The Coachella Valley has produced some of the top running backs in the CIF Southern Section over the last two decades.
La Quinta High School’s Chris Toribio ran for a state-leading 3,010 yards in 2014; Shadow Hills’ James Toland IV ran for 2,649 in 2012 and, more recently, Palm Desert’s Simon Gaete ran for 2,429 in 2019 and Coachella Valley’s Aaron Ramirez ran for 2,528 in 2023.
Last year, Coachella Valley’s Ivan Camargo ran for 2,270 yards and 28 touchdowns. But looking ahead to the 2026 season, Camargo isn’t returning and the crop of returning running backs in the valley is still relatively unknown.
Still, there are a few players in the preseason who we’ve begun to keep an eye on, who we believe can have the kind of season that turns a lot of heads.
Here are our five top returning running backs.
Colton LaCrone, La Quinta
One of the first names that comes to mind on that list is La Quinta senior Colton LaCrone. A two-way starter and all-league and All-CIF performer last season, LaCrone will be the featured running back at a school known for producing some of the valley’s best.
LaCrone, who stands about 5-foot-10 and weighs around 190 pounds, is a muscular, bruising ballcarrier who ran for 147 yards against Xavier Prep, 104 against Shadow Hills and 178 against Rancho Mirage last season. Expect him to be a leader for the Blackhawks on both sides of the ball.
Ian Jarrett, Yucca Valley
If you’re looking for more speed at the position, look no further than Ian Jarrett at Yucca Valley. He won the 100 meters with a time of 10.8 seconds in the Desert Empire League track finals this spring and he also took first in the 200 meters (22.25). He then ran a 4.4-second 40-yard-dash this summer.
Based on his speed and size (5-foot-6, 145 pounds) and big-play ability, Jarrett reminds us of Toribio, the former La Quinta star. But one big difference is that Jarrett will be moved all over the field, like a piece on a chess board, and will play some receiver, too. He won’t be a traditional running back who gets the ball 20 times a game out of the backfield.
Kaylaun Smith, Palm Springs
One player who we’re expecting to have a breakout season is Palm Springs sophomore Kaylaun “Tank” Smith. He started last year, as a freshman, and started at both linebacker and running back against Xavier Prep and Shadow Hills. He ran for 118 yards against the Knights.
Smith stands about 5-foot-9 and weighs around 190 pounds. What stands out most is his maturity, poise and leadership abilities for someone still early in his high school career. The expectations for his individual production should be high.
Those are the three top returning running backs in the valley, in our opinion. But there are a couple others who we think will have big seasons in 2026.
Aaron Ruiz, Coachella Valley
Aaron Ruiz, is a senior at Coachella Valley and he has huge shoes to fill with Camargo graduating, but he’s looked like a worthy replacement during the offseason.
At 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, Ruiz has high-end speed, agility and acceleration, and will play in an offense that should feature him prominently. Arabs head coach Bill Johnson has not been shy about giving his running backs the ball frequently and allowing his offense to run through them.
“He’s changing the game for us right now,” Johnson said of Ruiz during pre-season camp.
Anderson Acosta, Palm Desert
Another player we’re expecting big things from is Palm Desert’s Anderson Acosta, who transferred from Xavier Prep. Acosta, who stands 5-foot-10 and weighs close to 200 pounds, is sharing time in the backfield with Drew Pham and Aztecs head coach Rudy Forti said that both are “really good.”
But based on what we know about Acosta, a junior who worked through multiple injuries the last two years while starting for the Saints, we think that he has tremendous upside. He’s a physical runner who good athleticism, and in an offense where he’ll be surrounded by talent he has a chance to really shine without initially being the focus of an opposing team’s scouting report.
It’s anyone’s guess who’ll actually be the valley’s best running backs this season. But those are some of the early candidates to be the valley’s next great ballcarrier.
You voted and you chose …
Last week we asked who the top returning wide receiver was going to be for the 2026 football season. You voted and you chose Palm Desert star Trey Boulton who is coming off a stellar 2025 season and is ready to make an even bigger impact with the Aztecs.
This week’s poll
You tell us which of these five ball carriers will be the best running back in 2026. Whoever has the most votes in the poll attached to this article at desertsun.com by noon on Saturday will be the weekly winner.
Andrew John covers sports for The Desert Sun. Email him at andrew.john@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Your vote – Who are the desert’s top returning running backs in 2026?
Reporting by Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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By Andrew John, Palm Springs Desert Sun | USA TODAY Network
