Vote: Who Is The Top Returning High School Running Back In Northeast Florida For 2025?

We have nominated 10 individuals to watch for this season

Bartram Trail's Arthur Lewis IV is one of the top returning running backs in Northeast Florida. / Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK

Northeast Florida has produced outstanding running backs in its past such as Derrick Henry, and there are some outstanding backs to watch for in 2025.

Bartram Trail, Bishop Kenny and St. Augustine each return a running back who rushed for more than 1,000-yards in 2024. There are also some other teams who return running backs who averaged over seven yards per rush. With the running backs that are returning this season, 2025 should present an exciting football season across the Jacksonville Metropolitan Area.

As always, we ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think is the top returning running back in Northeast Florida for 2025.

Voting will close on August 12 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Here are the nominations:

Tadarius Washington, Raines

Last season, Washington rushed for 939 yards and 17 touchdowns on 126 carries. He averaged 7.5 yards per rush, and he also rushed for over 100 yards in five games. Out of the backfield, he caught 13 passes for 235 yards and two touchdowns.

Caleb Mattison, Bishop Kenny

Mattison rushed the ball 243 times for 1,316 yards which was the most that a Bishop Kenny player has rushed for since 2009. He scored 16 times on the ground and caught one touchdown pass as well.

Shaunqueze Foster Jr, Mandarin

In his sophomore season, Foster rushed for 820 yards and six touchdowns on 109 carries. He averaged over seven yards per carry, and Foster also rushed for over 100 yards in two games.

Trendell Anderson, St. Augustine

Anderson was one of the most prolific backs in the Jacksonville Metro Area last season as he rushed for 1,155 yards and 19 touchdowns on 172 carries. He averaged nearly seven yards per rush while also rushing for over 100 yards in five games.

Arthur Lewis IV, Bartram Trail

Lewis has been one of the top playmakers in Northeast Florida the past few seasons, and he has one more year to showcase his skills before he moves off to college. Last season, he rushed for 1,666 yards and 21 touchdowns on 149 carries. He also averaged 11 yards per rush while also rushing for over 100 yards in nine games. In the passing attack, he caught 21 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns.

Nashawn Jacobs, Baldwin

As he enters his senior season, Jacobs is coming off of a year where he rushed for 808 yards and four touchdowns on 105 carries. He also averaged 7.7 yards per rush and rushed for over 100 yards in four games. Jacobs was a threat in the passing game as he caught 24 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns.

Xander Edwards, Bolles

As a freshman, Edwards was able to prove himself early and often for the Bulldogs. He rushed for 558 yards and eight touchdowns on 78 carries. He averaged just over seven yards per rush as well.

Mason Lynch, St. Augustine

Last season for Menendez, Lynch rushed for 683 yards and 11 touchdowns on 145 carries. He averaged nearly five yards per rush and rushed for over 100 yards in four games. Lynch also caught 10 passes for 96 yards and one touchdown.

Jaxon Harshman, Providence School

Harshman rushed for 747 yards and three touchdowns on 122 carries last season. He averaged just over six yards per rush, and Harshman also rushed for over 100 yards in three games.

Skyler Freeman, West Nassau

Freeman rushed for 751 yards and 15 touchdowns on 122 carries in 2024. He averaged just over six yards per rush while also rushing for over 100 yards in four games. Out of the backfield, Freeman caught seven passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.

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.