It was the weekend of the running back in North Carolina college football. Two players crossed the 200-yard mark — the first time this season that feat has been reached statewide — as ground games carried the spotlight across multiple divisions.
🏆 Offensive Player of the Week — Jackson Parrish, Barton
Barton sophomore running back Jackson Parrish powered his way into the conference record books, rushing for a career-high 218 yards and a 39-yard touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 34-20 win at Ferrum.
Parrish averaged 8.1 yards per carry and became the first player in Conference Carolinas history to top 200 yards in a single game, earning league Offensive Player of the Week in the process. The Graham native now leads Barton with 466 rushing yards and five touchdowns this season and continues to be the engine behind one of the state’s top Division II offenses.
🔹 Other Top Offensive Performances
ACC RB of the Week – Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
Rushed for 144 yards and one touchdown (66 yards), averaging 9.0 yards per attempt in the Deacs’ lopsided win at Oregon State.
FCS Spotlight – Walker Harris, North Carolina Central
Completed 21 of 27 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns, adding a rushing score in the Eagles’ 45-7 rout of Florida A&M. Earned MEAC Offensive Player of the Week.
FCS Breakout – JJ Cowan, Campbell
Rushed for 142 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries (8.9 ypc), including a 63-yard game-sealer in the Camels’ 38-21 win at Hampton. Cowan’s first 100-yard performance as a collegiate gave him CAA Offensive Player of the Week.
OVC/Big South Notable – Carson Gresock, Gardner-Webb
Recorded a season-high 137 yards on six carries and scored two TDs to lead Gardner-Webb to a 21-10 road win at Eastern Illinois.
FBS Standout – Chris Barnes, Wake Forest
Caught three passes for 102 yards and three touchdowns in the Demon Deacons’ road victory at Oregon State, finishing with 170 all-purpose yards. Picked up ACC Rookie of the Week honors.
Division III Star – Nahjiir Seagraves, North Carolina Wesleyan
Totaled 215 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-38 shootout against Belhaven, matching Parrish as one of the first two players in the state to reach the 200-yard milestone this season.
CIAA Clutch Performer – Alexander Marsh, Shaw
Freshman quarterback directed two scoring drives in the fourth quarter to beat Winston-Salem State, finishing with two passing TDs and one rushing TD.
Road Grader – Ja’Quan Sprinkle, North Carolina Central
The redshirt sophomore earned MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week after grading out at 97 percent and recording five pancake blocks in the Eagles’ win at Florida A&M. NCCU earned 486 yards of offense and produced a 100-yard running back (Chris Mosley).
🏃♂️ Top 10 Single-Game Rushing Performances This Season in North Carolina
| YDS | INDIVIDUAL RUSHING 100+ | DIV | ATT | TD | LONG | AVG | DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT |
| 218 | Jackson Parrish (Barton) | D2 | 27 | 1 | 54 | 8.1 | Week 7 | at Ferrum | W, 34-20 |
| 215 | Nahjir Seagraves (NC Wesleyan) | D3 | 23 | 3 | 75 | 9.1 | Week 7 | Belhaven | L, 38-41 |
| 194 | Rashod Dubinion (Appalachian State) | FBS | 25 | 0 | 26 | 7.8 | Week 2 | Lindenwood | W, 20-13 |
| 193 | Demond Claiborne (Wake Forest) | FBS | 10 | 3 | 85 | 19.3 | Week 2 | Western Carolina | W, 42-10 |
| 174 | Chris Mosley (NC Central) | FCS | 15 | 1 | 49 | 11.6 | Week 0 | Southern | W, 31-14 |
| 173 | Kevin Lalin (Catawba) | D2 | 25 | 1 | 26 | 6.9 | Week 6 | Mars Hill | W, 42-28 |
| 173 | Kyjuan Westmoreland (Greensboro) | D3 | 22 | 2 | 60 | 7.9 | Week 3 | Roanoke | L, 22-32 |
| 172 | Jimmyll Williams (Elon) | FCS | 13 | 1 | 45 | 13.2 | Week 5 | Hampton | W, 41-20 |
| 168 | Chris Mosley (NC Central) | FCS | 11 | 3 | 75 | 15.3 | Week 4 | at NC A&T | W, 62-20 |
| 168 | Nate Sheppard (Duke) | FBS | 15 | 2 | 49 | 11.2 | Week 5 | at Syracuse | W, 38-3 |
More NC Football News Weekly Awards
Team of the Week: Shaw dominates time of possession, fourth-down plays in upset of Winston-Salem State
Defensive Player of the Week: Western Carolina DB Ken Moore Jr. picks off two passes in rout of Furman
Special Teams Player of the Week: North Carolina A&T’s Andrew Brown breaks school record with 55-yard field goal
See Winners from Past Weeks: North Carolina College Football Awards Hub
