In an era of pass-heavy offenses at every level of football, sometimes the running game gets overlooked.
That’s not the case with all the talented running backs throughout Southern Nevada.
Here is a look at the top five returning high school football running backs in Southern Nevada entering the season. (Players are listed in alphabetical order).
Kamareion Bell, Arbor View
Arbor View is known for its Air Raid, passing offense, but the Aggies have always turned to Bell as their top running back. Bell rushed for six touchdowns on 71 carries with 406 yards, and added 19 catches for 259 yards with three touchdowns. Bell was named a first-team 5A Mountain League athlete by the coaches and a second-team Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada selection, playing defense as a safety. In June, Bell committed to Sacramento State. He had other Division I offers from Washington State, Colorado State, New Mexico, Portland State and Northern Arizona.
Noah Cole, Bishop Gorman
In his first season at Bishop Gorman in 2025, Cole quickly established himself as the Gaels’ starter. Cole led Gorman with 617 rushing yards on 62 carries with five touchdowns. Cole, listed at 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds, was a first-team Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada running back and first-team 5A Desert League selection by the coaches. His best performance last season came against Illinois power East St. Louis, as Cole rushed for 154 yards on 10 carries as the Gaels rolled to a 35-10 home win. Cole has Division I offers from Utah, Colorado State, New Mexico, Hawaii and Sacramento State.
Ezra Sanelivi, Liberty
Sanelivi has consistently been one of the state’s top running backs the last two seasons. In his junior campaign last season, Sanelivi rushed for 745 yards with nine touchdowns in 10 games as the Patriots went 9-2 and reached the Open Division state semifinals. The 5-foot-10, 210-pound senior has accounted for 1,640 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns in his high school career at Liberty. He was a first-team Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada running back for a second time last fall, and named the 5A Lake League offensive MVP. In April, Sanelivi, a three-star recruit, committed to BYU over Wisconsin, Washington, Arkansas, Arizona and Iowa, among notable offers.
Marcus Williams, Mater East
Williams showcased his talents in the last two seasons at Desert Pines. Now, he transferred to rising program Mater East for his senior year. With the Jaguars as a junior in 2025, Williams rushed for 962 yards with nine touchdowns in 10 games. In his two years at Desert Pines, Williams produced 2,165 all-purpose yards and 23 touchdowns. The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder was a second-team Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada running back and a first-team 5A Mountain League selection.
Jermaine Wilson Jr., Sloan Canyon
Sloan Canyon was a threat at every level last year, and Wilson gave the Pirates a punch. As a junior last year, Wilson rushed for 1,021 on 129 carries and 11 touchdowns. Wilson, listed at 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, was a second-team Nevada Preps All-Southern Nevada selection and a first-team 4A Lake League running back by the coaches. His high mark of last season came in a 50-22 win over Mater East in the 4A Southern Region semifinals, where Wilson rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns.
Others to watch: Armani Combs, Silverado; Greg Cortez, SLAM! Nevada; Drew Dixon, Virgin Valley; Anthony Edwards Jr., SLAM! Nevada; Caleb Green, Sierra Vista; Briggs Hickman, Moapa Valley; Braylon Rayford, Sloan Canyon; Felix Romero, Clark; and Sonny Uranich, Green Valley.
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
