Nebraska’s best high school football players: Meet the state’s top running backs

Nebraska has never been short on talent in the backfield. This fall is no exception with six players who had already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark by Week 7, eight more that had over 900 yards and more than 30 who average at least 100 yards per game. 

Sebastien Boyle – Scottsbluff Senior – 6-0, 205

That sound you hear coming from out west near the mountains is Boyle lowering a shoulder, delivering a stiff arm or running over another tackler. Scottsbluff’s stout ball carrier for the past three years, Boyle is a mix of power and speed who is rewriting the Bearcat record book every time he touches the ball.

Boyle burst onto the scene as a sophomore when he finished as the fourth-leading rusher in the state with a total of 1,774 yards and 25 touchdowns. Last fall he was No. 2 at 1,926 yards and 26 scores. With two games to go on the 2023 schedule, Boyle had amassed 934 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Boyle already owns the Scottsbluff record for career rushing and adds to that legacy each time he takes a handoff. If Scottsbluff has success over its final two games and makes at least a little bit of a run in the postseason, and that’s no guarantee at 3-4, Boyle has a shot to break the Class B rushing record. He needs a little more than 650 yards to pass the 5,281 record set by Blair’s Ryan Randall who played for the Bears from 2008-2010.

With his career coming to a close, coach Judson Hall, Boyle’s teammates and Bearcat fans are thanking their lucky stars the circumstances worked out to bring Boyle to Scottsbluff. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was living in Colorado Springs and staring at a year without football due to the restrictions in Colorado. With some connections already in the Scottsbluff community, the Boyles uprooted and came to Nebraska.

Sebastien himself is also the beneficiary of personal circumstances that brought him from Haiti to America when he was adopted at five years of age.

North Dakota State is showing interest in Boyle as well as Iowa State and Nebraska.

“Sebastien is a hard-working kid who loves football. He enjoys going to practice each and every day, and he is one of our hardest working kids in the weight room,” coach Hall said. “He is currently our school record holder in career rushing yards and is chasing the Class B all-time rushing record. Sebastien has big goals and wants to play at a high level in college.”

Payton Prestito – Papillion-La Vista Senior – 5-11, 185

Prestito has over 2,000 career rushing yards and averages more than 100 per game but he’s a running back that is likely underrated. There were a lot of great running backs in the state last year, but Prestito averaged 117 yards per game and over seven per carry. That was only able to earn him all-state honorable mention honors.

Perhaps it’s the relatively low touchdown total – 10 last season – or the fact he plays for a Papio program that has struggled in recent years. Whatever is causing Prestito to fly under the radar seems to be fading away in 2023. Through seven weeks he was averaging 126 yards per game, had scored 12 touchdowns and was leading Papio to a 6-1 record.

If you ask his coaches, they’ll agree Prestito is undervalued. However, they also say he’s a humble guy who doesn’t concern himself too much with publicity or attention. Prestito works with all levels of players in the Papio program, has helped coach the kids’ 7-on-7 league and has traveled with his church to serve the poor in third-world countries.

Prestito has looks from Sioux Falls, Augustana, Hastings, Concordia and a few others.

“He knows that hard work is what gets him where he wants to be. He doesn't want or expect instant gratification,” Monarch coach Tim Williams said. “I do not believe that he is getting the proper attention this year. I would love more help from everyone getting him the attention that he deserves. He is, in my opinion, the best running back in the state of Nebraska in Class A.”

Parker Borer – Boone Central Senior – 5-10, 185

Borer is a naturally talented guy who has taken his capitalized on his gifts because of his competitive spirit. Boone Central coach Mark Hudson calls Borer one of the most competitive players he’s ever coached. When someone gets the best of him in training, in practice or in a game, you can be sure that’s not going to happen a second time around.

That mindset carries over to the weight room where Borer works to be the top lifter on the team. Just because he’s a skill player, coach Hudson says, doesn’t mean he’s satisfied having better numbers than fellow backs and receivers. He’s just as likely to challenge a lineman to a few sets as he is another ball carrier.

That approach has led Borer to a career where he has a chance to surpass 3,000 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns. He and the Cardinals won their first seven games of 2023 and sat at No. 1 as the season wound to a close. Through the first seven weeks, he was averaging 150 yards per game and had scored 12 touchdowns.

“On the field, Parker has become more patient and learned to use his speed at different times and also his vision has improved,” Hudson said. “He has become a more physical runner - helping set up more explosive plays. He also is a very good corner, plays physical and wants to be the lock down guy.”

Isaiah Weber – Gretna Senior – 5-11, 185

Weber and the running game were somewhat lost in the shuffle the past two years with a Division-I quarterback recruit on the roster. But while the signal caller was completing passes, putting up big numbers and serving as the face of the program, Weber went about his business. He doesn’t need to be in the spotlight for the inspiration necessary to improve and put in hard work.

A lot of that comes from his background in fitness. Take a look at Weber and you can tell he’s someone who’s been sculpted not only by the weight room but by an overall fitness routine. His secret is Crossfit. Weber not only follows the programs but competes nationally. For his age bracket, he was crowned the “Second Fittest in the World” in 2021, and he’s a two-time state powerlifting champion.

That sort of mindset that embraces pain and suffering has allowed Weber to have a career that will conclude with more than 2,000 rushing yards and more than 100 tackles. He’s less than 50 away from that first number and has already surpassed the second.

As a junior playing second fiddle to the passing attack he still nearly hit 1,000 yards with 928, a 6.6 yards per carry average and 12 touchdowns. He also caught 16 passes for two more scores. With two games left in the 2023 schedule, he had 852 yards, a 6.0 average and 13 touchdowns. Stepping into the role as a starting linebacker he has 53 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

“Isaiah has been a big part of our success the past couple years. He's been our starting running for two seasons and will be close to 1,000-yard seasons in both,” Gretna coach Mike Kayl said. “He runs extremely hard and is difficult to bring down. He is also a very good blocker. Defensively, he starts at Mike backer and is leading us in tackles. He's a great leader for the team and an example of what hard work looks like.”

Jahmez Ross – Westside Senior – 5-10, 190

Ross might get lost in the shuffle by outsiders due to the number of high-caliber recruits Westside has on the roster. Those who are a part of the program, however, know how valuable he’s been to the Warriors’ success.

The senior had three 100-yard rushing games out of the first six on the schedule last year but then had a high of just 74 over his next six games. Regardless, while he sometimes takes a backseat to the passing game or the running and playmaking of his quarterback, Ross still finds ways to be impactful. He had 10 touchdowns last season including the semifinals and the state championship, he picks up blitzes in the passing game, carries out fakes and runs routes like you would expect from a team player.

Now into his senior season he’s become more of an asset on the ground. Ross posted five 100-yard games out of the first seven and rushed for 207 plus three touchdowns in a win over Kearney. Through seven games he had 860 total rush yards, 10 touchdowns and was averaging nearly 10 yards per carry.

Ross has some interest from Nebraska, Iowa State and Iowa. He visited Iowa State last March.

“Jahmez is not overlooked by our football team. Everyone in our program knows his impact,” coach Paul Limongi said. “He is explosive, quick and understands how to find seams in the defense. Jahmez also blocks well and has great pass catching ability out the backfield.”

Keenan Valverde – Pierce Senior – 5-7, 165

At just 5-foot-7, Valverde is the shortest guy on this list. He might also be the best pound-for-pound runner of the 20 who were chosen as the top in the state.

Valverde was part of a dynamic Pierce offense last fall that scored nearly 50 points per game and averaged over 500 yards. And arguably, although the offense included a college football tight end who’s now playing at Iowa State, it was Valverde who made everything go.

How hard is it to average over eight yards per carry? Well, if you’re a player who often comes in during mop up time and breaks a few long ones, it’s not too difficult. But how about a guy who had 226 carries? That seems unheard of. But that’s where Valverde was last season, totaling 1,900 yards, 24 touchdowns and doing it all while averaging 8.4 yards per carry.

As his career begins to wrap up, Valverde has seven games with more than 200 yards including 312 with two touchdowns in last season's semifinal win over Adams Central. He has 1,042 yards, 13 scores and three games of more than 200 yards so far through seven games in 2023.

“Keenen is a special running back; he has great instincts and is very hard to tackle,” Pierce coach Darin Suckstorf said. “Keenen leads by his great work ethic on the practice field and in the weight room. He was voted captain by his teammates this season and is not only a great player but a great person.”

Jackson Roberts – North Platte St. Pat’s Senior – 6-2, 185

Roberts couldn’t have had a better start to his career than when he scored the first time he touched the ball. And it wasn’t just a garbage time carry for an underclassman who happened to find a crease. That carry was the beginning of a freshman season that ended with 1,365 yards, 19 touchdowns and an average of nearly 13 yards per carry.

Ever since then, he’s dealt with an injury from basketball season and two in football. But while some athletes might have checked out mentally and considered themselves cursed, Roberts simply went back to work, attacked rehab and returned to his old form, and in many cases, better than he was.

Roberts tore his ACL during freshman basketball but returned in time to run for 1,475 yards and 24 touchdowns during his sophomore football season.

Roberts then broke his collar bone in the final regular season game and missed much of basketball. He came back the following fall and ran for 1,065 yards and 22 touchdowns on an average of 12.1 per carry but went down again, this time with a knee injury, in the final regular season game.

But by now it should be clear, that nothing can keep Roberts down. Through seven games in 2023, Roberts had totaled 394 yards and seven touchdowns on 33 carries. He missed the first two games of the season recovering from that knee injury in 2022, but he’s been just as effective in a somewhat precautionary role.

“It’s been a great honor to coach Jackson. He leads by example and makes a positive impact on all those he works with,” St. Pat’s coach Kevin Dodson said. “Unfortunately, he’s been riddled with injuries throughout his four years but has always kept a positive attitude and work ethic. If he stays healthy this week, it’ll be his first time participating in a playoff game since his freshman year. He holds the NSAA record for most consecutive 100-yard games in C-2 at 15. Resilient should be his middle name.”

Brady Bousquet – Elkhorn South Senior – 5-9, 180

A lot of the guys on this list are fast. Many of them compete in the 100 and 200 meters or the long jump during the track season. However, there are few, and few football players anywhere for that matter, who might actually be faster in pads. No, it’s not an optical illusion. That was a streak that just ran by you on his way to the end zone.

Bousquet has done it 11 times in five games this fall and has been the picture of consistency with two or more touchdowns in all five of those games. Five games doesn’t give him the overall total of some of the other top backs in the state, but take a look at his stat line and you’ll see he’s averaging nearly 10 yards per carry. He had 117 rushing yards or more in four of his five games, has four runs over 40 yards and would likely have had more than 100 yards in all five games were it not for just two carries in a blowout over Omaha Northwest. And while it was just two carries in that game, Bousquet scored on both of them.

He's not a workhorse but he’s effective. Bousquet’s career average for his 109 carries is over nine yards.

“He's got explosive, home run speed and great change of direction. He's got a low center of gravity and runs with power, always finishing his runs,” Elkhorn South Coach Guy Rosenberg said. “He's a complete back who can also catch and block. He's also an excellent kick returner.”

Trent McCain – Ord Senior – 6-0, 180

You could call him the energizer bunny. McCain has more than 340 carries in his career, was one short of 300 last season, but just keeps producing despite his workload. He’s one of those backs that seems to get better as the game goes on.

McCain is already over 3,000 rushing yards for his varsity career, has 35 touchdowns and is six yards short of an average of 100 per game. At his current rate, that will likely change before the end of the season.

Last year he had nine games with 20 or more carries, including 52 for 275 yards in a win over Amherst, but he’s only shouldered a workload of 20 or more once this season. But when he’s averaging nearly a full yard more per carry than last year, and Ord is winning by more than 26 points per game, he hasn’t been needed quite as much. That plus the emergence of two others who are averaging over six yards per carry has allowed the Chanticleers to preserve him more than last fall.

“I would say Trent's greatest traits are his motor and toughness. He plays so hard and never stops,” Ord coach Nathan Wells said. “He runs that way and plays defense that way. Sometimes it gets him out of position, but he more than makes up for it with effort and attitude. He is a great young man and a very hard worker. We are glad to have him on our team.”

Drake Zimmerman – Ashland-Greenwood Senior – 6-0, 200

Ashland-Greenwood coach Ryan Thompson was talking to a Bluejay football fan recently about running back Drake Zimmerman. That fan described Zimmerman’s running style as ‘angry’. Thompson couldn’t agree more.

Zimmerman has averaged more than seven yards per carry since he was a sophomore and heads into the final few weeks of the regular season with 33 career touchdowns on his ledger. The AG senior scored seven as a sophomore while averaging 7.6 yards per carry and totaling 603. His junior year ended with nine scores, a 7.4 average and 785 total. He’ll go over 1,000 in a single season this fall with 985, a 7.6 average and 17 trips to the end zone through seven games.

Most of those numbers he’s achieved as the second back in the offense. Now as the featured guy in the backfield, Zimmerman has six 100-yard games including 207 in a win over Auburn. He also has two games with three touchdowns and five in a victory over Aurora.

On the edges and in the flats he’s only caught eight passes, but those eight have turned into 216 yards and three scores.

“Drake has a great combination of speed, power, and agility. He has worked his tail off each year in the offseason to make himself better in each of those categories leading up to this year,” coach Thompson said. “He has no problem running through defenders but he has also increased his speed and agility to break away. Drake is a very unselfish teammate and gets more excited about his teammates' success than his own. This attitude has helped him become a better player and has helped our team be very successful.

“Drake split time the last couple years with Nate Upton but never complained. He’s now showing the state what he knew he was capable of.”

Nick Conant – Adams Central Senior – 5-8, 170

Conant is a natural leader for the Patriots and it's about a lot more than his play on the field. No matter what activity he’s involved in, Conant finds joy. His head coach, Josh Lewis, sees it whether it’s in pads between the lines at practice or on Friday nights, during summer weight lifting, completing classwork or in the stands cheering for his classmates during volleyball and basketball games.

And while that makes him special off the field, there’s more than enough that makes him just as special on it. Conant has over 1,400 rushing yards in his career, has already surpassed last year’s total, has scored 20 career touchdowns as a runner, two as a pass catcher and is nearing 60 career tackles and four tackles for loss.

He also lines up often as a receiver, and while he doesn’t create a ton of catches, all of his receptions are impactful. This season he’s caught six passes and is averaging over 25 yards per catch.

Yet, it looks like baseball is likely in his future at the next level. Conant plays shortstop, second base, outfield and is a righty on the mound. His recruiting profile indicates his fastball has been clocked at 80 mph and his velocity across the fielder is 85 mph.

“In terms of his play on the field, he is so shifty and changes direction like very few I've seen play in person,” coach Lewis said. “Even when someone comes through unblocked, he is able to make a nice play by making them miss. It's rare that one defender makes a play on him in space; it causes our scout team guys a lot of frustration.

“He also does a nice job catching the ball, especially in the screen game. This year he has grown his ability to finish runs, falling forward because we've asked him to run between the tackles a bit more than he's had to in the past. He's embraced it and has been super coachable in what to look for as our offense continues to grow. I personally like watching everything he does; he is fun to watch.”

Brady Singer – Douglas County West Senior – 5-11, 205

Singer is one of two players the DC West coaching staff considers the heart and soul of the team. Behind him and wide receiver/safety Ryker Wohlers, the Falcons are in the middle of a season that has already set the school record for wins and has the program ranked in the top five.

Singer’s contributions to the cause include 866 yards rushing, seven yards per carry, 124 yards per game and 11 touchdowns through Week 7. On defense, he’s made 51 tackles, recovered a fumble and sacked the quarterback from a variety of places on the field.

Recently, he’s been lining up on the defensive line because of injuries. And it wasn’t a decision by the coaches to put him there, Singer stepped forward and asked to fill the spot to help the team out. In his first game at the position he made five tackles including that one sack on a play in which he was cut blocked, popped back up, used a swim move and attacked the quarterback.

But perhaps best of all is the leadership mentality he brings to all aspects. Coach Mike Troy saw that in action after a recent game when he witnessed Singer being a leader when no one was watching.

“I was wrapping up all my duties and heading to the old gym,” Troy said about seeing Singer's leadership in action. "It is currently our locker room and weight room as construction continues. Everyone is leaving and I am sitting in the corner. Brady has his headphones on not paying attention to anything and has no idea I am there. The rest of the team had left. He then proceeds to pick up the entire weight area, hang all the weight belts, then grab some dirt clods off the floor and throw them in the trash. That's why he's special.”

Wiley Ziegler – Bloomfield Senior – 5-8, 155

Ziegler is Mr. Do-It-All for the Bees who rode his leadership all the way to the Class D-2 semifinals last season. He was the team’s leader in rushing yards, points, touchdowns, interceptions, punt returns and was second in tackles.

He played in 10 games as a sophomore and averaged 9.2 yards per carry with eight touchdowns. He was expected to be a major piece of Bloomfield’s future. But this major? That wasn’t likely in anyone’s projections.

He went from pretty good to great when he put together a junior campaign that included more than 1,600 yards rushing, 30 touchdowns, three more scores as a pass catcher, 85 tackles, six tackles for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Oh, and he returned two kickoffs for 79-yard touchdowns and four punt return touchdowns. With still more games left before graduation, he has nine kickoffs for touchdowns and eight punts for touchdowns – both D-2 state records.

He’s the obvious straw that stirs the drink for the Bees. But even while opponents and opposing coaches know that, he’s in the middle of a senior year with a better per-carry average, just one less TFL and six interceptions. He’s one of those players coaches make a gameplan to contain, not stop, because completely stopping him hasn’t happened yet.

“Wiley is the leader of the team and will do what needs to be done for the team,” Bloomfield coach Matt Kuchar said. “He does football the right way- not a rah-rah hype guy, just a steady production football player that will do what he needs to do to win. He has great vision and the ability to turn a loss into a touchdown.”

Conor Booth – Bishop Neumann Junior – 6-1, 215

Booth became the third in-state recruit for the Huskers when he gave Nebraska a verbal commitment in late August, joining two other players – Omaha North D-lineman Tyson Terry and Millard North defensive back Caden VerMaas – who are also on SBLive Best of Nebraska lists.

Booth is a rarity at any level of football – a fullback who earned a Division-I scholarship. But don’t let the name of the position fool you. He’s got breakaway speed and the skill set to make defenders miss, in addition to the lead blocking he provides as a fullback.

As a running back he put up 964 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior and is in the middle of a senior season that had totaled 1,501 yards and 25 touchdowns through the first seven games.

And it’s not just on the gridiron where he’s made an impact. Booth is also a Nebraska baseball commit who has an exit velocity of 98.6 miles per hour, according to Prep Baseball Report.

“As a running back, he has great vision and runs hard with a lot of force. People have a real hard time tackling him once he gets a head of steam downhill. The stats speak for themselves, and I think he's the best overall football player in the state of Nebraska,” Neumann coach Jordan Roberts said.

“As a person, he is a humble, kind and lighthearted kid. He has great friends and treats his faith very seriously. He is a leader in the school and community and a lot of people look up to him. He loves his family and prioritizes those relationships well. Overall, Conor is just special – a kid that will come around once every 20 to 30 years. We are lucky to have Conor Booth.”

Tony Palmer – South Sioux City Junior – 5-11, 195

Palmer isn’t the only reason but he’s a big reason why South Sioux City football is in the middle of a resurgence. The Cardinals haven’t enjoyed a winning season since 2012 and haven’t been to the playoffs since that same season 11 years ago.

At 5-2 through Week 7, there’s no guarantee of the postseason, but South Sioux has locked up a winning year and restored some pride to a program that had gone 17-72 over the past 10 years. Palmer has been doing it for the Cardinals every year of his career, but now with a few more complimentary pieces around him, he’s even more dangerous.

Palmer is averaging over 180 rushing yards per game, had over 1,200 yards through the first seven games, scored 18 touchdowns and also contributed 21 tackles on defense. He’s second in Nebraska in total rush yards and third in average.

All of his success, South Sioux coach Jackson Dickerson says, has to do with Palmer’s consistent focus on being better than the day before.

“Tony is a kid who goes about his business the right way every single day. Tony has a mentality to improve every single day. He is one of the hardest workers on our team,” Dickerson said. “There is a direct correlation between the work he puts into the weight room and his success this season on the field.

“He is one of our team captains and has the ability to lead by example by doing things the right way every single day. Tony is someone who is more focused on our team's success rather than his individual accomplishments. He is willing to do whatever it takes to help our team succeed.”

Quinn Bailey – Chadron Junior – 5-8, 165

With two weeks left in the regular season, Bailey had the third-highest rushing total and second-highest per-game average in Nebraska, but chances are you’ve never heard of him. Chadron isn’t near any major media markets in Nebraska and none of the opponents on the schedule reside in a town of more than 9,000. For most, Chardon is way up there in the northwest corner, four or five hours away.

Regardless, Bailey goes about his business regardless of who is or isn’t paying attention. For him that has meant a 4.0 GPA in the classroom, the fourth-best marks in bench, squat and hang clean in the past 20 years at Chadron, a school-record career rushing total over 2,800 yards, a two-time state track qualifier and a Class B state wrestling champion.

He has the chance to break the single-season rushing mark, had 1,322 through seven games this fall, 39 total touchdowns and he’s only a junior. In the summertime, Eagles coach Michael Sandstrom said he has to kick Bailey out of the weight room despite the fact that he also spends the summer at football and wrestling camps and plays baseball.

And those weightlifting numbers? Bailey is doing it at 170 pounds. All the lifters ahead of him weighed 230 to 280.

His work in film preparation is just another example.

“He has watched a lot of film from former Chadron High School players from as far back as 2016,” Sandstrom said. "During this time, he will comment to me on the types of plays we used to run and how that might work today. I still remember his comment that we used to run stretch effectively in 2017 against Ogalalla.”

Caleb Richardson – Grand Island Senior – 5-10, 175

Richardson was quite the weapon for the Islanders on their way to the state semifinals last season. Although he didn’t reach 1,000 yards and had an uneven distribution of carries, Richardson was effective every time he touched the ball. He averaged six yards per carry, had three games with more than 100 yards and also caught 11 passes for 97 yards. He also served as Grand Island’s kick returner and was a threat to break a big one every time he fielded a kick.

This fall, Richardson was one of just three returning starters on the offensive side of the ball. That led to some inconsistency in his early performances without experience up front. Regardless, he was averaging over five yards per carry and had scored five touchdowns in his last three games.

Richardson went down with an injury in Week 5 and hasn’t played since then. But whether or not he can return before the end of this year, his skill set makes him one of the best in Nebraska.

“Caleb has excellent vision and balance plus solid speed with great change of direction,” GISH coach Jeff Tomlin said. “He fights for the tough yards and is a great receiver out of the backfield or in the slot.”

Clayton Gauff – Bellevue West Senior – 5-9, 175

Gauff might be the most overlooked running back in the metro with a quarterback and two receivers on his roster who are part of the Nebraska 2024 recruiting class. But while the Thunderbirds have a dynamic passing offense, Gauff is the other side of that coin and the top option in the Bellevue West rushing attack.

He’s starting to open up some eyes from outside the program thanks to his big play ability. Extra attention was earned most recently for 210 rushing yards on 38 carries in a Week 7 win. Gauff showed some flashes of his potential in the handful of carries he received as a sophomore and is now beginning to bring that potential to fruition as a junior.

He’s also caught 11 passes for 67 yards and a touchdown and is a guy who will likely be on this list again next season as he continues to grow into one of the best running backs in Nebraska.

Gauff is also an excellent long jumper and played in 19 games last year for Bellevue West basketball.

Luke Holly – Sidney Senior – 6-1, 195

Holly is on the verge of putting together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons and, with a few big games and some success in the playoffs, he might even approach 3,000 career rushing yards. His opportunities for success have been earned from early on when he appeared in four games as a sophomore and rushed for more than 100 yards in three of them while totaling 427 yards, three touchdowns and a 7.2 average.

When he became more of a focus of the offense last fall, Holly rewarded that trust with exactly 1,000 yards, five of those with more than 100, a 6.2 average and 11 touchdowns. He also averaged just under 11 yards on nine catches and found the end zone three times in the screen/short passing game.

This fall has been on a whole new level. Holly had 95 yards in the first game of the season but then posted 100-yard totals in the next six. He’s got 915 through seven weeks, 10 scores and is leading the Red Raiders to an unbeaten season. Sidney hasn’t won this many games since 2014 and hasn’t won the first seven games in a season any time in the last 20 years.

Whatever success follows in the final two weeks and into the postseason, it will likely have Holly’s signature written all over it.

“Luke Holly is a big, physical runner who also has a lot of speed,” Sidney coach Ryan Smith said. “He will most likely reach 1,000 yards for the second time later this season. Since we run quite a few read-option type plays, he often gets tackled which has allowed our quarterback to pull the ball and also rush for over 1,000 yards this season. He does a nice job blocking as well. Luke is a pretty good all-around running back.”

Blake Macklin – Norris Senior – 5-9, 150

It’s difficult for Macklin to put together consecutive games with impressive rushing totals due to the multiple nature of the offense. He has a quarterback who’s approaching 1,000 passing yards and completing his throws at 60% and three receivers who have double-digit catches and three with more than 100 yards receiving. It’s difficult to pile up stats in that kind of an offense, but Macklin is in the top 10 in total rushing yards in Nebraska nonetheless.

Through seven games he had carried it 94 times for 949 yards, an average of 10.1 per carry and an average of 136 yards per game. Macklin has found the end zone 11 times and caught 11 passes for 97 yards. But it’s not just offensively where he helps the team win. Macklin also serves as the Titans’ free safety and has collected 28 tackles through seven games.

He was mostly unheard of the first half of the season but has come on strong since Week 3. Macklin rushed for 85 then 47 yards in the first two games then put up 100-yard rushing performances four times out of the next five weeks.

In a win over Beatrice at the end of September, he had one of the best rushing games this year for any back in the state. Macklin turned 16 carries into 274 yards and four touchdowns. 

Photo of Bishop Neuman's Connor Booth courtesy of 247 Sports