Georgia Power 100 running backs: State champion is also its highest-rated RB

In alphabetical order, here are the top running backs ahead of the Georgia high school football season.

Jerry “Andrew” Beard II, Prince Avenue Christian: Beard (5-10, 198) is a top-200 national senior recruit who rushed for 1,292 yards, caught 31 passes for 450 yards and scored 18 touchdowns last season for an 8-4 Class 2A private school team. He had a bigger sophomore campaign — with 1,937 rushing yards, 525 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. He was the AJC’s 3A-A Private offensive player of the year in 2024. Beard is Prince Avenue’s second-highest rated recruit in history behind former Georgia and Kentucky quarterback Brock Vandagriff. Beard, a 4.0 GPA student, committed to Florida in May.

Zachary Belyeu, North Cobb: Belyeu (5-11, 210) is a top-300 national recruit among juniors who rushed for 1,244 yards and 25 touchdowns on 155 carries last season for an 8-4 Class 6A team. He had 20 receptions for 251 yards and three touchdowns. Belyeu (pronounced “bell-yoo”) was the co-offensive player of the year in Region 5-6A. He is North Cobb’s third-highest rated recruit this century and No. 1 running back. Belyeu has more than 35 offers.

Marquis Fennell, Valdosta: Fennell (5-10, 185) was the AJC Class 6A offensive player of the year and Region 1-6A player of the year last season, when he rushed for 1,480 yards and 23 touchdowns, and caught 53 passes for 764 yards and 10 touchdowns for a 12-2 Class 7A team that made its deepest playoff run in the highest classification since 2003. Fennell had 1,291 yards from scrimmage the season before. Fennell, who holds a 4.0 GPA, is a 3-star prospect who committed to Stanford in June. He pronounces his name “mar-KEES fah-NELL.”

Quinterrius “Moonie” Gipson, Kell: Gipson (5-8, 205) is a two-time first-team AJC all-state player, a two-time Region 6-4A offensive player of the year and a 2025 AJC Cobb County offensive player of the year. He rushed for 1,918 yards and 24 touchdowns (8.0 yards per carry) and caught 11 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns last season for an 11-3 Class 4A team. His season ended with a knee injury early in the semifinals. Gipson is a three-year starter (for teams that are 27-10) with 4,343 rushing yards and 62 touchdowns in his career. A top-300 national recruit, Gipson is Kell’s third-highest rated prospect in history behind former Georgia Tech and NFL running back Jonathan Dwyer (now Gipson’s position coach at Kell) and ahead of current NFL safety Brian Randolph. Gipson (5-10, 205) committed to Georgia Tech in May.

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Kevin Hartsfield, Newton: Hartsfield (6-0, 210) is the nation’s No. 1 running back prospect among juniors. He rushed for 1,302 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games as a sophomore for an 8-4 Class 6A team. He rushed for 724 yards as a freshman. He’s a top-50 national recruit with more than 45 offers. He is Newton’s highest-rated prospect in history ahead of former Georgia and current Arizona State cornerback Nyland Green.

Jayden Johnson, Stephenson: Johnson (5-10, 205) rushed for 2,099 yards and 23 touchdowns on 213 carries for an 11-2 Class 3A team last season. He was the AJC’s DeKalb County offensive player of the year, the Region 5-3A offensive player of the year and an AJC first-team all-state. He rushed for 1,369 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore. A 3-star prospect, Johnson has more than 15 mid-major offers, including those from Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State and Mercer. His nickname is J2.

Daylan Maxwell, Jackson County: Maxwell (5-7, 175) rushed for 1,888 yards and 26 touchdowns on 241 carries and caught 16 passes for 350 yards last season for an 11-2 Class 5A team. Maxwell had 229 yards from scrimmage against Milton and 131 against Rome in the playoffs. He rushed for 1,090 yards as a sophomore. He is a two-time state runner-up in wrestling. Coach Korey Mobbs has described Maxwell as ‘’the heartbeat of our team” and “the toughest kid I have ever coached.” Maxwell’s size works against him as a prospect. He has offers from Shorter and Clark Atlanta.

Nigel Newkirk, Gainesville: Newkirk (5-11, 200) was Region 7-5A’s offensive player of the year and an AJC all-state last season, when he rushed for 1,496 yards and 19 touchdowns for a 13-2 Class 5A team. He suffered a torn ACL in the Red Elephants’ quarterfinal victory. Newkirk played at Ola as a sophomore and rushed for 690 yards in six games. Newkirk is a top-250 national prospect and Gainesville’s highest-rated RB prospect this century. Newkirk in May committed to Alabama, where he will join former Gainesville teammates Xavier Griffin and Jamarion Matthews.

Brayden Tyson, Brookwood: Tyson (6-1, 230) has 4,057 yards rushing and 645 yards receiving and 51 touchdowns in his career. After a 2,123-yard rushing season as a sophomore, he rushed for 1,292 as a junior for a 9-3 Class 6A team. He was an AJC all-state both seasons, first team in 2024. He was the Gwinnett Touchdown Club’s running back of the year both seasons. Tyson is a son of former Georgia and NFL defensive lineman DeAngelo Tyson. A top-400 national prospect, he is Brookwood’s top-rated RB prospect this century. Tyson committed to South Carolina in May.

Gary Walker, Creekside: Walker (6-0, 200) is the highest-rated senior running back prospect in Georgia and Creekside’s second-highest rated prospect in history behind former NFL star Eric Berry from 20 years ago. Walker rushed for 1,669 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for the Class 4A champions and the highest-scoring team in state history. Walker made AJC all-state and AJC first-team all-Southside. Walker committed to Clemson in May.