California high school football rushing leaders: Darnell Miller of Santee tops the list

By Nick Pecoraro Sep 17, 2025, 1:30pm

Miller topped 1,000-yard mark while Lorenzo Sims of Ramona and Wes Burford of Oakdale each put up 300-yard nights last week.

Wes Burford of Oakdale helped the Mustangs win their third straight game with 15 runs for 172 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-17 victory over Vista del Lago (Folsom)

Burford, who's also placed at the state wrestling championships, now has 12 career games with at least three rushing touchdowns.

The Air Force commit moved into third place on California's rushing list for 2025 with 860 yards, according to statistics submitted to MaxPreps. The previous week against Escalon, the 6-foot, 210-pound back barrelled his way to 322 yards and a pair of scores. His per-game average for the season is up to 215.

California's rushing leader is Darnell Miller of Santee (Los Angeles) who has chugged his way to 1,026 yards and 10 TDs. Miller exploded for 311 yards and three scores while also adding nine tackles on defense in a 44-35 win over Contreras (Los Angeles).

Miller has already topped his total of last year, 717 yards in 11 games, in five weeks.

Lorenzo Sims of Ramona (Riverside) is second on the leaderboard this week with 937 yards and 12 touchdowns after the Rams' first four games. Sims helped Ramona beat Rancho Mirage 28-21 with 199 yards on 28 carries with two touchdowns.



Rounding out the top five rushing leaders are freshman Anthony Estrada of Madera with 806 yards and senior Quentin Pacelli of Garden Grove with 782 yards.

Last week's biggest performances on the ground went to senior Ethan Mundt of Troy (Fullerton), who had 376 yards with six TDs in a 49-21 win over Foothill (Bakersfield). Junior Zayden Campbell of Rock Academy (San Diego) torched Castle Park (Chula Vista) for 326 yards and three touchdowns on 18 touches in a 55-30 win.

Read on for a look at the top 25 rushing yardage leaders in California.