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Wayne State University Athletics

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Football Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

WSU Football - 2026 Running Backs Preview

DETROIT -- Since we are just over two weeks away from camp report date, our third preview features the running backs and coach AJ Smith.

Only one running back that rushed for over 20 yards as a Warrior last year returns in graduate student D'Vaun Bentley (Detroit, Mich. / Loyola [Lawrence Tech].  He ranked second on the squad in 2025 with 190 rushing yards and accounted for one of the team's four rushing touchdowns.

Also returning are redshirt senior Brayden McKenna (Lapeer, Mich.) and redshirt junior Sterling Anderson (Detroit, Mich. / Martin Luther King [Davenport]).  Both McKenna and Anderson had more receiving yards than rushing yards in 2025 (McKenna 60 to 18; and  Anderson 36 to 4).

Two redshirt freshmen return in Malik Shephard (Detroit, Mich. / Henry Ford) and Jermiah Taylor (Detroit, Mich. / Cass Tech).  Neither dressed for any games a season ago.

Incoming freshmen include David Jones (Kalamazoo, Mich. / Loy Norrix), Deavante Deleon (Burton, Mich. / Atherton), and Gary Jefferson, Jr. (Elgin, Texas / Bastrop).  Jones rushed for 607 yards last year despite seeing action in only five games.  Deleon rushed for 1,486 yards in 2025, while scoring 13 touchdowns.  Jefferson rushed for 1,740 yards as a senior along with 479 receiving yards and 250 return yards to total 2,469 all-purpose yards.

Redshirt junior Trent Blackmon (Appleton, Wis. / Appleton North [North Dakota State College of Science]) played in five games over two seasons (2023 and 2024) at NDSCS prior to attending Wayne State last academic year.

Caiden Brantley (Detroit, Mich. / Voyageur College Prep) took a gap year after graduating from VCP in 2025.  He originally committed to Madonna, but chose to be a student at WSU last academic year.

The Warriors have two fullbacks/blasters on the roster in sophomore Haiden Bollini (Sandusky, Ohio / Perkins) and transfer Kyshaun Pemberton (Warwick, R.I. / Rogers [Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College]).  Bollini was selected as the WSU Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2025 after appearing in all 11 games and making four starts.  Pemberton comes to WSU after attending Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College in 2025.  He was at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in both 2022 and 2023 before taking a gap year in 2024.

Other Position Previews
Season Preview
Quarterbacks Preview


 
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Players Mentioned

Sterling Anderson

#3 Sterling Anderson

RB
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
D

#1 D'Vaun Bentley

RB
5' 11"
Graduate Student
Haiden Bollini

#46 Haiden Bollini

BLSTR
6' 0"
Sophomore
Malik Shephard

#33 Malik Shephard

RB
6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
Jermiah Taylor

#43 Jermiah Taylor

RB
5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
Caiden Brantley

Caiden Brantley

RB
5' 8"
Redshirt Freshman
Brayden McKenna

#37 Brayden McKenna

RB
5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
Trent Blackmon

Trent Blackmon

RB
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
Deavante Deleon

Deavante Deleon

RB
5' 11"
Freshman
David Jones

David Jones

RB
6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Sterling Anderson

#3 Sterling Anderson

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
RB
D

#1 D'Vaun Bentley

5' 11"
Graduate Student
RB
Haiden Bollini

#46 Haiden Bollini

6' 0"
Sophomore
BLSTR
Malik Shephard

#33 Malik Shephard

6' 0"
Redshirt Freshman
RB
Jermiah Taylor

#43 Jermiah Taylor

5' 10"
Redshirt Freshman
RB
Caiden Brantley

Caiden Brantley

5' 8"
Redshirt Freshman
RB
Brayden McKenna

#37 Brayden McKenna

5' 11"
Redshirt Senior
RB
Trent Blackmon

Trent Blackmon

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
RB
Deavante Deleon

Deavante Deleon

5' 11"
Freshman
RB
David Jones

David Jones

6' 1"
Freshman
RB