School may not be in session during the summer months, but high school football teams are as busy as ever.
Palm Beach County programs are hitting the gymnasium and the field, preparing for the approaching 2026-2027 season. With spring games in the review mirror, rosters are taking shape and teams are working on final approaches for the year ahead.
The Palm Beach Post is taking a concentrated look at major positional groups across the local high school football landscape ― tracking the best players in every role while allowing our audience to have their say in who they believe is the best.
Next up: running backs.
Here is our first look at the top 10 running backs to know in Palm Beach County for the 20206-2027 season.
Zhaire Davis, Sr., Glades Central
Zhaire Davie was Clewiston’s most dynamic player last year, contributing 7788 yards and 10 touchdowns on the year, averaging 7.2 yards per rush with four separate 100-plus yard games on the year.
He will join a Glades Central team looking to replace the production of Ar’Maud Stinfort, and Davis might just be the play-maker to do it for the Raiders offense.
Elisha Gamble, Sr., Park Vista
Park Vista football didn’t have the year it envisioned last season, bit that wasn’t due to any lack of productivity from Elisha Gamble. Quite the opposite, in fact, as the then-junior carried the ball 111 times for 742 yards and seven scores.
Gamble did everything for the Cobras, even taking time under center to help galvanize the offense, and he’s poised to once again be the focal point for that side of the ball in the 2026-2027 season.
Kelsey Gerald, Sr., Santaluces
Kelsey Gerald has attracted a lot of attention from Division I programs in the last two years, leading to a Kentucky commitment. Last year, he contribute over 120 yards per game with 1,267 yards and 10 touchdowns on 158 carries. He added 222 yards receiving and another score on 21 receptions as well.
Gerald is poised to lead a Chiefs offense that now sports Max Griner at quarterback. That combinations could result in the most balanced Santaluces offense in recent years.
Jayden Lockhart, Sr., Spanish River
Jayden Lockhart did a switcheroo with Jacorrion McCrary, with both Spanish River and West Boca Raton switching backfield threats ahead of the coming year. While McCrary carried the rock to the tune of nearly 1,000 yards last year, the Sharks will certainly be glad to add Lockhart.
The senior is a player that is expected to slot very quickly into a productive role. Although he fell down the pecking order a bit last year with the Bulls (41 carries for 205 yards, three touchdowns), the running back was instrumental in West Boca’s first state championship during his sophomore year, earning Palm Beach Post first-team honors.
Jacorrion McCrary, Sr., West Boca Raton
Jacorrion McCrary returns home to West Boca Raton after a very strong year with Spanish River. As a junior, McCrary nearly cracked the 1,000 yard mark and heped lead the Sharks on a regional run that featured the program’s first district title in multiple decades and the program’s first regional victory.
He’ll now rejoin a talented group of running backs with the Bulls, who will likely replace Javian Mallory (Miami) with a tandem approach.
D’Angelo Murph, Sr., Dr. Joaquín García
D’Angelo Murph played amid a bit of a three-way backfield for Dr. Joaquín García last season, though one of those was Caleb Buter under center. With Butler and Jeremiah Davison having graduated, the door has swung wide open for Murph to take the reins of the Bulldogs backfield.
The then-junior pounded the rock 68 times for 321 yards and three touchdowns, helping the Bulldogs to the FIT championship in the inaugural year for the tournament.
Demetrice Rolle, Sr., Royal Palm Beach
Demetrice Rolle was part of a two-man team for Royal Palm Beach’s backfield this past year, teaming up with Tyree Pearson for a dangerous combination.
While Rolle played second fiddle in the Wildcats’ rushing attack last season, this year’s backfield should belong to the senior after he contributed 867 yards and two scores on 59 carries. An electric part of the Wildcats’ special teams unit, Rolle has showcased some serious versatility that should help the program maintain stability despite a change at quarterback.
Carter Smith, Jr., Seminole Ridge
It’s no secret; Seminole Ridge loves to run the ball. Carter Smith spent his sophomore year taking on a big chunk of the Hawks’ carries, contributing 61 carries for 331 yards and two scores.
The team graduated Liam Ishizaki and Steven Sistrunk, and with the transfer of Rasheed Lamar to West Boca Raton, one can expect that Smith will carry the rock quite often in his upcoming junior season. Despite the loss of a few lineman to transfer as well, Smith’s outlook looks promising.
Omari St. Fort, Sr., Atlantic
Omari St. Fort is seemingly one of the few key offensive pieces set to return for his senior year playing at Atlantic.
Between transfers of Pedro Martinez and Justin Barrera and a host of graduations that will likely turn the receiving room upside down, St. Fort’s skillset offers stability to an offense that has looked solid in 7 on 7 tournaments so far this summer.
He contributed 734 yards and eight scores on 98 carries, adding 17 catches through the air last season.
Janarro Sumpter, Sr., Cardinal Newman
Janarro Sumpter made plays on both sides of the ball last season for Cardinal Newman, heating up as the playoff run led to the first state championship in program history.
The hybrid player will likely be asked to do even more this season given the graduation of both Jyron Hughey and Phoneix Donghia, and yet, even when Donghia was carrying the rock to the tune of 101 yards per game, Sumpter still managed to produce 439 yards rushing with five scores on 6.9 yards per carry.
Honorable Mentions: Roman Driggers Sr., King’s Academy; Clyde Ward, Sr., Palm Beach Lakes; Zachary Schwartz, Sr., American Heritage-Delray
Alex Peterman is a high school sports reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at apeterman@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Meet 10 Palm Beach County running backs to watch in 2026
Reporting by Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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By Alexander Peterman, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
