High school sports hit the ground running on Monday, with practices officially underway.
Speaking of running, Escambia and Santa Rosa counties have some top running backs to keep an eye on entering the 2024 season. Trucking through defenses, or showing off some flashy moves to juke around them, is all these running backs know.
PNJ QBs to Watch: Quarterbacks to watch for in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties entering 2024 season
Here's a list of quarterbacks to watch from the Escambia and Santa Rosa County area for the 2024 season.
Pensacola-area running backs to watch for in 2024 season
Dorrion White
High school: Escambia
Class: Senior
During Week 1 of the 2023 season, Escambia head coach Mike Bennett told his running back, then-junior Dorrion White, to "just keep working." White scored three touchdowns that night on the ground, and he just didn't stop. White ran for 1,233 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, adding eight receptions for 120 yards and a touchdown. Bennett noted Escambia is bringing back an experienced offensive line, and should be able to create some good holes for White, bringing "more options" to the run game, White said during the spring.
C.J. Nettles
High school: Pensacola Catholic
Class: Senior
C.J. Nettles was part of a two-headed monster at running back last year, especially later in the season. Namely, when Pensacola Catholic played at Walton in the Region 1-2S quarterfinals, the Crusaders ran the ball 46 times out of the 48 offensive plays. Nettles ran for 852 yards on the year with 10 touchdowns in just nine games. Nettles, who recently committed to Furman University, is "ready to go now" after an ankle injury kept him out of a few games during the 2023 campaign.
Carson Secchiari
High school: Tate
Class: Senior
Carson Secchiari split time pretty evenly in the backfield last year with Andre Colston, who has since graduated from Tate. Secchiari rushed for 835 yards and eight touchdowns during the 2023 campaign, and now he looks to be the No. 1 running back for the Aggies, who are coming off a .500 record.
Val Johnson
High school: West Florida
Class: Senior
Only a part of a handful of games for West Florida during the 2023 season, Val Johnson will look to take an expanded role for the Jaguars during the 2024 campaign, filling the hole left by Marquez Jones (as well as John Nicholas, a quarterback who ran for 233 yards last season). In four games, Johnson ran for just 50 yards and a touchdown, adding a 7-yard reception for a touchdown.
Kyler Battle
High school: Booker T. Washington
Class: Senior
Kyler Battle was Booker T. Washington's leading rusher during the 2023 season, running for 222 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The Wildcats lost their top two wide receivers due to graduation, but outside of that, a lot of offensive production is returning to Booker T., and Battle is no exception. Booker T. head coach Ryan Onkka said he is relying on this year's senior class to lead the team off the field with expanded accountability. "It's always going to be sink or swim," Battle said of the upcoming season.
Makael Williams
High school: Pace
Class: Sophomore
It's a next-man-up mentality for the Patriots this coming season. After losing some key players to graduation – including Xakery Wiedner, who is now at Coastal Carolina – Makael Williams will also likely have an expanded role with Pace, known for being a run-heavy team, as a sophomore. Williams, in just six games, ran for 231 yards and six touchdowns in 2023.
Vaughn Howard
High school: Pensacola Catholic
Class: Sophomore
Another young-gun at the running back position, Vaughn Howard – also a star on the baseball field – had his name called plenty of times throughout the season. He ran for 368 yards on 69 carries, scoring six touchdowns in the process. Notably, he was part of that running onslaught against Walton during Pensacola Catholic's playoff run in the 2023 season.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Running backs to watch for in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties entering 2024 season
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