It’s time to vote for the Detroit Free Press Buffalo Wild Wings Best Running Back for 2026.
Last week, Free Press readers voted for the best quarterback heading into the upcoming season based on high school sports reporter Jared Ramsey’s preseason coverage. This week’s poll focuses on Ramsey’s rankings of the state’s top running backs.
Voting will close at 3 p.m. on Thursday, July 30.
Here are the nominees:
Jeremiah Coleman, Grand Blanc
The rising senior helped power one of the state’s top offenses last season. Coleman, who can star at running back, receiver and returner, had 1,181 all-purpose yards (840 rushing and 341 receiving) and 19 total touchdowns.
Lundon Hampton, Grand Rapids Kenowa Hills
After winning a Division 7 title with Jackson Lumen Christian as a freshman, Hampton helped Kenowa Hills reach the playoffs the next two seasons, with the program recording its best mark since 2010 (8-2) last season. He rushed for 1,266 yards and 22 touchdowns and added 558 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.
Deondre Hill, Birmingham Brother Rice
Hill broke out as a sophomore last season, using his speed and physicality to make life difficult for opposing defenses. He finished the 2025 season with 181 carries, 906 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
Bryce Kish, Howell
Kish will play his final high school season at running back before moving to linebacker at Clemson. He finished the 2025 campaign with 978 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on 160 carries, along with 121 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Kish also had 121 tackles as a linebacker.
TyAnthony Lewis, Davison
Lewis enters the 2026 season as Davison’s starting running back. He can impact Davison’s offense as both a runner and receiver. His speed makes him difficult for defenses to contain.
Dominic Nauss, Brighton
Nauss had a hot start last season as Brighton’s No. 1 weapon in the backfield. In the first six games, he rushed for over 1,100 yards and finished the season with 1,489 yards and 18 touchdowns on 215 carries.
Camden Noe, Portage Central
Noe’s play at running back and fullback has garnered him attention at the national level, with 13 FBS-level offers (including Michigan, Michigan State and Notre Dame). As a sophomore, he rushed for 1,803 yards and 21 touchdowns on 211 carries along with 24 catches for 253 yards and four touchdowns.
Cam Payne, Byron Center
The rising senior for Byron Center will look to pick up where he left off last season. Payne rushed for 937 yards and 15 touchdowns on 161 carries along with 16 catches for 367 yards and five touchdowns.
Julian Taylor, Detroit Cass Tech
Taylor continues to emerge as one of Cass Tech’s top offensive weapons. As a sophomore last season, he helped lead the Technicians back to the Division 1 state final, averaging 11 yards per carry and scoring 21 touchdowns. His physical running style helps him gain extra yards after contact and break tackles.
Jeremiah Whitley, Birmingham Groves
Whitley became the lead running back last season after Groves graduated two seniors who shared the role in 2024. The rising senior had 1,538 all-purpose yards and 17 total touchdowns.
Editor’s Note: We reserve the right to disqualify a candidate or declare a vote “no contest” if tampering such as bots or offering to pay for voting is evident. Please respect the integrity of the vote the way these athletes respect the integrity of the game.
TO YOUR INBOX: Sign up for our weekly Michigan Preps newsletter to get high school sports and news sent directly to you!
Eric Guzmán covers youth sports culture at the Free Press as a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. Make a tax-deductible contribution to support this work.
Contact Eric Guzmán: eguzman@freepress.com; 313-222-1850.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Vote: Freep Buffalo Wild Wings Best Running Back for 2026
Reporting by Eric Guzmán, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Eric Guzmán, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
