Mississippi's Top Returning High School Football Running Backs for 2026

With preseason practice set to begin, Mississippi returns one of the nation's deepest groups of running backs in high school football heading into the 2026 season.

Ty Keys emerged as one of the nation's most productive running backs as he finished in the top 25 in the country for rushing yards and touchdowns. With the performance he had last season, fans have begun to wonder if he could reach 4,000 yards in 2026.

Meanwhile, Xavier Dennis (Picayune), Desi Monix Jr (Lee Academy), Cade Rodgers (DeSoto Central) and Jordyn Kees (Brookhaven) all return for this season after they each rushed for at least 2,000 yards.

These five proven playmakers headline this year's group, but we have included 10 more players to go along with the aforementioned names to watch for this season. Selections were based on returning production, recruiting profile, postseason honors and projected impact entering the 2026 season.

Ty Keys, Poplarville

Keys is the next great running back that will join the Miami Hurricanes once his high school career is over, but he has one more season to prove he's the best back in Mississippi. As he enters his senior year, Keys is looking to build upon his junior season that saw him rush for 3,285 yards and 45 touchdowns. He had eight games where he rushed for over 200 yards and two games where he rushed for over 400 yards. His best performance from last season was when he rushed for 506 yards and eight touchdowns in the 60-54 win over Hancock.

Xavier Dennis, Picayune

Dennis enters the 2026 season after an exceptional junior season that saw him rush for 2,840 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. Dennis rushed for over 200 yards in seven games and over 300 yards in three games. The stat that jumps out the most is that Dennis averaged a first down every carry, and this showcases his explosiveness and vision.

Desi Monix Jr, Lee Academy

Monix returns as the leading rusher in the MAIS as he rushed for 2,168 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also finished with one receiving touchdown and two passing touchdowns last season.

Cade Rodgers, DeSoto Central

The Rice University commit rushed for over 2,100 yards with 16 touchdowns last season. He also caught 12 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.

Jordyn Kees, Brookhaven

Last season for Loyd Star, Kees rushed for 2,000 yards and 25 touchdowns on 257 carries. He averaged nearly eight yards per rush, and Kees rushed for at least 100 yards in eight games. Kees also adds an additional element to his game as he has shown he can take snaps for the quarterback position as he passed for 106 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Deavion Watson, Senatobia

In 12 games last season, Watson rushed for 1,785 yards and 24 touchdowns on 234 carries. He averaged 7.6 yards per rush and rushed for at least 100 yards in seven games.

Kylan Bobo, Tupelo

Last season, Bobo rushed for 1,726 yards and 28 touchdowns with 197 carries. He averaged 8.9 yards per carry and rushed for at least 100 yards in eight games. To go along with his rushing stats, he also caught seven passes for 106 yards and one touchdown.

Zaiden Jernigan, Louisville

The four-star running back who currently holds offers from Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Notre Dame and Alabama enters the 2026 season as the second-highest rated running back on On3 Sports. Last season, Jernigan rushed for 1,563 yards and 20 touchdowns with an average of 6.6 yards per carry. He also finished with 1,806 all-purpose yards with 24 touchdowns.

Knolyn Bailey, Lanier

Bailey returns as the leading rusher in his class from last season, and he hopes to duplicate that success as he aims to hit the 2,000-yard mark this season. In 2025, he rushed for 1,754 yards and 16 touchdowns on 205 carries. Bailey also averaged 8.6 yards per rush and rushed for at least 100 yards in nine games.

Brandon Haines, Hazlehurst

Last season, Haines rushed for 1,515 yards and 15 touchdowns on just 125 carries. With limited carries as opposed to running backs on this list, that means Haines rushed for a staggering 12.1 yards per carry. He also finished with over 1,700 all-purpose yards with 16 total touchdowns.

Jayden Poole, Bogue Chitto

Last season, Poole rushed for 1,598 yards and 29 touchdowns on 167 carries. He also proved to be a threat in the passing game as he caught 18 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns.

Yoshawn Hudson, Winona

The four-star running back and Mississippi State commit finished the 2025 season with 1,544 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on 162 carries. He also hauled in 17 receptions for 324 yards and one touchdown. Lastly, he has shown the ability to be dangerous in the return game with his vision and speed as he ended the year with 376 return yards and two touchdowns.

Tray Mosley, West Lauderdale

In 10 games last season, Mosley rushed for 1,505 yards and 13 touchdowns on 215 carries. He averaged seven yards per rush and rushed for over 100 yards in eight games.

Ayden Green, Stone

Green rushed for 1,374 yards and 14 touchdowns on 181 carries in 2025. He also averaged 7.6 yards per rush and rushed for over 100 yards in seven games. His best game of the season was a 273-yard and three touchdown performance in the 31-13 win over Hancock.

Ashton Gorden, Ridgeland

Gorden rounds out our preseason watch list as one of the top returning running backs for this season in Mississippi. In 2025, he rushed for 1,494 yards and 17 touchdowns on 146 carries which also comes out to 10.2 yards per rush. Gorden also hauled in six receptions out of the backfield for 246 yards and five touchdowns.

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