Jada Byers is the Nation's Top Running Back

HBCU Football has the nation's top running back who is on a historical pace for VA Union.

Author:
Mason Smith
Updated:
Oct 15, 2022 3:37 AM EDT
Original:
Oct 15, 2022

If you’ve never watched VA Union's Jada Byers run, you are missing out.

The sophomore running back has had a historically significant season for the Panthers. Byers is the only running back – Division I, II, OR III – currently having over 1,000 rushing yards this season. He now sits at 1,096 rushing yards, leading all Division II with 13 rushing touchdowns, and is second with 145 carries.

Byers can get to his second gear once he gets past the line of scrimmage, bursting into the secondary and quickly leaving the defense behind, and he has the vision to find the gaps in the blocking schemes and take advantage of the running lanes.

He did that against Valdosta State, one of the top D-II programs in the country, where he ran for a career-best 319 yards and three touchdowns. He’s also a difficult running back to bring down, showing the strength to easily shake off arm tackles and continue making big runs.

“You know when someone has that thing called ‘it’?” coach Alvin Parker asked after Virginia Union’s upset win over Valdosta State. “[Byers] has it.”

A big trait of Byers’ play this season is his consistency, as he rushed for at least 100 yards in every game except one, the season opener against Virginia-Lynchburg, where he ran for 98 yards on 15 carries. He is the workhorse behind a Panther offense that is 7th in D-II, averaging 258.7 rushing yards per game and second with 24 total rushing touchdowns.

“I tell everybody every time I do an interview that God wrote my book, and I’m just living in the actions through it,” Byers said in an interview with HBCU Gameday. He also gives a lot of credit to his offensive line, understanding that he can’t succeed without them.

While his achievements are impressive, to say that Byers’ success is a surprise wouldn’t be completely accurate. Last season, when he did not start, the New Jersey native still finished the season with 910 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, including 107 yards against Valdosta State as a freshman.

Now in his second season. Byers has already eclipsed both of those marks. Also, he has the opportunity to pass Bobby Phillips’ single-season record of 1,507 rushing yards. He’s still far from Danny Woodhead’s D-II season record of 2,756 yards, but anything could happen with four games left and the momentum on his side.

Regardless of the success, Byers says the team’s goal is to “win the day” and do what they can to achieve their goals. With an undefeated record halfway through the season, the Panthers have an excellent opportunity for success, and Byers has a great chance to make history,

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