ArizonaVarsity's Friday Film Session takes a look at football players from around the state that we believe might be under the recruiting radar. In trying to catch up on film, I decided to watch tape on four players from the 2026 graduating class that made a serious mark on the offensive side of the ball as juniors last year. Those players are 2026 Blue Ridge RB Karlo Harris, 2026 West Point RB Isaiah Smith, 2026 Kingman ATH D'Anthony Bush, and 2026 Ironwood ATH KhaVontae Paul.
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2026 Blue Ridge RB Karlo Harris
Karlo Harris was a workhorse running back for Blue Ridge last season, averaging 20 touches and over 150 yards of offense per game. Harris was extremely consistent last year- he tore up lesser competition and spent the second half of those games cheering on his teammates, and in close games, and games where Blue Ridge was overmatched- he still averaged 150 yards of offense. Let's take a look at his film:
What I like: Toughness. The first play on his HUDL film makes it clear that this is not a player you can arm tackle at the 3A level, and his balance is impressive as well. 12 yards after contact and being turned around in the opposite direction, with 6 players hanging off him? Great first clip. I love the juke-left-into-spin combo move at 0:17 seconds as well- something he repeats on the very next clip (and again at 1:42). I think an important clip in Harris' film comes at 0:39- coaches at the next level like power, but they view strong small-school RBs as dime-a-dozen recruits, so being able to display the type of speed where you don't get caught from behind is important.
What I'd like to see more of: It's extremely clear that Harris is very skilled at planting his right foot into the turf and cutting to his left. I'd like to see an example of him being able to do the same thing to a defender with his opposite foot.
High End Comp: Antonio Campanella. One of the toughest and most fun 3A running backs I've ever covered, who went on to play at Northern State. Campanella was around the same size- 5-9/10 170, and had a spin move in his arsenal that made his already tough running even harder for defenders to solve.
2026 West Point RB Isaiah Smith
Isaiah Smith had a breakout season last year at West Point. It isn't easy to get rushing stats when the opposing team keys on you, or when you spend a lot of time behind on the scoreboard, which is what prompted me to check out the film of a kid that had over 1,100 yards on the ground for a squad that started out 0-7. I'm glad I did- let's take another look at the film together.
What I like: Acceleration! Plenty of kids are fast, but not everyone can get to top speed in the first few steps, and his ability to accelerate lends itself to a powerful running style. In the first two highlights, Smith throws a tackle-breaking shoulder at full speed. One of my favorite highlights that illustrates his acceleration comes at 0:36, when he has to shift his weight left to shake a tackler about two yards past the line of scrimmage- that's something that should have set him up to get clocked at the second level, but instead, Smith contorts his body to avoid the hit and turns what should have been a 3 yard gain into about 30. Two other must-watch plays in this film are at the 1:40 mark, and 3:10.
At 1:40, Smith ends up in RB hell- with his shoulders square to the sideline and his legs wrapped up in a crowd with no clear vertical option- so he uses that top shelf acceleration to create his own space- something few coaches recommend us mere mortals ever try- and manages to gain 45+ more yards on what should have been a dead play.
At 3:10 is when you learn that Smith isn't just someone that has the acceleration to translate to the slot at the next level, but he's got RB vision and toughness that college coaches need. Pause the film at 3:17. Is there any reason that freeze frame should result in a 20+ yard run? That comes from hitting the hole with conviction- you love to see that.
What I'd like to see more of: I know you don't usually see this in high school highlights, but I'd love to see film of Smith picking up a blitz or two. That's the type of thing that would make him indispensable in the backfield.
High End Comp: Jaheim Brown-Taylor. A Chandler track star whose football skills landed him at Gardner Webb coming out of high school. Smith has similar size to Brown-Taylor, and while I don't know if he has the same speed on the track, football speed is what matters on the gridiron, and Isaiah Smith has plenty of it.
2026 Kingman ATH D'Anthony Bush
Everyone playing against Kingman knows D'Anthony Bush can run, so going into last season, I'm not sure I expected him to be able to make a leap with all the gameplans focused on stopping him. But he made that leap- to the tune of 1,100+ yardss on the ground. Bush is 5-11, 180, and might translate to the defensive side of the ball at the next level (27 solo tackles, 3 INT in 2024), so let's look at his athleticism on film and see what we can deduce:
What I like: The way Bush moves with the ball in his hands is elite, and so is his processing. He's making split-second decisions that create so much space- it's clear he knows his body, his athleticism, and the strengths and speed of the defenses he's going against. Look at the punt return at 1:43- the moment he surveys the way his blocking is set up, it's over. So over, in fact, that he has time to practically walk into the end zone. Another play I loved comes at 2:45- something you almost never see, Bush makes a form tackle down the sideline after timing his pursuit angle perfectly. Some more highlights I feel like are must-watch for college coaches come at 3:08 (perfectly timed and composed pursuit and tackle), 4:54 (executes the read-option perfectly and uses his burst to score around the left side), and the interceptions at 0:53 and 1:02 that illustrate exactly what you'll get with Bush playing safety.
What I'd like to see more of: I hate to sound like a boomer but that ball needs to be high and tight when he's running all over the field.
High End Comp: I'm going out on a limb with this one- because Derick Bush played the game almost exclusively on defense, and was a master of his technique, but the confidence and athleticism that comes through film for D'Anthony Bush makes me feel like they are extremely similar.
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