Vote: Arkansas High School Running Back of the Year (12/17/2024)

We have chosen eight nominees for the Arkansas running back of the year

The Fordyce Redbugs are the top-ranked team in the Arkansas High School on SI Class 3A computer rankings. / Jimmy Jones

After another exciting season of football here in the state of Arkansas, it is time to see who were the best running backs this season. These phenomenal players led their teams to great seasons, and many will look to continue their career at the collegiate ranks. With that being said, we have nominated eight running backs to be voted to be the Arkansas 2024 Running Back of the Year. We ask you, the fans, to vote on who you think had the best season from the running back position.

Voting will end on December 31st, 2024.

SBLive voting polls are intended to be a fun way to create fan engagement and express support for your favorite high school athletes and teams. Unless expressly noted, there are no awards for winning the voting. Our primary focus is to highlight the abilities and accomplishments of all the athletes and teams included in our poll. You can vote as often as you wish and are encouraged to share our polls with others. - SBLive Sports

Here are the nominations:

Ben Woodfield, Mount Ida

The state of Arkansas featured some great high school running backs this season, and Woodfield is the first nominee for the best running back of the year. He rushed for 2,486 yards and 36 touchdowns this season on 271 attempts. That comes out to 9.6 yards per rush, and he had 11 games where he rushed for at least 100 yards. On top of that, he had at least five games where he rushed for 200 yards, and his season high was 418 rushing yards.

Grady Ohman, Lakeside

The senior rushed for 2,444 yards and 30 touchdowns on 295 carries this season. He averaged 8.3 yards per carry, and he rushed for at least 100 yards in every game this season. In six games, he averaged at least 10 yards per rush which shows how difficult he was to bring down. He also caught 10 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown on the year.

Owen McLaughlin, Southside

After a stellar junior season, McLaughlin will be one of the top running backs in the state to watch for next season. He rushed for 2,129 and 27 touchdowns on 278 carries this season. He averaged 7.7 yards per rush, and he rushed for at least 100 yards in 11 games. Lastly, he caught eight passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns.

Ni'kel Lewis, Hamburg

Lewis is also another running back that fans need to watch for when he enters his senior season next year. The junior rushed for 1,944 yards and 25 touchdowns on 269 carries. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry, and he rushed for over 100 yards in 10 games.

Enoch Assan, Greenbrier

The junior got the season going extremely well when he rushed for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the first game of the season. He rode that momentum throughout the rest of the season. He rushed for 1,927 yards and 22 touchdowns on 233 carries this season. He averaged 8.3 yards per rush, and he rushed for over 100 yards in nine games.

Griffin Mason, Shiloh Christian

The junior rushed for 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns on 281 carries. He averaged exactly six yards, and he rushed for over 100 yards in eight games this season. He also proved to be reliable as a receiver out of the backfield. He caught 29 passes for 359 yards and four touchdowns this season.

Hayden Barton, Lake Hamilton

The senior finished his high school career with an excellent season. He rushed for 1,602 yards and 25 touchdowns on 225 rushing attempts this season. He averaged 7.1 yards per rush, and he rushed for over 100 yards in eight games. He also recorded 10 receptions for 110 yards and one touchdown this season.

Zay Stephens, Sheridan

The sophomore exploded on the high school football scene in Arkansas this season by rushing for 1,526 yards and 21 touchdowns on 197 attempts. He averaged 7.7 yards per rush, and he rushed for over 100 yards in nine games.

---

Follow High School On SI throughout the 2024 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.