CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The biggest question mark for the Southeast Missouri football team is at running back.
 
SEMO is working to replace its all-time leading rusher Geno Hess who ran for 5,119 yards and 63 touchdowns in six seasons with the Redhawks. Hess broke seven career records during his phenomenal career.
 
Five of the eight running backs on this year's roster are newcomers.
 
SMU transfer Brandon Epton, Jr. is expected to be the Redhawks starting tailback this season.
 
Epton, Jr. spent the last three seasons with the Mustangs. He did not see action in 2023 and redshirted after playing in four games during the 2022 campaign. That year, Epton, Jr. ran for 11 yards on five carries and had one kick return for 21 yards. In 2021, he saw action in eight games and registered 32 carries for 94 yards and three touchdowns.
 
Freshman Payton Brown is behind Epton, Jr. on the two-deep.
 
Brown was a First-Team All-Conference, All-District and All-State running back at Hillsboro High School. He ran for 1,605 yards and 26 touchdowns on 152 carries as a senior. Brown also accumulated 2,054 all-purpose yards and scored 208 points his final prep season.
 
Darrell Smith, Cole Ruble and Skyler Young are the returning running backs from a year ago.
 
Smith was limited to four games due to a shoulder injury in 2023. He ran for 61 yards on 18 carries.
 
Ruble redshirted after playing in each of the final three games of his freshman season. He gained 17 yards on nine attempts and caught one pass for five yards.
 
Young also redshirted in 2023.
 
Freshmen Jacorey Love, Brandon Brigham and Jamarion Smith are the rest of the running backs.
 
Love attended Liberty North High School, where he was a three-time All-Conference, All-District and All-State running back. He ran for 3,623 yards and 54 touchdowns in his career.
 
Brigham is out of Homewood-Flossmoor High School, the same high school as former SEMO and current Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Ryan Flournoy.
 
Smith, from Portageville High School, won the Carr Trophy as the top player in the area. He ran for 2,463 yards and 47 touchdowns in his final prep season. That season rushing yardage total ranked him 21st all-time in Missouri State High School Activities Association history.
 
SEMO's backfield had a 1,000-yard rusher in six of the last nine seasons.

Madison Bunch is in his first year as SEMO's running backs coach. Bunch was last in Cape Girardeau as the Redhawks recruiting coordinator and wide receivers coach during the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference championship season.