A look at the top high school running backs heading into the 2022 football season reveals some impressive talent atop the list. Here’s our ranking of the top 10 RBs nationally.
1. Rueben Owens (El Campo, TX)
While the No. 1 spot among the top 10 RBs could go to any of three options, the best argument is made for Owens. A five-star prospect from El Campo High School in Texas, the rising senior is coming off a monster 2021 junior campaign that included 2,989 yards and 46 touchdowns on the ground.
2. Richard Young (Lehigh, FL)
The top name in a deep returning running back group in Florida, Young is also considered as a five-star prospect in the 2023 class. Not far behind Owens for the top spot, Young is coming off a junior season at Lehigh High School that included 1,755 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
3. Cedric Baxter Jr (Edgewater, FL)
Right alongside Young in that Florida running back group is Baxter, a four-star prospect from Edgewater High School. Baxter rushed for 1,718 yards during his junior season, collecting a total of 26 touchdowns on the ground.
4. Dalton Brooks (Shiner, TX)
Brooks, a four-star prospect from Shiner High School in Texas, is coming off an impressive junior campaign that included 2,611 yards with 39 touchdowns.
5. Justice Haynes (Buford, GA)
Haynes, the top running back in Georgia, transferred to Buford High School, where he will be the focal point of an electric Wolves offense. The four-star prospect spent the 2021 season at Blessed Trinity Catholic, rushing for 2,375 yards and 29 touchdowns.
6. Suntarine Perkins (Raleigh, MS)
One of the nation’s top-rated athletes, Perkins is a four-star prospect in the 2023 class from Mississippi’s Raleigh High School, where he is the state’s top player. The Ole Miss commit rushed for 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns last season through 10 games, as well as catching five passes for scores.
7. Quinton Martin (Belle Vernon, PA)
An argument could be made that Martin, a five-star prospect from Belle Vernon High School in Pennsylvania, is the top athlete in the 2024 class. The top player in Pennsylvania, Martin rushed for 902 yards and 12 touchdowns last season across eight games.
8. Jeremiyah Love (Christian Brothers, MO)
Love, a four-star prospect in the 2023 class, attends Christian Brothers in Missouri, where he is coming off an impressive junior season. Included in that year was a First Team All-State selection after he rushed for 996 yards and 14 touchdowns.
9. Treyaun Webb (Trinity Christian, FL)
The third player on this list from Florida, Webb returns for the 2022 season after missing some time a year ago due to an injury. The four-star prospect, however, did make an impact in the 10 games he played, rushing for 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns.
10. DeSean Bishop (Karns, TN)
While not as highly rated of a recruit as some of the other names, it’s hard to leave Bishop off this list of top 10 RBs based on his 2021 season. The three-star prospect rushed for 3,179 yards and 34 touchdowns for Karns High School in Tennessee.
Honorable Mention:
Jerrick Gibson (IMG Academy, FL), Jason Brown (O’Dea, WA), Kameron Davis (Dougherty, GA), Joquez Smith (Jesuit, FL), Samuel Singleton (Fleming Island, FL), Stacy Gage (IMG Academy, FL), Aaron Butler (Calabasas, CA), Mark Fletcher (American Heritage, FL), Taylor Tatum (Longview, TX), Joseph Stone (Grayson, GA)
