As we head towards a new football season, IdahoSports.com is once again getting fans ready by unveiling the Top 10 players at each position. These lists feature players from all corners of the state, and from all six classification levels. Each week, we'll publish a new list of Top 10 players. Here's the schedule:
July 6 (Offensive Linemen)
July 14 (Defensive Linemen)
July 17 (Special Teams)
July 24 (Running Backs)
July 30 (Linebackers)
August 3 (Wide Receivers/Tight Ends)
August 10 (Defensive Backs)
August 17 (Quarterbacks)
These selections are listed in alphabetical order by school. These opinions are my own, and I made these selections based on a number of factors, including: returning All-State or All-Conference pedigree, college recruiting hype, and the good old-fashioned eye test.
Disagree? Send me an email at brandon@idahosports.com.
Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Running Backs to watch out for in 2026.
Dallas Jacobsen, 12, Bonneville
Jacobsen, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound tackling machine, has led the Bees in tackles each of the past two seasons. He holds an offer from the College of Idaho, and finished last year with 71 stops, two sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception.
Ben Murray, 12, Coeur d’Alene
Murray is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound rover who can play both safety and linebacker with aplomb. Last year’s numbers tell the story: 98 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He put up those numbers while missing a chunk of the season with an injury, too.
Brenten Thueson, 12, Columbia
By the time his career is all said and done, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Thueson will be one of the best players to don the maroon and gold at Columbia High. He’s been a four-year starter at both offensive tackle and linebacker, a rarity for a school of Columbia’s size. Last year’s season was cut short by injury, but in eight games of work, Thueson still managed 83 tackles, including ten for loss, good for an average of 10.4 tackles a contest.
Kysen Mackenzie, 12, Fruitland
Mackenzie is Idaho’s top returning tackler in 2026, as the 5-11, 185-pound senior accumulated 153 total stops a year ago. Of those tackles, 11 were for a loss, and the three-time state placer in wrestling also nabbed an interception.
Tyce Fisher, 12, Homedale
We employ a small army of broadcasters all around the state of Idaho, and every once in a while, one of our guys will see a player make such a monumental impact on the game they were covering that they have to tell the rest of us about it. Paul Kingsbury, IdahoSports.com’s Owner and Director of Operations, couldn’t stop raving about the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Fisher last year. Fisher finished the year with 122 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and one lasting impression at IdahoSports.com.
Orion Stewart, 12, Kendrick
Like the other Kendrick Tigers that have appeared on our Top 10 lists, we have to stress the fact that most of these statistics were accumulated in just 50% of the playing time. The Tigers regularly rested their starters after halftime, which makes you appreciate Stewart’s 125 tackles even more. Rarely in eight-man football does a player have just one job, and so another mark in Stewart’s favor is his success as Kendrick’s primary running back on offense.
Titus Osterman, 12, Kimberly
Twenty years from now when we look back at the Idaho Class of 2027, I think we’ll all be talking about how Osterman was the best player of the class. The University of Washington commit stands 6-foot-4 and 230-pounds and is a two-way standout for Kimberly at both tight end and linebacker. Linebacker is where he’ll play at Washington, and you can see why: last year, Osterman finished with 103 tackles, including two for loss while also blocking two kicks.
Braxton Mowder, 11, New Plymouth
Mowder was a two-way standout at running back and linebacker for New Plymouth in 2025, as the Pilgrims came within an eyelash of advancing to the 3A state semifinals. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound Mowder finished his sophomore season with 146 tackles, five forced fumbles and an interception.
Brock Yarbrough, 12, Sandpoint
If you recognize the name Brock Yarbrough, it’s because you should: the 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior qualified for our Top 10 Special Teams list just two weeks ago. His defensive numbers at first blush don’t jump off the page (64 tackles, seven tackles for loss, six pass breakups, two pick-sixes), but when you consider all of the other jobs he had to fulfill (wide receiver, kicker, punter, kick returner, etc.), the picture becomes more clear. He’s an impact player, period, no matter where Sandpoint coach Ryan Knowles elects to use him.
Marley Pearce, 12, Wallace
Remember how I said earlier how rare it is for an eight-man player to focus exclusively on defense? Meet Marley Pearce, whose only job is to hold down the middle linebacker spot for a Wallace team that qualified for the 1A state semifinals last year. Pearce is 6-foot-1 and 160-pounds and flies around fearlessly. As a junior, Pearce registered 141 tackles, highlighted by an impressive 25 tackles for loss, 14 hurries and six sacks.