LEGACY RUNNING BACKS

Leaving A Mark

Leaving behind a legacy means more than just people remembering your name. For these RBs, it has meant/does mean that the kids sitting in the stands want to be like them, and while the numbers and stats are important, they aren’t everything. When we may not be able to recall their statistical prowess, we’ll still remember the fact that they got it done on the field under the Fright Night Lights.

CRITERIA

Years of Eligibility – C/O 2010-Present
Schools of Eligibility – Blitz territory only: Banks, Commerce, Dawson, Habersham, Jefferson, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, White
Statistical Threshold – MUST include a minimum of 2,750 total yards (rushing/receiving) and/or 30 total TD, AND at least 2 years as the starting RB.
Ranked – by total TD (tie-breaker rushing yds) NOTE: this is not a ranking of best/most talented RB to least on the list. Ranked only by TDs

#1 · Colby Wood

Jefferson c/o 2018
89 TD

RUSHING: 5,785 yds, 79 TD
RECEIVING: 852 yds, 10 TD
TOTAL: 6,637 yds, 89 TD

Wood nearly entered the elite territory of 6,000 career rushing yards. He had 5,785 and 79 TD, and added 852 receiving for 10 more TD. That’s a total of 6,637 yards and 89 TD. At the time of his graduation, he was 15th in state history in rushing TD with 79. He had 2,119 rushing yards as a sophomore in 2015 with 32 TD. He had 1,642 and 20 as a junior and 1,539 and 19 as a senior.

#2 · Chaz Thornton

Stephens County c/o 2013
72 TD

RUSHING: 6,309 yds, 68 TD
RECEIVING: 278 yds, 4 TD
TOTAL: 6,527 yds, 72 TD

The senior season for Thornton was incredible – 1,756 rushing yards and 24 TD. He finished with 6,309 rushing yards, surpassing the likes of Herschel Walker to be the 6th leading rusher in state history at the time of his graduation. This dude was a HOSS for 4 full seasons at Stephens County….we liked to call him the Chazmanian Devil!

#3 · Charlie Woerner

Rabun County c/o 2016
66 TD

RUSHING: 2,358 yds, 36 TD
RECEIVING: 2,703 yds, 30 TD
TOTAL: 5,061 yds, 66 TD

Woerner, who went on to a solid career as a TE at UGA and eventually to the NFL (49ers), is the most unique on this list as he also is a Legendary WR/TE. He was a hybrid who had nearly identical stats as a runner (2,358-36) as a pass-catcher (2,703-30). He had 1,187 rushing yards and 11 TD along with 690 receiving yards and 6 TD in his junior campaign. He topped 1,000 total yards in 3 straight seasons at Rabun. Oh, by the way, Charlie also had 428 career tackles and 12 INT. Unbelievable talent.

#4 · Sammy Brown

Jefferson c/o 2024
53 TD (56 total TD)

RUSHING: 3,580 yds, 46 TD
RECEIVING: 439 yds, 7 TD
TOTAL: 4,019 yds, 53 TD

Sammy Brown busted onto the scene as a freshman at Commerce, racking up 1,368 yards and 14 TD on the ground, adding 181 and 4 in the receiving game. He transferred over to Jefferson, and immediately showed why he was ranked a 5-star recruit and the nation’s #1 linebacker for the Class of 2024. Even though his prowess is moreso on the defensive side, his speed and athleticism show why he’s a Legendary RB. In 2021, he posted 753 rushing yards and 11 TD while limited with injuries, playing only seven games. Oh, and technically he has 3 additional TDs, a pair of KO returns and blocked kick for a TD. During his junior year, Brown had a 6-TD game against #3 undefeated Loganville in which he had 282 rushing yards and 5 TD and 55 receiving and another TD. That season saw him rush for a career-high 1,459 yards and 21 TD, and also a career-high of 246 receiving yards and 3 TD.

#5 · Zach Matthews

Lumpkin County c/o 2017
50 TD

RUSHING: 3,804 yds, 47 TD
RECEIVING: 217 yds, 3 TD
TOTAL: 4,021 yds, 50 TD

Matthews was a beast. He tallied 3,804 total rushing yards, including 1,131 as a junior and 1,352 as a senior. He had 14 TDs in both of those seasons, and had around 200 career tackles from the LB position as well.

#6 · Lang Windham

Rabun County c/o 2023
49 TD

RUSHING: 3,108 yds, 35 TD
RECEIVING: 1,323 yds, 14 TD
TOTAL: 4,431 yds, 49 TD

Lang Windham is a speedy back who gets it done in the ground game and in the passing game. After a 1,378-yard sophomore season with 17 total TDs, he was set for a bigger junior year. In 2021, he had over 1,400 total yards, going for 812 on the ground (13 TD) and 664 yards receiving (9 TD). He closed his career with 4,431 total yards and 49 total TD. That includes 3,108 rushing yards and 35 TD. His senior season had a final tally of 918 rushing yards, 10 TD, and 162 receiving yards.

#7 · Cole Chancey

Commerce c/o 2017
46 TD

RUSHING: 3,644 yds, 44 TD
RECEIVING: 271 yds, 2 TD
TOTAL: 3,915 yds, 46 TD

Chancey led the Tigers with 3,644 rushing yards and 44 TD, and added another 2 TD in the receiving game. He was dynamic, and didn’t take a play off (tallied over 100 career tackles as well).

#8 · Ashely Lowery

White County c/o 2011
43 TD

RUSHING: 3,815 yds, 40 TD
RECEIVING: 608 yds, 3 TD
TOTAL: 4,423 yds, 43 TD

One of the top RBs we’ve seen is Ashely Lowery, who wound up playing for the Wildcats at the University of Kentucky. He had a giant senior season of 1,340 rushing yards and 15 TD to go with 258 receiving and a TD. He also had 112 tackles in that season along with 2 INT. His junior season was pretty impressive as well, with 1,175 rushing yards and 12 TD. He compiled over 200 career tackles, and had 4,423 total yards and 43 TD.

#9 · Trevae Cain

Banks County c/o 2016
41 TD

RUSHING: 3,015 yds, 38 TD
RECEIVING: 393 yds, 3 TD
TOTAL: 3,408 yds, 41 TD

Cain was electric with the ball in his hands. He tallied 3,015 rushing yards and 38 scores, along with 393 receiving yards and 3 TDs to give him a grand total of 3,408 and 41. His 2015 senior year was his best by far – 1,339 rushing yards and 18 TD, and 143 receiving for 2 TD. Cain also had over 50 tackles on defense.

#10 · Kyle Oakes

Towns County c/o 2022
41 TD

RUSHING: 2,815 yds, 38 TD
RECEIVING: 282 yds, 3 TD
TOTAL: 3,097 yds, 41 TD

Kyle Oakes was a beast in his final two years at Towns County. Multiple times in both seasons he was the state’s rushing leader in Class 1A Public. He finished with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, and took the Indians to new heights they hadn’t seen in decades. He finished his career with a 1,648-yd rushing season with 21 rushing scores in 2021, adding 147 in the receiving game with a pair of TDs. That gave him over 3K total yards and over 40 TD in his career!

#11 · Sevaughn Clark

Dawson County c/o 2019
40 TD

RUSHING: 2,663 yds, 31 TD
RECEIVING: 177 yds, 0 TD
PASSING: 965 yds, 9 TD
TOTAL: 3,805 yds, 40 TD

Clark is unique on this list, as he forewent his senior season as the featured RB to step in as a dual threat QB. That gave him an additional 965 yards and 9 TD, but even without that, he had over 2,700 yards rushing and receiving with 31 scores. His junior season in 2017 was one of the best we’ve seen – 1,806 rushing yards and 16 TD, and another 157 in receiving yards.

#12 · Michael Babers

Habersham Central c/o 2017
38 TD

RUSHING: 2,852 yds, 34 TD
RECEIVING: 163 yds, 4 TD
TOTAL: 3,015 yds, 38 TD

Babers could have done so much more, but was injured much of his senior season. That held him to only 641 yards and 8 TD that season (not shabby for such little time on the field), but his junior season was crazy good (1,264 rush yds, 16 TD; 163 rec yds, 4 TD). He finished with 2,852 yards and 34 TD on the ground, and 3,015 total yards and 38 scores!

#13 · Kaleb Crane

White County c/o 2018
35 TD

RUSHING: 2,011 yds, 30 TD
RECEIVING: 254 yds, 5 TD
TOTAL: 2,265 yds, 35 TD

Crane didn’t get a chance to really be the featured back for very long. He did most of his damage in his senior season – 1,616 rushing yards for 23 TDs and 185 receiving for another 2 TD. He was a bowling ball that season, but finishing his career with over 2,200 yards and 35 TD. He also tallied over 100 tackles on defense.

#14 · Brison Beck

Rabun County c/o 2019
33 TD

RUSHING: 2,128 yds, 29 TD
RECEIVING: 325 yds, 4 TD
TOTAL: 2,453 yds, 33 TD

Brison Beck gets in with his monster senior season – 1,423 rushing yards and 21 TD; 186 receiving yards and 1 TD. He did nearly all his damage that season, but also had nearly 1,000 yards as a junior and 10 TD then as well. A solid career for Beck!

#15 · Jaiden Daniels

Commerce c/o 2025
32 TD (33 total TD)

RUSHING: 2,931 yds, 32 TD
RECEIVING: 68 yds, 0 TD
TOTAL: 2,999 yds, 32 TD

Jaiden Daniels busted onto the scene as a freshman with 1,425 rushing yards and 13 scores! He built on that with a monster sophomore season as well that saw him put up 1,484 rushing yards and 19 TD, both career-highs. He also threw a 70-yd TD that season.

#16 · Jonah Daniel

Union County c/o 2021
30 TD

RUSHING: 2,248 yds, 27 TD
RECEIVING: 425 yds, 3 TD
TOTAL: 2,673 yds, 30 TD

Daniel missed almost the entire senior season, but still gets in with 2,673 total yards and 30 TD (exactly the amount needed to make the list). He went OFF as a junior in 2019 for 1,570 rushing yards and 16 TD and another 237 in the receiving game for 2 TD.

#17 · Jackson Clouatre

Habersham Central c/o 2021
21 TD

RUSHING: 2,673 yds, 20 TD
RECEIVING: 267 yds, 1 TD
TOTAL: 2,940 yds, 21 TD

The TD total is misleading. Clouatre was a consistent, hard-working RB who outplayed his size. He finished with 2,940 total yards and 21 TD. He had back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons to close out his Habersham career.

Kevin Ellison

Habersham Central c/o 2012
98 TD

RUSHING: 5,100 yds, 83 TD
PASSING: 1,412 yds, 15 TD
TOTAL: 6,512 yds, 98 TD

Ok, so Ellison is one of just a couple of players that shows up on another Legacy list for us (Ellison is also a ‘Legacy QB’). As a RB-turned-QB, he is sort of separate on this list because a HUGE chunk of all his rushing numbers came from the QB position. He has 98 total TDs, but spent his first couple of seasons as an all-around athlete, some at RB, before transitioning to taking over the QB roll in a run-first, option-based offense. 5,100 career rushing yards and 83 TD. That’s insane! It’s was good for 10th all-time in state history when he graduated.

Up & Coming

These RBs are on the radar statistically and currently playing.

Mason Sullens – Lumpkin County c/o 2024 (1,569 total yds, 21 TD)
Javin Gordon – Stephens County c/o 2025 (1,610 total yds, 19 TD)
Ryan Fowler – White County c/o 2024 (1,118 total yds, 12 TD)
Braylen Rader – Union County c/o 2024 (967 total yds, 11 TD)
Tysean Wiggins – Commerce c/o 2025 (958 total yds, 10 TD)
Aaron Scott – Banks County c/o 2026 (931 total yds, 9 TD)
Connor Schuknecht – Union County c/o 2025 (901 total yds, 5 TD)
Jacari Huff – Commerce c/o 2025 (515 total yds, 7 TD)
Zay Minish – Jefferson c/o 2024 (353 total yds, 3 TD)
Caysen Duvall – White County c/o 2024 (248 total yds, 1 TD)
Hayes Gunn – Habersham Central c/o 2025 (143 total yds, 3 TD)
Gerald Walker, Jr – Lumpkin County c/o 2025 (109 total yds, 3 TD)

Notable Honorable Mentions (1,500 yds+ and/or 20 TD)

Cal Drummond – Rabun County c/o 2016 (2,406 total yds, 28 TD)
Bo Lynch – Union County c/o 2016 (2,322 total yds, 28 TD)
Clayton Dykhouse – Banks County c/o 2017 (2,640 total yds, 27 TD)
Terrence Walker – Banks County c/o 2019 (2,331 total yds, 27 TD)
Silas Mulligan – White County c/o 2022 (2,527 total yds, 25 TD)
Andrew Shockley – Banks County c/o 2023 (2,279 total yds, 24 TD)
Hudson Spurlock – Stephens County c/o 2020 (2,167 total yds, 24 TD)
Tre Reece – Gainesville/Jefferson c/o 2023 (1,320 total yds, 23 TD) *1/2 as WR, 1/2 as RB
Hassan Brown – Stephens County c/o 2017 (2,011 total yds, 21 TD)
Maurice Sutton – White County c/o 2015 (1,621 total yds, 21 TD)
Dalton Whitfield – White County c/o 2014 (2,113 total yds, 20 TD)
Ian McIntosh – Lumpkin County c/o 2015 (1,935 total yds, 20 TD)
Dreylan Martin – Commerce c/o 2022 (1,734 total yds, 19 TD)
Shawn Thomas – Dawson County c/o 2020 (1,636 total yds, 19 TD)
Hunter Mitchell – Dawson County c/o 2016 (1,926 total yds, 18 TD)
Jordan Perry – Jefferson c/o 2022 (1,605 total yds, 18 TD)
Isaiah Grindle – Dawson County c/o 2021 (1,674 total yds, 17 TD)
Ahmad Kamara – Dawson County c/o 2018 (1,518 total yds, 17 TD)
Zach Martin – Dawson County c/o 2013 (1,662 total yds, 16 TD)
AJ Howard – Stephens County c/o 2017 (1,583 total yds, 16 TD)
Tyson Everett – Stephens County c/o 2023 (1,526 total yds, 14 TD)
Roman Haynes – Banks County c/o 2022 (1,500 total yds, 14 TD)