Three returning contributors anchor a backfield that powered a 209.5-yard per game rushing attack last fall.
Senior team captain Jackson Tatum will start at fullback after leading the Patriots with 622 yards and five touchdowns in 2025.
Complementing Tatum is senior Paris Crowder, who added 566 yards and six scores. The duo combined for four 100-yard rushing games.
Flanking the seniors are sophomores Zion Pass and Zavion Swaim, the Patriots’ primary wingbacks.
Swain saw limited reps as a freshman, but is expected to step into a key role as the coaching staff rotates playmakers on both sides of the ball.
“He’s (Zavion) going to be just as good as the others,” coach Mike Holland said. “What stood out from the film for him was his willingness to go and block linebackers and stuff like that.”
Pass rushed for 419 yards and two scores while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
The breakout name, though, might be freshman Cooper Davenport, who scored two touchdowns in a 28-21 scrimmage victory over Glascock County on Friday night.
At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Davenport’s size and athleticism resemble a varsity veteran, and impressed Holland during summer camp.
With several starters playing on both offense and defense, Holland and offensive coordinator Josh Austin plan to lean heavily on their backfield depth to maintain a physical tempo.
Senior Rico Howard, sophomore Brennan Brown, and freshmen Demerai Appling and Easton Cushing provide further depth. Additionally, Holland said Nicah Pass and Hayden Williams are also learning the position.
“Any of those guys can come in and play, and it’s not a drop off in talent at all,” Holland said. “Because of how much we run the football, we’ve got to make sure that they stay fresh.”