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EDWARD SEVERN | STAFF WRITER
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story continues our position-by-position look at the top returning high school football players in the Rio Grande Valley. Follow the series in the coming weeks as we count down to the release of our annual Top 30 players list in August.
The 2026 high school football season is just weeks away, with the first official day of practice set for Aug. 3 and Week 1 kicking off Aug. 27.
As the season approaches, the RGVSports.com staff is highlighting the top returning players at each position before unveiling our Top 30 players list.
We continue our preseason position-by-position series with the running backs and fullbacks. From a pair of 2,000-yard rushers to several breakout backs from 2025, here’s a look at the Valley’s top returning ball carriers for the 2026 season, listed in alphabetical order by last name.
KEVIN ALANIZ, SENIOR, SHARYLAND HIGH
Out of the nine players on this list, Sharyland High senior running back Kevin Alaniz had the least amount of carries in 2025 with 118, but was still able to hit 904 yards and finish with 10 total touchdowns. It was a breakout season as a junior in his first season of varsity football. Alaniz had a fantastic junior year on an offense loaded with senior talent. The experience he picked up last year is going to be immense as there will be some pressure on the senior to have a strong dose of touches for the Rattlers in 2026 in District 16-5A DII, a district that could be viewed as wide open because of the amount of important players that graduated from Mission Veterans, Sharyland High, Sharyland Pioneer and Roma.
KADEN EDWARDS, SENIOR, HARLINGEN SOUTH
Harlingen South’s senior running back Kaden Edwards ended the 2025 season on a high note. Edwards rushed for more than half of his 921 yards in the final four games for the Hawks. He had 542 rushing yards against Donna High, PSJA Memorial, Weslaco East and McAllen Memorial, 203 yards came in that playoff game against the Mustangs. Edwards had a 64-yard touchdown run in that game where he showed his ability to find the edge and go. Edwards is 5’9, 150 pounds, he is on the leaner side and if he is able to cut – he is gone.
RUBEN GARCIA, JUNIOR, ROMA
Experience is one of the most important attributes for high school football and Roma’s Ruben Garcia Jr. has plenty of that. The fullback has 382 career carries after starting the past two seasons at fullback for the Gladiators. The fullback is just as important as the other backs in the slot-t offense. The strong-side fullback dives set the tone for the misdirection offense and when your fullback is rushing for 1,562 yards and scoring 18 times, that means you are running it right. Garcia Jr. does have the speed to run the halfback position in the offense and maybe even tailback. The Gladiators return Rafael Ruiz a 600-yard back, so expect another dynamic Roma backfield led by its fullback.
ANDREW GONZALEZ, JUNIOR, LA VILLA
La Villa has been the Valley’s best really really small school, below 3A, this decade and it is because they have had some dynamic playmakers. The second-round has been a challenge, but players like junior running back Andrew Gonzalez give the Cardinals hope that they can win an area title. Gonzalez is a typical small-school never leave the field player that makes plays. He rushed for 1,405 yards on only 139 carries. He scored 27 total touchdowns. He punched some of those in as a fullback in heavy formations and as the lone back in shotgun formations.
NOAH LAFLEUR, JUNIOR, LA FERIA
There are positives and negatives when running the ball in shotgun- style formations. A couple of the negatives are the running back has less momentum before hitting the line of scrimmage and defenses tend to read the play quicker because the quarterback and running back are right next to each other. In La Feria, LaFleur negates those cons with his speed, power and vision. There are plenty of times on film where it looks like a linebacker should make a play on the 200-pound back, only for the upcoming junior to make a nice cut and then another to pick up extra yards. LaFleur had 1,058 yards on only 128 carries. He had 17 total touchdowns in 2025. He is a really good blocker as well and the Lions will need him if they want to make the playoffs in a District 16-4A DII that has six-playoffs teams from 2025 in it.
MARIO LOPEZ, SENIOR, RIO HONDO
Rio Hondo’s Mario Lopez will be looking for a third-straight 1,000-yard season, it should be easy for the Bobcats’ elusive running back after he rushed for 2,062 yards as a junior. Lopez has some of the best lateral movement in the Valley and his ability to make people miss allowed him to have an average of 10.3 yards per carry last season. Lopez is quick, but fast as well. He has the capabilities of finishing off runs. His longest went for 86 yards. The 160-pound back had 33 total touchdowns in 2025 and could put up similar numbers in 2026 as the Bobcats have one of the most dynamic offenses in sub-5A football.
DAMIAN MAJANO, JUNIOR, BROWNSVILLE PACE
Vikings junior back Damian Majano had a breakout season in 2025 after seeing some playing time as a freshman in 2024. Majano rushed for 921 on 146 carries with 10 touchdowns. Majano had the best receiving stats out of the nine backs listed with 16 catches and 176 receiving yards. The junior has a similar build to Lopez and Mercado. He follows his blockers well enough, he is elusive and doesn’t run too high where he can get lit up. Majano is a player that should have a lot of touches for the Vikings and he will need to be a key player if Brownsville Pace is to make the playoffs in a more competitive district than last year with the addition of two Coastal Bend schools, Gregory-Portland and Corpus Christi Ray.
AYDEN MERCADO, SENIOR, EDCOUCH-ELSA
The Yellow Jackets will be playing sub-5A football. Edcouch-Elsa was a 4A team before they added 6A, so this is kind of where they belong as they were punching above their weight at times in 5A. Senior back Ayden Mercado is the perfect back for the Yellow Jackets’ style of offense in 4A. The 5’7 170-pound back has the patience in shotgun formations to find holes and then take what he can, when he does. Mercado faced some really tough defenses in 2025 like Edinburg High where he ran for 95 yards on 20 carries, impressive against a 6A school. He finished with 974 yards on 167 carries and 10 total touchdowns.
BRAXTON SPEIGHTS, SENIOR, McALLEN MEMORIAL
Braxton Speights went from a 500-yard rusher his sophomore to a 2,000-yard rusher his junior season. That leap has put him in the conversation as one of the best players in the Valley. Speights is dynamic in the Mustangs’ heavy-set offense where he can attack you between the tackles, off-tackle and on the outside with lead blockers. If he finds space he is gone and if you are in his way, wrap up or you will be dragged or ran over by the 200-pound running back. Speights had 2,080 yards on 240 carries and found the end zone 19 times in 2025. He has the potential to hit 2,500 yards or more and do not be surprised if you see him run for over 300 yards in a game.
OTHER NOTABLE PLAYERS: Jay Herrera, senior, Weslaco East; Tyler Stachowiak, senior, Los Fresnos; Rey Luna, senior, Edinburg Economedes.
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