Top Running Backs to Watch in CIF Southern Section Football (2026)

A look at the top tailbacks to watch this season, including Kamden Tillis, Jaxsen Stokes and AJ McBean, who are among the top players to keep an eye on this fall.

Los Alamitos will look to running back Kamden Tillis to carry the load in 2026. | Joey Gray

The running back position has change over the last few years.

It's a position that can be used in various ways depending on the coach's offensive philosophy. Some running backs will be used as every-down players to anchor the offense, others will be used to pass block or be a threat in the passing game.

Either way, just because the use for a running back has changed, its importance remains the same. Here are the top running backs to watch in the CIF Southern Section this 2026 season.

TOP RUNNING BACKS TO WATCH

Santa Margarita's Jaion Smith is expected to be one of the top running backs in the CIF Southern Section this fall. | Jeremy Westerbeck

Kamden Tillis, Los Alamitos, Sr.

College: San Diego State
2025 Stats: Ran for 1,553 yards and 19 touchdowns en route to the Griffins CIF Southern Section Division 2 title. Also caught 26 passes for 346 yards.

Jaxsen Stokes, Sierra Canyon, Sr.

College: Cal
2025 Stats: Stokes ran for 722 yards and 12 touchdowns last year in nine games. He amassed 100 yards in four games.

AJ McBean, Gardena Serra, Sr.

College: Stanford
2025 Stats: McBean ran for 685 yards and eight scores in nine games last year at Mira Costa.

Noel Washington, Notre Dame, Jr.

College: Undecided
2025 Stats: Washington is set to have a breakout fall after running for 782 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore.

Jaion Smith, Santa Margarita, Jr.

College: Undecided
2025 Stats: Tallied 896 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore for the CIF State Open Division champs.

Malachi McFarland, Damien, Sr.

College: Boise State
2025 Stats: Scored 11 touchdowns in 11 games while rushing for 894 yards on 108 carries. McFarland averaged 8.3 yards a carry as a junior.

Caleb Bey, Crean Lutheran, Sr.

College: Cal Poly SLO
2025 Stats: Ran for 735 yards last fall with an average of just under eight yards per carry.

Maliq Allen, St. John Bosco, Sr.

College: Undecided
2025 Stats: Allen split carries with other backs last fall, but could be the go-to workhouse in 2026. He ran for a team-high 530 yards and five TDs last year.

Marquis Jones, Chaminade, Sr.

College: Undecided
2025 Stats: This three-year starter scampered for 506 yards and six touchdowns in 2025.

OTHER RBs TO WATCH

Asir Nembhard, Mater Dei, So.; Kevika Mata’utia-Martinez, La Habra, Sr.; Kelton Strickland, Western, Sr.; Coy Collins, Villa Park, Jr.; Gavin Garza, Costa Mesa, Sr.; Jorden Wells, Servite, Jr.; Aidan Faraj, Foothill, Sr.; Malaki Davis. Corona Centennial, Jr.; Malaki Buchanan, Victory Valley, So.; Nico Funez, Valencia, Sr.; Zaire Brown Jones, Bellflower, Sr.; Jorden Wells, Servite, Jr.; Christian Lee, Rio Hondo Prep, Sr.; Angel Sepulveda, Pacifica/Oxnard, Sr.; Jayden Armstrong, St. Bernard, Sr.; Izaih Brown, Alta Loma, Sr.; Chase Kuchera, Corona del Mar, Sr.; Champ Brown, Aquinas, Sr.; Will Fredericksen, JSerra, Sr.; Lamont Gooden, Rancho Cucamonga, Jr.; Colin Granite, San Clemente, Sr.; Salvador Villa, Simi Valley, Jr.; Sam Edmisten, Edison, Sr.; George Hastings, Agoura, Sr.;

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2025 CIF-SS RECAP

PALMER LEADS SANTA MARGARITA TO GLORY

When looking back at the 2025 high school football season in the CIF Southern Section, the lede is undoubtedly Santa Margarita — for a multitude of reasons.

Former NFL Pro Bowl quarterback Carson Palmer came back to his old stomping grounds and won all the big prizes in year one.

Santa Margarita shared the Trinity League title with St. John Bosco and Mater Dei before going on to win the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship and CIF State Open Division titles. The Eagles thumped Corona Centennial at the Rose Bowl 42-7 thanks to 10 catches for 292 yards and four touchdowns (two rushing) from Player of the Year Trent Mosley (who is now at USC).

Palmer would guide Santa Margarita to a rout of De La Salle two weeks later, 47-13, at Saddleback College in December to lift the CIF State crown and finish the season 11-3.

When Palmer lifted the CIF-SS Division 1 plaque at the championship podium in the Rose Bowl, it was the first time a program not named St. John Bosco or Mater Dei lifted the Southern Section's top division trophy since Corona Centennial did it in 2015. 

THE ‘MONEY MAN’

One of the biggest stories in recent prep sports history broke last fall when the emergence of Brett Steigh, also known as the ‘Money Man’, who made an appearance on FATTAL FACTOR, a weekly live sports show via Youtube with hosts Tarek Fattal and Aram Tolegian.

Steigh admitted to years of CIF violations at programs like Narbonne (his alma mater), St. Bernard, and most recently, Bishop Montgomery. The biggest confession came when he admitted to paying families up to $50,000 (plus expenses) to get their sons to play high school football at a program of his choice.

The fallout from the story resulted in Bishop Montgomery cancelling its varsity football season. The head football coach Ed Hodgkiss was fired and the President of the school Pat Lee was forced to resign. More than 20 players were deemed ineligible and hit with Bylaw 202 for falsifying documents, which means the student-athletes can’t participate in varsity athletics for up to 24 months.

The school ended up hiring Oscar McBride this past spring in efforts to start over. McBride is a former college and NFL standout who built Murrieta Mesa High into a CIF championship-level program. Murrieta Mesa was 0-9 before McBride was hired and led the program to a Division 6 title in 2024. 

2025 CIF-SS CHAMPIONS

Click HERE for a quick recap of all the CIF Southern Section football champions from 2025 from Divisions 1 through 14.