We turn our attention to the running backs in the class of 2026 in Texas. It’s clear that this group has some exceptional talent. These young athletes have already begun to make a name for themselves with their playmaking abilities, speed, and instincts. The mission and goal of The Platform is to #ExposeTheUnexposed and provide adequate coverage of athletes around the country giving them exposure. With the season right around the corner, we spotlight a list of top prospects from the class of 2026 in Texas who are set to dominate on the field and make significant impacts for their teams. Keep an eye on these rising stars as they continue to elevate their games.
Watchlist Criteria
In-Person Evaluation
Film Evaluation
Stats/Player Impact/Upside
Raycine Guillory Jr., from Aledo High School, has all the tools that great running backs possess. He is one of the top players in the 2026 class in the country and he heads into his junior year poised to lead Aledo to another state title. Guillory Jr. is a dynamic runner, who has great vision, he is phonebooth quick and he has the home run speed to score from any down or distance. Raycine is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and he is a sure handed pass catcher who runs crisp routes. He had an outstanding 2023 season rushing for 1,276 yards and 17 touchdowns. Guillory Jr. is one of the most sought after recruits in the country with over 30 plus offers from the likes of Kentucky, Ole Miss, Central Florida, Notre Dame and most recently Michigan.
Javian Osborne was a key cog in the Forney Jackrabbits deep playoff run in 2023 and he returns as one the top running backs in the class of 2026. A powerful runner with a superb quickness, he runs angry but under control and he has excellent pad level that enables him to break tackles at initial impact. Osborne is a gamebreaker who has the speed to make a house call for six. He put up phenomenal number as a sophomore, rushing for 2,231 yards and 41 touchdowns. He is a national recruit who has offers from Texas, Alabama, Michigan State, South Carolina, Ohio State, Florida, Miami and Florida State to name a few.
Tradarian Ball is a gifted athlete who has the versatility to be a difference maker at running back or line up at receiver and be a playmaker. The Texas High standout has elite speed, he is a shifty runner in space with ability to make defenders miss in the open field and he can score from any distance. He is a reliable target in the passing game. Ball can take a handoff, a jet sweep, a quick slant or make defenses pay on a wheel route. This keeps pressure on his opponent to defend the entire field. He was a offensive weapon in the Texas High offense as a sophomore, rushing for 1,285 yards with 17 touchdowns and averaged over 8 yards a carry. He also hauled in 24 catches for 400 yards and 6 touchdowns. Ball is one of the most sought after recruits in the 2026 class with over 40 offers. He recently committed to Oregon this summer.
Jonathan Hatton Jr. is an elite runner who has the speed and acceleration to make big plays in the running game. He is a valuable offensive playmaker at Cibolo Steele. Hatton Jr. has a stout build at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, he runs with excellent forward lean and his superb field vision enables him to set up his blocks. His vision combined with his patience allows him to break off big runs. He is explosive in the open field and he has the speed to accelerate at the second level to make a house call for six. He had a stellar sophomore season, rushing for 1,222 yards and 21 touchdowns. Hatton Jr. was a key contributor for Steele, who made a deep playoff run to the state semifinals in 2023. He is a 4-star recruit who has double digit offers from schools across the country. Hatton Jr. committed to Oklahoma last October.
KJ Edwards from Carthage High School is a dynamic runner who is a home run hitter from the running back. Edwards is a slasher who is shifty in the open field, he has the speed and acceleration to create separation at the second level. He hits the hole like his hair is on fire, his superb balance allows him to cut, put his foot in the ground and explode past defenders. When he sees green grass, Edwards is quick to make a house call. He filled up the stat sheet on the ground for Carthage, rushing for over 1,700 yards and 21 touchdowns. Edwards has over 20 offers from college programs from around the country, that includes Oregon, Michigan, UTEP, USC, TCU and Georgia.
Amante Martin is a powerful runner who has the skill set to break big runs. He has a stout, lean build with a powerful lower half and he runs with excellent leverage in between the tackles. The 6-foot 190 pound junior is a key returner for Port Arthur Memorial and he is a threat in the running game to make big plays. Martin is one of the top rushers in the state of Texas, he is shifty in space with the ability to make defenders miss and he has the power to break arm tackles in the open field. He has double digit offers from the likes of Houston, Missouri, North Texas, Oklahoma State and SMU.
Caleb Crenshaw is one the most explosive athletes in the 2026 class and he is a gifted runner who has the speed to score anytime he has the football in his hands. He is shifty in space, he has the ability to change directions quickly and he has a killer jump cut that he uses to break ankles in the open field. Crenshaw has a stout, compact build and he runs with power between the tackles with the skill set to make big runs. He rushed for 1,205 with 18 touchdowns combined with 240 yards receiving and 3 touchdowns as a sophomore. He is total package at the running back position. Crenshaw is a threat on the ground and he can be a weapon in the passing game. Get Crenshaw the rock and watch him work. He has offers from UTSA and Washington State but you can expect that number to increase in 2024.
Quickness, explosiveness and the speed to make house call are all traits that junior running back Nicholas Tramble II of Aldine Davis possesses in his game. Tramble II has excellent vision that he uses well to set up his blocks and he hits the hole with a sense of urgency. He is shifty in space with the ability to make one cut and get north in a hurry. Tramble II has the skill set to cut back against the grain without false steps and he has the speed to separate from defenders at the second level. He is a triple threat who can make plays in the passing game and he is an elite returner who can take kick returns to the house. He has double digit offers that includes Rice, Kansas, UTEP and North Texas.
Southlake Carroll playmaker Davis Penn is a powerful runner who can turn a short run into a big play. He is a patient runner who has superb vision and when he sees daylight he has the burst to make a house call from any down or distance. Penn runs with power between the tackles, he has the shiftiness in space to make defenders miss and he has the speed to run away defenses at the second level. He rushed for 1,594 yards and 30 touchdowns while averaging over 9 yards a carry as a sophomore. Penn returns as one of the top playmakers on a Dragons team that went 14-1 last season and lost to eventual state champion Desoto in the state semifinals. He recently committed to Baylor over the summer.
Trey Mosley is a 6-foot 215 pound bruiser who has nifty feet combined with the power to break arm tackles in heavy traffic. He changes directions quickly, he runs with excellent pad level and his ability to get north in a hurry makes him a handful for defenders to handle at the point of attack. Mosely was apart of two state titles at Duncanville and is poised for a breakout season with Brownwood in 2024. He may also see some time on the defensive side of the football at the linebacker position. He has several offers from TCU, Arkansas State, Texas State and UTEP.
Trae Hill is an elite runner who has the speed to make big plays and he is one top running backs in the class of 2026 in the state of Texas. The Cedar Park standout has quick feet with ability to burst to the second level and get to the end zone. Hill hits the hole hard, he has great balance and he runs with excellent pad level. He had a stellar sophomore season, rushing for 1,428 yards and 21 touchdowns. Hill is one of top returning rushers in the 2026 class and he is a featured offensive weapon for Cedar Park. The Timberwolves went 9-4 last season and Hill was a key cog in their success. Texas State, Houston and Lamar are several schools who have offered Hill this offseason.
Jett Walker has excellent short area quickness and he has the speed to break off big runs. He has a stout, powerful frame at 6-foot-2 205 pounds and he is a north-south runner who plays with great leverage. Walker has great patience in the hole, he has superb vision that he uses well to set up his blocks and he has the burst at the second level to turn short runs into big plays. His sophomore season he rushed for 1,623 yards and 21 touchdowns, while averaging over 9 yards a carry. He was selected 13-4A First Team All-District and he was an all-state selection in 2023. Walker will bring his playmaking ability to Georgetown this fall. UTSA was the first college program to offer him but he has taken a visit to Texas Tech. Walker also has interest from SMU and Arkansas.
Ryan Estrada is an explosive runner who has the skill set to make big plays in the running game. He runs with excellent pad level in close quarters, keeping his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage until he sees a crease to attack the defense. Estrada is phonebooth quick and his ability to cut back against the grain in the open field enables him to be an elusive runner. He is a weapon in the passing game out of the backfield, showing great hands and when he sees daylight he can make a house call for six. He exploded his freshman season, rushing for 1,326 with 13 touchdowns and was selected 1-6A Newcomer of the Year. He followed that up with a stellar sophomore season, which has attracted the attention of college programs around the country. He picked offers from Wisconsin, BYU, Vanderbilt, UTEP and Texas Tech this offseason.
Dionne Sims is an elusive runner, he his shifty in space and he has the homerun speed to score from any down or distance. He has excellent vision and when he finds a hole he explodes to daylight. He has an extra gear that enables him to separate from defenders at the second level. Sims is a big play threat in the C.E. King offense and when he has the football in his hands he is a scoring threat. He is a sure handed receiver who can make big plays in the passing game out of the backfield. Sims has caught the attention of college programs, with offers from the likes of UTEP, Houston, Arizona, Oregon and UTSA.
Hutto standout Keilan Chavies is an elite runner who is a big play waiting to happen with the football in his hands. Chavies is a patient ball carrier who uses his superb vision to set up his blocks. When he gets a crease he explodes through the hole. He has a stout, compact frame that enables him to break arm tackles easily. He uses a powerful stiff arm and a spin move in heavy traffic to fight for extra yardage. When he gets into the open field his is a shifty runner who makes defender miss. In 2023 he exploded for 1,247 all-purpose yards and 12 touchdowns. Chavies is a special teams weapon who can be a scoring threat. He was selected 12-6A Newcomer of the Year after a stellar sophomore season. Keilan has offers from North Texas, Arizona State, TCU, Texas State and Baylor in his bag.
Levon Morton is a savvy runner who shows great patience at the point of attack and he has the ability to cut back against the grain to find daylight. He has a low center of gravity with excellent forward lean and he gets north in a hurry when he finds a crease in the defense. Morton has a compact build with a killer stiff arm that uses to break tackles in close quarters. He is a dynamic runner when he has the football in his hands. Morton is big play waiting to happen and he has a nose for the end zone. He rushed for over 1,000 yards his sophomore season and returns as one of the top rushers in the 2026 class. Morton has offers from Arkansas, UTEP, North Texas and Montana State. I expect his list to increase heading into his junior season.
