Florida 2026 RB Max Jones helps Bellevue win Washington state title
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
A move from Palm Beach, Florida, to the state of Washington proved extremely fruitful for Max Jones (5-11, 201). The Class of 2026 tailback was instant offense in Bellevue High School’s scheme rushing for 1,133 yards with 18 touchdowns. The end result was a 3A state championship for the Wolverines and Jones forcing college football programs to take notice.
Jones is the type of back who puts his foot in the ground and is gone. RNG got Jones to speak about his running style, “I am running as hard as I can, I am aggressive, and I do whatever it takes.”
How the Wolverines were feeding Jones the rock was detailed.
“We run a Wing T,” Jones said. “A lot of my runs are pretty much up the middle, in the six to seven hole. There are some outside, but not many sweeps. I am mostly up the middle-hard runs.”
In the third game on the schedule, after back-to-back loses against Central Catholic and Lake Stevens, Jones took over getting Bellevue back on track to win 11 consecutive.
“My best game was probably against Liberty,” Jones stated. “That was the first game I started; our starter got hurt. That was my best because I had 268 rush yards and three touchdowns off 16 carries.”
Getting the unique perspective of playing against Florida and Washington competition, Jones was asked about the differences.
“I feel like Florida players are more aggressive and the speed is different,” Jones shared. “Florida is a hot spot for football. The athletes are different; it is a different type of play.”
Once his sophomore season is completed, Jones will be a three-sport athlete.
“I ran track last year (100, 200), and I am playing lacrosse,” Jones said. “I have never played lacrosse before; I’m doing it to stay in shape.”
In between the extracurricular activities, Jones will continue to work on sharpening his gridiron skills.
“This offseason my focus is on lifting, getting stronger, speed and agility, and my footwork,” Jones stated.