The spring sports season officially began with softball this week and will quickly kick into full gear when other sports begin play in the coming days.

But it’s never too early to start thinking about the football season. After Friday Night Drive began looking towards 2026 by highlighting some notable quarterbacks that are returning to Illinois prep gridirons next fall, this week is all about the running backs.

Editor’s note: The year in school is as of the fall of 2026.

Tivias Caldwell, St. Francis, sr.: A potent passing attack garnered the most attention on the Spartans’ way to the Class 5A state championship last fall, but Caldwell did more than his share too. He needed just 136 carries to run for 918 yards and nine touchdowns.

Hunter Carley, Richmond-Burton, sr.: The most recent in a long line of bruising backs to come from Richmond-Burton, Carley averaged more than a first down a carry during a junior campaign in which he ran for 1,846 yards and 33 touchdowns on 179 carries. Helping the Rockets to the Class 3A semifinals, where he grabbed all five of his catches for 73 yards and a touchdown, Carley will look to lead his team to a repeat Kishwaukee River Conference title and another first-team All-State nod.

Ky’ren Edmon, Bradley-Bourbonnais, jr.: The Edmon surname has become an All-State fixture lately, as Edmon’s brother, Lyzale, was a first-team selection each of the last two years. As he graduates this spring, baby brother will look to keep the family tradition alive as he’ll begin his third varsity season with scholarship offers that include Wisconsin and Ole Miss. In his two underclass seasons, Edmon’s already amassed 1,272 yards and 21 touchdowns on 212 carries.

Chase Hojnacki, Huntley, jr.: One of the youngest players on the Red Raiders last fall, Hojnacki was also one of the biggest reasons why they made their fourth straight playoff appearance. The All-Fox Valley talent ran for 1,079 yards and 21 touchdowns, adding another 156 yards and two touchdowns on 17 receptions for a standout sophomore season.

Brandon Johnson Jr., St. Rita, sr.: The Mustangs made it to last year’s Class 7A State championship game, and Johnson Jr. was a huge reason why. The All-CCL/ESCC back displayed a prominent nose for the end zone, scoring 20 touchdowns and tallying 1,130 yards on 189 carries.

Myson Johnson-Cook, East St. Louis, sr.: More than 40 Power 4 schools have offered Johnson-Cook, a consensus four-star recruit near the top of the state’s recruiting list by virtually every scouting service. He helped the Flyers to a runner-up finish in Class 6A after registering 1,341 yards and 20 touchdowns on 126 carries, good enough for first-team All-State honors.

TJ Lewis, Bolingbrook, sr.: Another upcoming senior whose recruiting list is a who’s who of top college programs, Lewis put up video game numbers during his junior campaign. A first-team All-State pick in Class 8A, Lewis dazzled with 1,784 yards and 21 touchdowns on 227 totes for the Raiders on their way to a state quarterfinal appearance.

Broden Mackert, Providence, sr.: The Celtics made a Class 5A championship game appearance thanks in large part to a stable of talented running backs, with Mackert emerging as one of the state’s best. The CCL/ESCC Orange Offensive Player of the Year and All-State honorable mention scored 23 touchdowns and ran for 1,756 yards on 226 carries.

Lamar Osterhues, Barrington, jr.: He still has two high school seasons, but major college attention has begun to come Osterhues’ way, and for good reason. Osterhues scored 20 times and racked up 1,153 yards on 168 carries, helping the Broncos to the Class 8A quarterfinals and an unbeaten run in the Mid-Suburban West.

Jake Thies, Fenwick, sr.: Thies has garnered three-star status and 10 Power 4 offers primarily for his prowess as a defensive back, but the Class 6A State champion is equally as effective when operating out of the backfield. The All-CCL/ESCC standout turned 143 carries into 1,192 yards and 14 touchdowns, caught 30 passes for 360 yards and three scores and added 59 tackles, six of them for loss, five forced fumbles, four interceptions, three sacks and another defensive score. He’s the younger brother of All-Stater and Miami (Ohio) commit Tommy Thies.