. He also caught 6 passes for 55 yards.
4. Micahi Danzy (Florida State)
Danzy, a four-star prospect in the 2024 class, enters his senior year for a Florida State team that finished last season at 14-1 and runner-up in Class 2S. Danzy was the Seminoles’ top running back a year ago, rushing for 1,809 yards and 17 scores on 191 attempts, while also catching 8 passes for 100 yards and a touchdown.
3. Cole Tabb (Choctawhatchee)
Coming off a season in which he ranked among the state’s leading rushers, Tabb sits in the No. 3 spot entering the fall. As a junior in 2022 for Choctawhatchee, the three-star Stanford commit rushed for 2,407 yards and 24 touchdowns on 322 attempts, while also catching 20 passes for 346 yards and 2 more scores.
2. Jerrick Gibson (IMG Academy)
Gibson, a Texas commit, enters the 2023 season at No. 2, and he easily could be No. 1. The four-star IMG Academy product is one of the nation’s top running back recruits in the 2024 class after a season in which he rushed for 608 yards and 8 touchdowns on 83 attempts.
1. Jason Patterson (Sneads)
After leading Florida high school football in rushing a year ago, Patterson, the 2022-23 ITG Next Florida Male Athlete of the Year, sits in the No. 1 spot as the top Florida high school running back entering the 2023 season. Patterson, a three-star prospect, returns for his senior season after having led Sneads to an 11-1 record and a Class 1R regional final appearance a year ago, rushing for 2,721 yards and 35 touchdowns on 206 attempts, and catching 2 passes for TDs.
