Pound the rock, they say. Well, Palm Beach County’s got the running back talent to answer that call.
As local high schools gear up for the start of the 2024-25 regular season, local fans will get the opportunity to see backfield monsters like West Boca’s Javian Mallory and Cardinal Newman’s Jaylin Brown. We’ve got bona fide Division I talent and the stats to prove it.
Palm Beach County high school football: Check out 2024 schedules for small schools!
Here are eight running backs that you need to know in Palm Beach County.
Best Florida high school football RBs in Palm Beach County for 2024
Deandre Desinor
School: Atlantic High School
Vitals: 5-8.5, 175, senior
College commitment/offers: Committed to West Virginia
Desinor crosses over into Palm Beach County from American Heritage-Plantation, for whom he ran 674 yards and tallied 10 touchdowns in his junior year. Before his time as a Patriot, Desinor ran for North Broward Prep, carrying the ball 128 times for 1,248 yards and 16 scores. Atlantic’s talented offense will be glad to have him, as the senior back is set to fill the shoes of Damarion Alberic, a backfield workhorse for the Eagles last season.
Jaylin Brown
School: Cardinal Newman
Vitals: 5-11, 187, senior
College commitment/offers: Committed to Louisville
Cardinal Newman’s star running back is entering his final year of high school play off the back of a tremendously successful junior campaign. Last year, Brown ran for 894 yards on 132 carries, scoring eight touchdowns. He eclipsed the coveted 100-yard mark four times to help pace the Crusaders’ offense. With the graduation of quarterback Luke Warnock, Brown’s backfield presence should help stabilize a younger offense as Cardinal Newman looks to get back to the playoffs.
Phoenix Donghia
School: The Benjamin School
Vitals: 5-11, 215, junior
College commitment/offers: Offers from Appalachian State, Charlotte
Chauncey Bowens is off to play college football at Georgia, allowing Phoenix Donghia to step into the spotlight. The Buccaneers’ junior back is not new to that role, however, as he shined in his sophomore season as a complement to Bowens in the backfield. Donghia rushed for 493 yards on 66 carries, gashing defenses to the tune of 7.3 yards per carry to pair with his nine touchdowns, just one shy of Bowens. Look for Donghia to pair with Jayden Vega under center for some explosive offense this season.
Javian Mallory
School: West Boca Raton
Vitals: 5-11, 200, junior
College commitment/offers: Offered by Akron, Alabama, Auburn, East Carolina, Florida International
Mallory had one of the best individual seasons in recent memory last year, at any position. The star rushed for 1,415 yards on 131 carries, good for an astounding 10.8 yards per carry and eight 100-yard rushing games. With that kind of play-by-play production, it’s no wonder the bruising back found pay dirt 18 times in his sophomore year. It was a magical 2023-24 season for West Boca, and Mallory was a significant reason. With him in the backfield, and the talent around him, the Bulls’ offense – still quite young – is poised to put up big numbers once again.
Tristan Stewart
School: The King’s Academy
Vitals: 5-7, 170, senior
College commitment/offers: Unoffered
King’s Academy’s backfield was plenty busy last season, but it was usually Marion Victor carrying the rock. Victor has graduated, leaving 1,287 yards worth of production up for grabs. Stewart will likely get first dibs at filling those shoes after rushing for 306 yards on 32 carries last year, totaling five touchdowns and a 9.6 yards per carry mark. He enters his senior year alongside fellow senior Joe Dailey at quarterback, whom we think we will quite happy to have Stewart’s production as the Lions seek a return to the postseason.
Gideon Douglas
School: Jupiter Christian
Vitals: 5-10, 165, senior
College commitment/offers: Offered by Akron, Bowling Green, Charlotte, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
Jupiter Christian managed nearly 40 points per game last season, and Douglas was a big reason why. The dynamic running back averaged 10.5 yards per carry en route to a 1,145-yard, 14-touchdown junior year for the Eagles. Impressively, Douglas reached the 100-yard mark seven times and added 311 yards receiving and five touchdowns through the air on 24 catches for the season. During his senior year, Douglas has proven worthy of being handed the ball early and often, and he has the skill set to punish defenses in multiple ways.
Wilfred Coicou
School: Palm Beach Gardens
Vitals: 6-0, 155, junior
College commitment/offers: Unoffered
Coicou is fast. Fast enough to be invited to the Junior Olympics as a track runner. He takes those talents to…
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