Vote: Who Is the Best Returning Massachusetts High School Running Back in 2026?

Massachusetts high school football returns in 2026 with an impressive collection of wide receivers leading teams across the Bay State and New England prep ranks.

High School On SI has selected 10 of the state's top returning pass catchers. Read about each nominee below, then cast your vote for the best wide receiver in Massachusetts entering the 2026 season.

Voting concludes Sept. 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Christian Simmons, Catholic Memorial

The three-star running back had an impressive sophomore campaign for Catholic Memorial. Last season he had 56 total carries for 574 yards and 18 touchdowns. The 5-foot-10 170 pound running back currently holds three offers

Nate Ellis, Williston Northampton

Ellis is committed to UMass Amherst as a class of 2027 running back. In eight games, Ellis had 115 carries for 888 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns, for 7.7 yards per carry. Ellis has battled multiple surgeries along with a torn ACL, but remains one of the best in the state.

Isaiah Rogers, Springfield Central

The four-star running back is a force of nature out of the backfield for Central. According to 247Sports, Rogers finished his junior season with 126 carries for 986 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with 37 catches for 401 yards. Rogers is committed to Notre Dame.

Owen DeSalvo, Buckingham Browne & Nichols

DeSalvo is a rising junior who has been selected by his teammates and coaches as a captain. He currently holds 13 Division 1 offers.

Bradyn Belanger, Auburn

The 5-foot-10 210 pound running back holds exceptional strength and speed out of the backfield. In just eight games in his junior season, Belanger had170 carries for 1,631 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns.

Liam Deso, St. Johns Shrewsbury

Deso is one of the best rising juniors at the running back position in the state. Last season, he had 134 carries with 1,065 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns for Shrewsbury.

Lucas Fickeisen, Tabor Academy

Last season for Tabor, Fickeisen broke out as a sophomore for an elite team. He had 928 yards and 11 touchdowns as an All-Conference running back.

Jalen Morris, Rivers

Morris is an elite athlete out of the backfield, and great both at taking a handoff and at making catches. In his junior year, the Marist Football commit had 17 total touchdowns and 1,219 total yards on seven yards per carry.

Christian Flores, Buckingham Browne & Nichols

Despite Flores suffering an injury that limited him to just six games, he still proved to be an elite back. In those six games, Flores rushed for 602 yards and five touchdowns, while tacking on 49 receiving yards.

Xavier Baker, Bishop Feehan

Last season for Feehan, Baker rushed for 781 yards on 136 carries while scoring nine rushing touchdowns. At 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, Baker is an extremely elusive athlete out of the backfield.

Nick O'Brien, North Attleboro

O'Brien was one of the most dominant athletes on the football field last season in Massachusetts. He had 147 carries for 1,166 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns. On top of that, he had 56 receptions for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Steven Joseph Jr, Dexter Southfield

Last season for Dexter Southfield, Joseph totaled 800+ rushing yards and six touchdowns. The 5-foot-11 220 pound 2028 running back is due for a big season for a great Dexter team.

Jordan Toribio, Milton Academy

Toribio is transferring from St. John's Prep to Milton Academy to finish out his high school career. On 158 carries for St. John's, he had over 1,400 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. He will be a great threat on offense for Milton.

Jayden Mcguffie, Malden

As a sophomore last season, Mcguffie showed veteran like skills. For Malde, he had 2,006 rushing yards on 209 carries, all for 27 touchdowns. The 5-foot-10 running back currently has one Division 1 offer.

Dillon Dulong, Lawrence Academy

As just a sophomore, Dulong had 1,101 rushing yards for Lawrence Academy. He had nine touchdowns and averaged 8.4 yards per carry.

Maxwell Parent, St. Johns Prep

Parent was the starting running back for the D1 runner-ups last year. He had 1,403 rushing yards on 173 attempts and21 touchdowns. He was a First-Team All-State running back as well.

About Our Athlete of the Week Voting: High School on SI voting polls are meant to be a fun, lighthearted way for fans to show support for their favorite athletes and teams. Our goal is to celebrate all of the players featured, regardless of the vote totals. Sometimes one athlete will receive a very large number of votes — even thousands — and that’s okay! The polls are open to everyone and are simply a way to build excitement and community around high school sports. Unless we specifically announce otherwise, there are no prizes or official awards for winning. The real purpose is to highlight the great performances of every athlete included in the poll.

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