Ranking the Best QB/RB Duos in Class 2A, 3A and 4A

Check out Class 6A and 5A here

2A

5. Bremond QB Sam Kasowski and RB Tyriq Scott

I know what you’re thinking. How could Bremond be on this list of the best QB/RB duos after graduating legendary running back Tank Scott? Well, as Texas high school football fans know all too well, the faces at Bremond change, but the results stay the same. 

One familiar face is returning quarterback Sam Kasowski, the reigning District Offensive MVP and Honorable Mention All-State selection. Kasowski (6-foot, 205), the son of head coach Jeff Kasowski, inherited his father’s football IQ. While he has a strong and accurate arm (2,478 yards), Kasowski’s best trait is his decision-making, evidenced by his spectacular 31:4 TD/INT ratio.

Bremond won’t be Scott-free this fall, either. Tank’s cousin, Tyriq, is the next in line for this Bremond family dynasty. Tyriq was a First Team All-District running back as a junior, racking up an impressive 639 yards and nine touchdowns as Tank’s backup. He’s also a menace on the defensive side with 78 tackles, four sacks, and two caused fumbles. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds with a 4.6 40-yard dash, Tyriq is a physical specimen who strikes fear in the opponent’s heart.

4. La Villa QB Isaiah Felix and RB Andrew Gonzalez

La Villa had made 11 straight playoff appearances, and the Cardinals should soar to the postseason once again with the QB/RB duo of Andrew Gonzalez and Isaiah Felix. Coach Joseph Garcia describes the pair as excellent leaders whom the entire team looks up to.

Gonzalez earned District Overall MVP from his running back spot last fall with 1,407 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. The 5-foot-7, 170-pound senior is a four-year starter who will play both offense and defense for the second year in a row.

Quarterback Isaiah Felix (5-foot-8, 150) is also a four-year starter who will play quarterback for the third year in a row. The dual-threat signal-caller was the District Offensive MVP as a junior with 1,275 passing yards, 760 rushing yards, and 15 touchdowns each on the ground and through the air.

3. Joaquin QB Trenton Runnels and RB Cooper Bragg

After reaching its first state title in program history, Joaquin won’t be satisfied just playing for it all in 2026. These Rams have the talent to win the whole thing, starting with the QB/RB duo of Trenton Runnels and Cooper Bragg.

Coach Jared Jones isn’t trying to boast; he believes Bragg is the fastest player in all of Class 2A. The 6-foot, 175-pound senior is a reigning All-State running back selection with 2,023 yards and 18 touchdowns. He was also named the District Utility Player of the Year for posting 91 tackles on defense. DCTX named him a Class 2A Player of the Year candidate in April.

While Bragg has the legs, Runnels is the heart and soul of the team. The quarterback/linebacker hybrid at 5-foot-11, 205 pounds gives the Rams’ Slot-T offense an edge. He had 459 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. But he also won Joaquin some games with his arm, throwing eight touchdown passes.

2. Wink QBs Layne Lusby/Gunner Voyles and RB Kemyd Faciane

Wink has been one of the state’s most consistent programs since 2019 with a 71-18 overall record. But the Wildcats have never made it past the regional final. This fall may be their best chance yet with 18 returning starters and just nine lettermen lost.

In fact, Wink has the luxury of two proven starters at the quarterback position. Layne Lusby was spectacular two years ago as a sophomore with 2,555 total yards and 41 touchdowns. But when Lusby was injured for the entirety of 2025, Gunner Voyles blossomed into a star. Voyles earned District Overall MVP with 1,176 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

Now entering their senior year, both Lusby and Voyles are team leaders with complete command of Wink’s RPO scheme. They’re also athletic enough to play another position while the other guy lines up under center. Lusby (5-foot-10, 150) is a highly accurate passer who, according to the coaching staff, is efficient and consistent. He is also an instinctive runner, evidenced by his 670 rushing yards two years ago. Voyles (5-foot-9, 150) is an extremely talented athlete with a big arm that can make any throw on the field.

Whoever takes the snaps at quarterback will benefit from Kemyd Faciane (5-foot-10, 190), Wink’s all-time leading rusher. Faciane earned District Offensive MVP last fall with 1,887 yards and 27 touchdowns.

1. Ganado QB Landyn Arriaga and RB Logan Bures

In what should be a terrifying realization for the rest of the state, Ganado was in rebuilding mode in 2025, star player Logan Bures dealt with several injuries, and the Indians went 11-2. Now, Coach Josh Ervin’s ballclub is the preseason Class 2A DI State Championship pick in Dave Campbell’s TexasFootball Magazine.

The Indians looked every bit the part at State 7-on-7, winning the Division III Championship. Bures was named an All-State 7-on-7 performer after showing why everyone calls him ‘Smoke.’ Ervin says Bures is the quickest player he’s ever coached. Bures still put up 1,413 rushing yards, 212 receiving yards, and 20 total touchdowns despite his nagging injuries. 

Quarterback Landyn Arriaga was a revelation in his first year as a starter, winning District Offensive MVP with 2,183 passing yards, 847 rushing yards, and 52 total touchdowns. His chemistry with Bures looked to be in mid-season form at the State 7-on-7 Tournament. He earned Quarterback of the Day honors in the winning effort.

3A

5. Clyde QB Devan Wright and RB Myles Wilsher

With 18 starters back from a 7-4 team, these Bulldogs should have some bite in 2026. Clyde was the preseason pick to win District 2-3A DI in Dave Campbell’s TexasFootball Magazine. Perennial power Jim Ned returns three total starters. Odessa Compass is jumping up from Class 3A DII to Division I after a 9-2 season. And Clyde has the QB/RB combo of Devan Wright and Myles Wilsher.

Wright (5-foot-11, 175) was the District Offensive MVP last year in one of the most balanced passing and rushing seasons in the state. He had 1,393 passing yards and 18 touchdowns to go with 1,433 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. Wright could be even better as a third-year starter in 2026.

Wilsher (6-foot, 195) has started on both sides of the ball for three years in a row, earning First Team All-District accolades as both a running back and linebacker last fall. He had 654 yards and 13 touchdowns on offense while stuffing opposing running backs with 125 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and eight sacks.

4. Rio Hondo QB Matthew Lopez and RB Mario Lopez

Coach Rocky James is entering his 20th season at the helm in Rio Hondo. His Bobcats have one of the most dynamic QB/RB duos of his tenure in the Lopez brothers. 

Running back Mario Lopez was the District Overall MVP with 2,062 yards and 32 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Matthew was just as lethal through the air, earning District Offensive Player of the Year with 2,500 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. 

After a heartbreaking 49-42 loss in the bi-district round to London last year, expect Rio Hondo to come out for revenge in 2026.

3. Troup QB Josh Childress and RB Brett Wells

Troup returns nine offensive starters and seven defensive starters from the first 12-win season since 1979. The Tigers enter 2026 with a regional finalist projection in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football Magazine. That confidence starts with the QB/RB duo of Josh Childress and Brett Wells.

Wells (5-foot-8, 185) is a preseason First Team All-State linebacker who had 109 tackles, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery last fall. But he makes just as big of an impact at running back as an every-down player. Wells earned District Overall MVP with 1,949 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns. 

Childress (5-foot-10, 170) is described as a tough and physical player from the quarterback spot. He threw for 2,456 yards and 28 touchdowns last fall, but also put his body on the line for 382 rushing yards and three scores on the ground.

2. Commerce QB Aidan Brown and RB Ky'Mani Graham

After their first nine-win season since 2002, Commerce is a preseason regional final pick in Dave Campbell’s TexasFootball Magazine thanks in large part to a loaded skill position group.

Quarterback Aidan Brown was the unanimous District MVP as a junior. The 6-foot, 195-pounder is one of the state’s best dual-threat quarterbacks with 2,325 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, 1,600 rushing yards, and 21 rushing touchdowns. Coach John McSheffery says Brown can score on any play. But his unmatched competitive spirit is his most important trait as a leader. 

McSheffery says running back Ky’Mani Graham is one of the hardest workers in any room he walks into. The 5-foot-9, 180-pound senior was a First Team All-District selection with 1,209 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. His best traits are his elusiveness and strength to break tackles, but he also has deceptive open-field speed.

1. Newton QB Izayah Foster and RB Kendray Porter Jr.

Newton was one point away from its first state championship since 2018 last fall. Rest assured, in a proud town where fathers, uncles, and brothers all donned the purple and white, all 1,600 people within the town’s borders are hungry for revenge.

The Eagles have a great chance with running back Kendray Porter Jr. back for a final year. Porter, a Houston commit, has started every game since his freshman season and has a chance to shatter most of the program’s rushing and scoring records this fall. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound back was a TSWA First Team All-State selection with 2,400 rushing yards and 40 touchdowns.

Before we talk about quarterback Izayah Foster, who started 14 games as a freshman, we want to remind everyone how rare a first-year starter is at a program that’s reached eight state championship games. That just shows how special Porter and Foster are. The 6-foot, 190-pound signal-caller had 1,700 passing yards and a 17:2 TD/INT ratio as a freshman, earning District Co-Offensive Newcomer of the Year. Coach Drew Johnston says Foster is the type of player who improves every time he steps on the field. With his impressive offseason, look for Foster to take on a far bigger role in the offensive game plan in 2026.

4A

5. Lindale QB David Lindig and RB Hank Thurman

After three consecutive trips to the second round of the playoffs, Lindale hopes that eight returning offensive starters can help these Eagles soar over the hump.

It all starts with quarterback David Lindig, the first three-year captain coach Chris Cochran has had at Lindale. Lindig (5-foot-10, 175) is one of the state’s most experienced quarterbacks with 24 starts over the last two years. Last fall, he was a First Team All-District selection with 1,753 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also a capable scrambler with 440 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Above all else, running back Hank Thurman is tough – both mentally and physically. The 5-foot-9, 175-pound senior racked up 1,445 yards and 22 touchdowns last fall, earning Second Team All-District honors. Coach Cochran says the staff loves how much Thurman loves football. That attitude earned him a spot on Lindale’s Leadership Council.

4. Navasota QB Jace Jablonski and RB Kyn'Navion Chappel

Coach Trey Allen has led Navasota to three playoff wins in his first two seasons at the helm. But could the Rattlers have even more sting in 2026 with seven returning starters on offense? Quarterback Jace Jablonski and running back Kyn’Navion Chappel headline a stacked offensive skill group.

Jablonski (5-foot-9, 185) was a unanimous First Team All-District selection with 3,179 yards, 41 passing touchdowns and seven rushing touchdowns. Allen calls Jablonski the team’s leader for his outstanding work ethic and considers him another coach on the field. Jablonski has one offer to McPherson College.

Chappel (5-foot-7, 175) is Navasota’s workhorse. He had 1,202 rushing yards and 16 total touchdowns in a First Team All-District season. The senior combines excellent vision with a refusal to be brought down by the first defender.

3. Dumas QB Colton Mills and RB Zbastian Jara

The Dumas offense averaged 39.5 points per game last season, the most in school history. The Demons could be just as scary in 2026 with the return of West Texas’s best QB/RB duo. 

Quarterback Colton Mills, a four-year starter, earned District Offensive MVP last season. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound signal-caller plays much bigger than he’s listed at thanks to his dual-threat ability. Mills has outstanding arm talent (2,342 yards, 26:6 TD/INT ratio), but he’s also a fierce competitor who’s always looking to extend the play (797 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns). Coach Aaron Dunnam describes Mills as the man teammates gravitate towards because of the example he sets in workouts.  

Running back Zbastian Jara exploded last fall for 1,234 yards and 18 touchdowns in a First Team All-District season. He has the physicality (6-foot-1, 200) and versatility (27 receptions, 395 yards, two touchdowns) to be an every-down back. Jara is the rare running back who is just as effective getting downhill in a hurry for tough yards as he is creating explosive plays in the open field. Coach Dunnam says Jara is a high-character young man who always puts the team’s needs above his own.

2. Brock QB Holt Frazier and RB Bryer McDonald

The Eagles have soared to the Regional Final every season since 2021, and nobody is picking that streak to stop now with the QB/RB duo of Holt Frazier and Bryer McDonald back in the fold.

Frazier (6-foot-3, 195) is the reigning District Offensive MVP with 3,445 yards, 50 touchdowns and 11 interceptions on an extremely efficient 72 percent completion rate. Frazier was a First Team All-State selection who’ll be the leader of Brock’s offense once again in 2026.

McDonald (6-foot, 215) will give the high-flying Eagles’ offense balance. A First Team All-District selection last fall, he had 1,479 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s averaged over 6.5 yards per carry in each of the last two seasons.

1. Stephenville QB Trot Jordan and RB Zyler McClendon

Stephenville is projected to repeat as Class 4A DI State Champions in this year’s Dave Campbell’s TexasFootball Magazine. The Yellow Jackets were already named the best QB/WR combination in the state. They also have one of the best QB/RB duos.

We’ve covered quarterback Trot Jordan extensively this offseason. The Padilla Poll Class 4A DI Offensive Player of the Year proved a perfect fit for Stephenville's RPO scheme last fall. He threw for 3,241 yards and a sensational 45:4 TD/INT ratio, and was also an extra weapon in the running game come playoff time with 560 yards and five scores on the ground.

But running back Zyler McClendon hasn’t received his proper flowers yet. McClendon was just as important to Stephenville’s state championship run with 1,702 yards and 28 touchdowns, earning First Team All-State. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound back is a physical downhill runner who never gets tackled by the first guy. But he’s also just as explosive as smaller backs, competing on Stephenville’s sprint relays, 300M hurdles, and mile relay team.