High school football: Gideon Davidson, Harlem Berry headline top 10 running backs heading into 2024 season
By Zack Poff
Jul 24, 2024, 11:00am
Future Alabama, Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Oregon commits among running backs featured.
Earlier this
week, we kicked off our position-by-position breakdown of the 2024 high
school football season with the
quarterbacks.
Next up are the running backs.
Last year's MaxPreps National Junior of the Year —
Gideon Davidson of
Liberty Christian (Lynchburg, Va.)
— headlines the list. The Clemson-bound tailback rushed for 2,752 yards
and 43 touchdowns while leading the Bulldogs to a 14-0 record and the
school's first state title.
Harlem Berry of
St. Martin's Episcopal (Metairie, La.) and
Tiqwai Hayes of
Aliquippa (Pa.) are two other backs we expect to post monster stats and have their teams in the mix for postseason success. Berry rushed for 2,000-plus yards and 37 scores as
a junior while Hayes was named the 2023 MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of
the Year after leading the Quips to a Class 4A state championship.
All 10 running backs featured on the list will be seniors this season.
Harlem Berry garnered offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Texas and USC among others before committing to LSU in January. (Photo: Kenneth P. Steib)
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 195
Status: Committed to Clemson | Class: Senior (2025)
Led
Bulldogs to one of the most dominating seasons in state history, going 14-0 en route to Class 3 state championship without
trailing at any point.
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 175
Status: Committed to LSU | Class: Senior (2025)
The
only five-star running back in the
247Sports Composite rushed for
2,080 yards and 37 touchdowns to go with 20 receptions for 401 yards and
seven more scores.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 185
Status: Committed to Penn State | Class: Senior (2025)
The 2023 MaxPreps Pennsylvania Player of the Year led Quips to 14-0 record, rushing for 2,130 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 195
Status: Committed to Auburn | Class: Senior (2025)
Broke
the single-season AHSAA rushing record with 3,523 yards in 2023. The four-star running back needs
2,566 yards to break Mac Campbell's career
record of 9,839 yards he set at
Alexandria that has stood since 1997.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 215
Status: Committed to Oregon | Class: Senior (2025)
Has led Monarchs in rushing in each of the last two years playing against top-notch competition.
Height: 6-1 | Weight: 200
Status: Uncommitted | Class: Senior (2025)
Rushed for over 2,000 yards and 27 scores in 2023.
Height: 5-11 | Weight: 200
Status: Uncommitted | Class: Senior (2025)
Has
been a big-time playmaker in the Peach State since his freshman year,
rushing for at least 1,500 yards in each of the last three seasons.
Height: 6-0 | Weight: 205
Status: Committed to Ohio State |
Class: Senior (2025)
The fifth-rated player in Ohio accounted for 1,700 total yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior.
Height: 5-10 | Weight: 195
Status: Committed to Texas A&M | Class: Senior (2025)
Has
eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two seasons while
helping the Eagles win back-to-back Class 6A Division 2 state titles.
Height: 5-8 | Weight: 190
Status: Committed to Alabama |
Class: Senior (2025)
After averaging 7.7 yards per carry in his only season at
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) the four-star running back is returning to Alabama. He rushed for 2,765 yards and 40 touchdowns during his first two years at
Pike Road (Ala.).
