Vote: Who Are The Top Returning Arkansas High School Running Backs for 2025?

We have selected 20 individuals as nominees

Shiloh Christian's Griffin Mason rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. / Brian Cox

As we continue to preview the top returning high school football players from across the country, it is time to focus on the top returning running backs in Arkansas.

There are a number of players returning who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season led by Owen McLaughlin and Enoch Assan who each rushed for over 2,000 yards last season. As always, we ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think is the top returning high school running back in Arkansas for 2025.

Voting ends on August 3 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Here are the nominations:

Owen McLaughlin, Southside

McLaughlin returns as one of the state's top running backs after rushing for over 2,100 yards in 2024. He also accumulated over 2,500 all-purpose yards with 31 total touchdowns which earned him all-state honors. He is a dynamic playmaker with breakaway speed, and he will look to replicate his 2024 season in 2025.

Enoch Assan, Greenbrier

In 2024, Assan rushed for just over 2,000 yards with more than 2,100 all-purpose yards and 22 rushing touchdowns. He rushed for over 200 yards six times which also includes a streak of four games where he rushed for over 200 yards.

Ni'kel Lewis, Hamburg

Lewis is another electric playmaker at the running back position in the state of Arkansas that is returning this season. In 2024, Lewis rushed for 1,944 yards and 25 touchdowns on 269 carries which was good for 7.2 yards per rush. While he was utilized minimally in the passing game, Lewis made the most of his opportunities in the passing game. He caught seven passes for 228 yards and four touchdowns.

Griffin Mason, Shiloh Christian

Last season, Mason rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns on 281 carries. He averaged six yards per rush, and rushed for at least 100 yards in eight games. Mason is a threat out of the backfield in the passing game as he caught 29 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns.

Isaiah Stephens, Sheridan

Stephens might be the best receiving back in the state after what he showed on the field last season. He rushed for 1,526 yards and 21 touchdowns on 197 carries. He rushed for nearly eight yards per carry, and he also rushed for over 100 yards in nine games. In the passing game, Stephens caught 61 passes for 911 yards and nine touchdowns.

Kaden Brink, Salem

Brink came on strong late in the season in 2024. In the final eight games, he rushed for over 1,000 yards while carrying the ball at least 24 times in each of the eight games. In this stretch, he also rushed for 18 touchdowns.

Titus Cramer, Rogers

In his junior season, Cramer was just shy of 1,400 rushing yards to go along with his 23 total touchdowns. Cramer proved to a be a tough runner to bring down as he averaged six yards per rush. In the passing game, he also caught 31 passes for 416 yards which put him over 1,800 all-purpose yards in 2024.

Korri Graham, DeWitt

The two-time all-state back rushed for 1,332 yards and 19 touchdowns on 175 carries last season. Graham averaged almost eight yards per rush, and he also rushed for over 100 yards in seven games.

Kevin Young Jr, Forrest City

Last season, Young rushed for 1,280 yards and 15 touchdowns on 142 carries. He is an explosive ball carrier as he averaged nine yards per rush. He also rushed for over 200 yards twice and over 100 yards six times.

Xavier Harrell, Nettleton

Harrell rushed for 1,216 yards and 16 touchdowns on 195 carries last season. He averaged just over six yards per rush, and Harrell also rushed for over 100 yards in eight games. Harrell also showed in the loss to Valley View that he can be a threat in the passing game as he caught five passes for 73 yards and one touchdown.

Tavien Clegg, Malvern

Last season, Clegg rushed for 1,164 yards on 174 carries which was good for nearly seven yards per rush. Clegg also caught 18 passes for 259 yards, and he finished with 18 total touchdowns.

Caedmon Keithley, Bismarck

In 2024, Keithley rushed for 1,149 yards and 20 touchdowns on 134 carries. He averaged 8.6 yards per rush, and Keithley also rushed for over 100 yards in four games. His best game of the season was when he rushed for 252 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries in the 33-24 win over Centerpoint. He also caught 39 passes for 547 yards and seven touchdowns.

Curtis Goodrich, Searcy

Last season, Goodrich rushed for 1,132 yards and 17 touchdowns on 191 carries. He averaged nearly six yards per rush while also rushing for over 100 yards in five games. In the passing game, he caught six passes for 91 yards and two touchdowns.

Tj Brown, Jonesboro

Brown rushed for over 1,000 yards last season with 16 touchdowns on 199 carries. He started to improve as the season went on as he rushed for over 100 yards in five of the final six games of the season.

Jahiem Noble, Harmony Grove

Last season, Noble rushed for 1,070 yards and 11 touchdowns on 201 carries. He averaged just over five yards per rush, and Noble also rushed for over 100 yards in five games.

Mason Martin, Atkins

In the 2024 season, Martin rushed for 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns on 113 carries. He averaged 9.4 yards per rush, and Martin also rushed for over 100 yards in four games. In the passing game, Martin caught 38 passes for 390 yards and four touchdowns.

Jordan Walters, Lafayette County

Last season, Walters rushed for 1,030 yards and eight touchdowns on 123 carries. He averaged over eight yards per rush while also rushing for over 100 yards in six games.

Gus Smith, Central Arkansas Christian

In his sophomore campaign, Smith rushed for 876 yards and 11 touchdowns on 114 carries. He averaged almost eight yards per rush while rushing for over 100 yards in five games. After a successful sophomore season, Smith will look to further improve on that in his junior season this fall.

Xavier Laster, Gurdon

In 2024, Laster rushed for 882 yards and six touchdowns on 112 carries. He averaged 7.9 yards per rush, and Laster rushed for over 100 yards four times. He also caught seven passes for 102 yards and one touchdown.

Robert Blevins, Hot Springs

In 2024, Blevins rushed for 811 yards and five touchdowns on 142 carries. He averaged nearly six yards per rush and was selected to the all-conference team.

Editor’s note: Our corresponding poll is intended to be fun, and we do not set limits on how many times a fan can vote during the competition. This poll is specifically for fans to vote on the players that have been nominated and in no way discredits any other player that may not be mentioned in our poll.