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Stadium Rant
Ranking The Top 10 Running Backs In College Football
By William Luke Hendrick,
9 hours ago
After the success of the top ten quarterbacks in college football ranking, it only made sense that running backs would be the next position group to assess.
Whether it's a transfer player or a player who has been in his program for a few years, this list will feature the top ten running backs in college football with a few honorable mentions.
Having Ollie Gordon II at the top of this list is a no-brainer. After starting slow in the first three games, totaling 19 carries for 109 yards and two touchdowns, everything changed once the Cowboys started using Gordon II as the offense's focal point.
He ran for over 100 yards in eight of his next nine games, having massive performances against West Virginia and Cincinnati. He ran for 282 yards against the Mountaineers and 271 against the Bearcats. He ended the year with 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns, finishing seventh in Heisman odds.
The Cowboys boast the nation's top offensive line leading the way for him, returning all starters from last season with a combined 200 starts. The next milestone for Gordon II is to become the first running back to win back-to-back Doak Walker Awards since Jonathan Taylor in 2019.
After having a fantastic start to his career at Ole Miss, Quinshon Judkins earned SEC Freshman of the Year honors and first-team All-SEC. He rushed for 1,567 yards and trailed only Hershel Walker for the most rushing yards by a freshman. The following season, his rushing yards and average yards per carry went down, but he still led the SEC in rushing touchdowns with 15.
Judkins transferred to Ohio State in January, joining another running back on this list, to form the best one-two punch in the nation.
Despite playing behind an offensive line that ranked outside the top 100 in run blocking, Omarion Hampton still finished fifth in rushing yards, leading the nation with 1,027 yards after contact. His 1,504 yards last season ranked second for the Tar Heels all-time in a single season. With quarterback Drake Maye off to the NFL, Hampton will see heavier boxes and face stiffer challenges running the ball this season.
Tahj Brooks returning for his fifth season was one of the biggest wins in the off-season for the Red Raiders. The semi-finalist for the Doak Walker Award led the nation in missed tackles (96) and was fourth in yards (1,547) and yards after contact (998). He was also incredibly efficient, with 96 carries resulting in a first down or a touchdown, per PFF . Brooks is only 1,083 yards away from becoming Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher.
No running back in the nation is more critical to their squad than Jaydn Ott. When Ott rushes for over 150 yards, the Golden Bears are 4-1; when he rushes for under that number, they are 1-6. He's also one of the best receivers out of the backfield, with 517 receiving yards over the last two seasons (sixth among the Power Four running backs).
TrevVeyon Henderson has two years with injury concerns but was still the bell cow back for the Buckeyes last season, leading Ohio State in both yards and touchdowns. Now he's joined by Ole Miss transfer Quinshon Judkins to form the best running back duo in the country. Judkins should help with the workload, as the Buckeyes are likely using them as a running back committee.
Ashton Jeanty started as a backup for the Broncos, but after starting back George Holani went down in week one, Jeanty never looked back. He ran for 1,374 yards and 14 touchdowns while being a weapon out of the backfield as a pass catcher with the most receiving yards by any running back.
RJ Harvey had a breakout season in 2023, rushing for the sixth-most yards (1,416) and is also tied for the sixth-most missed tackles (74) in the nation. He's one of the best homerun backs in the country, with 17 carries of 20-plus yards, trailing only Ollie Gordon II, per PFF .
Donovan Edwards served as the backup behind Blake Corum last season but with Corum off to the NFL, college football fans will see Edwards in a full-time role in 2024. The last time Edwards was the bell cow back was during the 2022 season, he ran for 216 yards vs Ohio State, 185 yards at Purdue, and 119 yards versus TCU in the playoffs. He ended the 2023 season strong, rushing for 104 yards and two touchdowns on six carries against Washington, helping Michigan win their first National Championship since 1997.
Marcus Carroll had the tenth-most rushing yards (1,350) in the nation at Georgia State and entered the transfer portal back in December. He committed to Missouri and has his work cut out for him in 2024. Carroll will replace Cody Shrader, who had the third most rushing yards (1,627) last year.
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