Position Preview: Running Backs
- Huguenot Football
- Aug 10
- 5 min read
RICHMOND, Va. – Huguenot enters the 2026 season with a proven senior leading its running back room and a collection of younger players developing rapidly behind him.
Senior Randal Robinson Jr. returns as the Falcons’ featured back after earning First Team All-Region honors in 2025. Around him, juniors Aaron Bowling and Cairee Smith, along with sophomore Jahmeer Jones, give offensive coordinator Javonte Bentley a backfield featuring different running styles, versatility and plenty of explosiveness.
The mixture of experience and youth has Bentley excited about what the position can provide this fall — and what it could look like beyond this season.
“We have a great mix of depth,” Bentley said.
“Versatile, physical and explosive players. That allows us to attack defenses in different ways rather than relying on one style of running.”
Robinson Remains the Headliner
There isn’t much uncertainty about who will lead Huguenot’s rushing attack.
Randal Robinson Jr. is the guy.
The senior enters his final season after an All-Region junior campaign and provides Huguenot with a proven option to build its running game around.
Robinson’s vision allows him to find openings as they develop, while his combination of physicality and explosiveness makes him capable of turning an ordinary run into one of the biggest plays of a game.
“Randal brings a combination of vision, physicality, and explosiveness,” Bentley said. “He has the ability to create highlight reels consistently and can turn a routine run into an explosive play.”
College programs have begun taking notice. Robinson received his first college offer from Hampden-Sydney College and added his second from Christopher Newport University following Huguenot’s August 6 practice.
The recruiting attention adds another milestone to Robinson’s career, but his immediate responsibility remains leading a talented backfield through his final season at Huguenot.
For an offense that wants to establish the run while creating explosive plays, Robinson gives Bentley an experienced player capable of doing both.
Bowling Continues to Emerge
Junior Aaron Bowling has continued to make his case for a significant role in Huguenot’s rushing attack.
His performance during the annual Green vs. Gold Game provided one of the clearest examples of his development.
Bowling was the Green Team’s most productive offensive player during a game in which both offenses initially struggled to find rhythm. He produced multiple quality runs before delivering one of the biggest plays of the afternoon early in the second half.
Bowling made a defender miss, cut back across the field and broke loose for a 60-plus-yard touchdown run.
It was exactly the type of play that demonstrated what Bentley has seen from him throughout the offseason.
“Aaron has all the tools to be an every-down back and carry an offense,” Bentley said.
That is significant for both the present and future of the position.
Bowling gives Huguenot another runner capable of handling meaningful responsibility this season, while still having another year remaining after 2026.
His emergence means the Falcons don’t have to place every rushing responsibility on Robinson. They can keep backs fresh while maintaining the physical and explosive style Bentley wants from the offense.
Jones Emerging Early in His Career
One of the younger players making his way into the conversation is sophomore Jahmeer Jones.
Despite being only in his second year of high school, Jones has already shown enough to earn opportunities within a talented varsity backfield.
He produced several good runs for the Gold Team during Green vs. Gold, but what excites Bentley most about Jones isn’t limited to his ability as a traditional runner.
“Jahmeer is a player that will pose as a mismatch nightmare at any spot on the offense,” Bentley said. That opens considerably more possibilities.
Jones’ versatility gives Huguenot the ability to move him around and potentially create favorable matchups rather than defining him strictly by one position. That skill set fits naturally into Bentley’s desire to make the offense unpredictable and force defenses to account for the entire field.
The fact that Jones is doing it as a sophomore makes his development particularly intriguing.
He also has a unique connection to the position responsible for creating running lanes. His father, Bruce Jones, took over as Huguenot’s offensive line coach this season and has brought a renewed emphasis on accountability, technique and physicality to the group.
Jahmeer still has plenty of development ahead of him, but Huguenot believes it already has a young offensive weapon capable of contributing in multiple ways.
Smith Adds Another Dynamic Option
Junior Cairee Smith gives Bentley yet another possibility.
Smith’s primary responsibilities will include a major role in Huguenot’s secondary, but his athleticism and understanding of the game make him too valuable to completely leave out of the offensive picture.
Bentley has been especially impressed with Smith’s natural feel for the game.
“Cairee gives us a dynamic option,” Bentley said. “His vision and football IQ is some of the best I’ve seen at this age.”
That football IQ has already made Smith one of Huguenot’s most versatile defensive players, and the Falcons believe some of those same qualities translate naturally to running back.
Smith already holds six Division I offers, and his ability to contribute in different areas is part of what makes him such an intriguing prospect.
Huguenot doesn’t need to overload Smith with offensive responsibilities. Instead, Bentley can find opportunities throughout the season to take advantage of his vision and athleticism.
“I’m excited to see what he does and adds to this room,” Bentley said.
Football also runs in the family for Smith. His father, Carl Smith, serves as Huguenot’s safeties coach and is part of the staff working with the Falcons’ secondary.
Experience Now, Talent for Later
The makeup of the running back room gives Huguenot an interesting balance.
Robinson is the senior and proven commodity.
Bowling is a junior whose development has Bentley believing he possesses the tools to carry an offense.
Jones is only a sophomore and is already being viewed as a potential matchup problem from multiple spots.
Smith is another junior whose two-way versatility gives Huguenot an additional option when needed.
That means the Falcons aren’t simply deep for 2026.
Three of the four backs will still have high school eligibility remaining after Robinson graduates, giving Huguenot an experienced group capable of contributing now while continuing to develop for the future.
Running the Football Remains Part of the Identity
Huguenot’s passing attack will naturally attract considerable attention this season, but Bentley doesn’t want the Falcons to become dependent on one way of moving the football.
His desired identity for the 2026 offense is clear: physical, explosive, disciplined and unpredictable.
The running game will be a major part of establishing it.
“We want to dictate the tempo and flow of the game,” Bentley said. “We want to run the football, create explosive plays, protect the football, and make defenses defend every inch of the field.”
The personnel in the backfield gives Huguenot several ways to accomplish that.
Robinson brings proven production and senior leadership. Bowling’s emergence gives the Falcons another physical and explosive runner. Jones provides a young, versatile weapon capable of creating mismatches, while Smith gives Bentley another dynamic option to incorporate into the offense.
Each brings something different.
Together, they give Huguenot something Bentley values just as much as talent: options.
And with an All-Region senior leading a room filled with younger players already pushing for opportunities, the Falcons believe their backfield is positioned to be a strength in 2026 without sacrificing anything about its future.
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