Vote: Who is the top returning high school running back in Illinois for the 2025 season?

Read up on all of the candidates and cast your vote!

Waterloo's Derez Sayles (21) earned 4A all-state honorable mention honors after rushing for 1,385 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior last season. He is among our candidates for top returning running back in Illinois for the 2025 high school season. / Tim Vizer

Here are the candidates for top returning running back in the state of Illinois. Also, be sure to check out our candidates for top returning quarterback and top returning wide receiver in the state.

Be sure to follow High School on SI all season for Illinois high school football stories, scores, live updates, photos and much more during the entire 2025 football season.

Voting ends Thursday, July 17, at 11:59 p.m. Central Time. You may vote in the poll at the bottom of the page as many times as you would like, and we encourage you to share the poll on all socials to promote your favorite player.

Editor's note: Please note that this is not an overall ranking of the state's top players, and players are listed in alphabetical order. Our polls are meant to be a fun way to showcase some of the state's top players while also encouraging fan engagement as the season draws near.

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The candidates

Elliott Acree, sr., Mt. Carmel

Excelling in Mt. Carmel’s run-heavy offense, Acree racked up 1,092 yards on 192 carries. He scored 13 touchdowns and compiled five games with at least 100 yards. He is expected to have a big role in the Caravan offense in 2025.

James Bell, jr., Chicago Simeon

A three-star recruit by Rivals, it’s easy to understand why. At 5-10, 195 he broke out in 6A as a sophomore when he averaged 7.8 yards per carry on 125 attempts – finishing with 980 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns in 11 games. He averaged 89.1 yards per game and has been picking up Power Four interest.

Mike Brown, sr, Centralia

Fast and shifty, Brown (5-8, 150) can bust a game open in a hurry and proved so with some monster games last season, as he earned 5A all-state honorable mention honors. He rushed for 278 yards and three touchdowns against Waterloo on Sept. 13, then amassed 296 yards and a touchdown two weeks later against Carbondale. He rushed for at least 171 yards on five occasions and finished the season with 1,482 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry on 228 attempts.

Caden Considine, sr., Byron

The son of former 8-year NFL safety and 2012 Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl Champion Sean Considine, Caden might be destined for the defensive side of the ball at the next level, but his prowess at running back can’t be overlooked. An excellent linebacker and safety, Considine is also a standout running back with 4.52 speed who rushed for 1,600 yards in 2023 while helping lead Byron to the 3A state championship. He has Division I offers to play safety from Western Illinois and North Dakota State and holds a preferred walk-on offer from Iowa – his father’s alma mater – to play linebacker.

Mark Detwiler, sr., Stockton

A hard-hitting fullback and linebacker at Stockton, Detwiler (5-8, 175) picked up 1A all-state honorable mention honors as a junior. He rushed for 1,114 yards on 208 carries with 21 touchdowns.

Caden DuMelle, sr., Algonquin Jacobs

Ripping off 7.6 yards per carry, DuMelle 5-11, 205 averaged 108.1 yards per game through nine games last season. In that span he racked up 981 yards on 129 carries, and scored 11 rushing touchdowns. He also had 7 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown. He has rushed for over 2,300 yards in the last two seasons.

Casey Etheridge, sr., Princeton

A three-time 3A all-state honorable mention selection and all-conference running back, Etheridge (5-10, 180) averaged 8.53 yards per carry last year, rushing 200 times for 1,706 yards – including a long o f85 yards – and 25 touchdowns in 12 games.

Cayden Green, sr., Havana

Through nine games last season he rushed for 1,035 yards on 160 carries (6.47 per attempt) and 12 touchdowns. Green (6-0, 180) averaged 115 yards per game with a long of 70 yards. He also pulled down 14 catches for 164 yards with a touchdown.

Nolan Herpstreith, sr., Nokomis                   

Rushed for 1,171 yards on 146 attempts – including a long of 77 yards – with 14 touchdowns as a junior. Herpstreith (5-11, 180) averaged 117.1 yards per game on the ground and had 6 catches for 60 yards.

Jeremiah Jackson, soph., Jacksonville    

Jacksonville must be jacked to have Jeremiah Jackson. He stepped in as a freshman and put the rest of 5A on notice when he averaged 11.17 yards per carry. In only 66 attempts, the 6-foot-1 standout still ran for 737 yards and five touchdowns in 10 games.

Brandon Jenkins, sr., Arlington Heights John Hersey

Jenkins (6-0, 185) averaged 147.5 yards per game last season, rushing 183 times for 1,475 yards. He ran for 14 touchdowns and wasn’t charged with a fumble all season. He was named 7A all-state honorable mention by Illinois High School Football Coaches.

Kyler Johnson, jr., Oakwood                             

He stepped right in as the lead back for the Comets in 2024 and was nothing short of impressive. Johnson averaged 5.5 yards per carry, rushing 179 times for 979 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had four games with at least 100 yards, averaged 97.9 yards per game and had a long of 58 yards. He’ll be their go-to again in 2025.

Luke Karras, sr., Casey-Westfield

He averaged 6.43 yards per carry on 183 attempts as a junior, racking up 1,176 yards and 15 touchdowns in 12 games. Karras averaged 98 yards per contest.

Ryan Kettman, sr., Wilmington

Kettman (6-1, 170) earned 3A all-state honorable mention after a monster season that saw him average 9.53 yards per carry in rushing for 1,439 yards on 151 carries with 24 touchdowns. He ran for at least 100 yards in seven games – including a 213-yard performance on only six carries against Manteno.

Jimmy Lollar, jr., Stanford Olympia

Lollar had a monster sophomore season for the Spartans. In nine games (the Spartans had one victory by forfeit), Lollar (5-10, 165) averaged 9.4 yards per carry – rushing for 1,556 yards and 19 touchdowns. He will have another huge role in 2025.

Dylan Manning, jr., Rochelle

Giving the ball to Manning was equivalent to giving your offense a first down. He broke out as a sophomore, averaging 11.41 yards per carry as he rushed for 1,267 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games. He also averaged 13.5 yards per reception on 6 catches and scored a pair of touchdowns.

Diesel McFadden, sr., Chicago Taft

A standout at running back and linebacker, the son of former NFL great Darren McFadden, earned 8A all-state honorable mention honors as a junior. He committed to Illinois State on June 13, and he is expected to be a big piece on both sides of the ball for Taft again in 2025.

Jaterryon Moore, sr., Decatur Eisenhower

Through nine games last season, Moore rushed for 1,046 yards and scored 12 rushing touchdowns. He averaged 10.67 yards per carry on 98 attempts and had five games with at least 100 yards rushing. He also averaged 24.6 yards per catch – hauling in 11 passes for 271 yards and a pair of touchdowns – and finished with 1,463 all-purpose yards.

Sean Murphy, jr., Mascoutah

In nine games as a sophomore Murphy racked up 1,319 yards and scored 17 touchdowns on 249 carries. He averaged 5.3 yards per carry and rushed for at least 112 yards in seven of nine games and had 98 yards in another. A workhorse, he also had 229 yards and 4touchdowns against Civic Memorial and 223 yards and 3 TDs against Carbondale.

David Randecker, sr., Woodstock North

The Thunder rolled with Randecker (6-1, 195) in the backfield. The leader in the backfield, he helped them to an 8-3 record and earned 5A all-state honorable mention honors.

Rylan Reimolds, sr., Rushville-Industry                  

It’s only fitting that Rushville would have a 1,200-yard back. That’s what Reimolds was last year, as he ran for 1,202 yards on 141 carries (8.52 yards per attempt) with 15 touchdowns.  

Jackson Rudolph, sr., Wauconda

A 6A honorable mention selection, Rudolph (6-0, 230) – who also stars on the baseball diamond – carried the ball 179 times for 1,309 yards and 24 touchdowns in Wauconda’s run-heavy offense. He is a three-time all-conference selection.

Derez Sayles, sr., Waterloo

Sayles ran for at least 138 yards in five of the last seven games in 2024, including back-to-back games of 239 yards and 4 touchdowns against Chester and 219 yards and 3 TDs against Taylorville on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2, respectively. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound back rushed for 1,385 yards on 158 carries (8.7 average) with 23 rushing touchdowns and earned 4A all-state honorable mention honors.

Alec Schlichting, sr., Lena-Winslow

After helping his squad reach the 1A state finals, Schlichting (5-9, 150) earned all-state honorable mention honors after rushing for 1,972 yards and 27 touchdowns last season.

Jashawn Staples, jr., Mt. Vernon Township

Stepping into more of a leadership role as a sophomore, Staples was a staple in the Rams’ offense. Averaging 9.3 yards per carry, he rushed for 967 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games. He also averaged 120.9 yards per game and had a long of 83 yards while averaging 10.5 yards per catch on six receptions.

Aaron Stewart, sr., Gurnee Warren Township

It’s hard to imagine how he could top what he did as a junior. After rushing for 1,683 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore, Stewart (5-8, 175) made those numbers look pedestrian when he rushed 343 times for 2,465 yards 34 touchdowns last year. He averaged 205.4 yards per game, 7.2 yards per carry, had a long of 92 yards and rushed for at least 100 yards in 11 of 12 games. He was a slam-dunk 8A first team all-state selection.

Jeremiah Stonewall, jr., Chicago Heights Marian Catholic

Also recognized by Perfect Game for his prowess on the baseball diamond at shortstop, Stonewall (6-1, 185) is a three-star recruit on the gridiron, where his supreme athleticism shines. He should get a lot of touches this season, where he’ll try to prove Missouri, Michigan State, Nebraska, Ole Miss and Wisconsin right for the offers they’ve put before him.

Guiseppe Urso, sr., Vernon Hills

A workhorse, Urso (5-8, 175) toted the rock 202 times last year for 1,018 yards (5.04 per carry) and scored 11 touchdowns in nine games. He the two-time all-conference selection averaged 113.1 yards per game.

Roman Villalobos, sr., Rochelle

The Hubs went 10-2 and reached the 5A state quarterfinals last season. Villalobos – a running back and linebacker – was a big part of their success on offense, as he rushed for 1,119 yards and 14 touchdowns on 175 carries in 12 games and had at least 100 yards in five games.

Maxwell Warner, sr., Chicago Whitney Young

Warner recently announced he will be taking his talents to the SEC in 2026, where he intends to play for Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers – who found themselves inside the Top 25 for most of the 2024 season. At 5-foot-10, 185, Warner has the size, speed and vision that the Tigers want in their backs – and he’s shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Warner had 107 carries for 518 yards and scored eight touchdowns as a junior while also catching 10 passes for 184 yards.

Owen Yorke, sr., Wheaton-Warrenville South

A grinder, Yorke averaged 5.5 yards per carry (including a long of 70 yards) as a junior. He will be back to build on his 1,193 yards and 10 touchdowns on 217 carries.

Tyler Zdon, sr., Fox Lake Grant Community

Expect more big things from Zdon, who earned 6A all-state honorable mention honors as a junior after the 5-foot-9, 195-pound back rushed for 1,475 yards and 20 touchdowns on 183 carries.

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