Sports Because the college football season approaches, or no longer it is far the time of year the effect fans and analysts alike wreck down the discontinuance players around the country.
While quarterbacks reign supreme at any level of football, the running assist space has been one with several superstars to emerge in the last decade.
With so many inconceivable players on the distance this year, FOX Sports school football experts Michael Cohen and RJ Young every ranked their high 5 running backs sooner than the 2024 season.
Let’s rob a search:
RJ:
1. Ollie Gordon II , Oklahoma Allege
The reigning Doak Walker Award winner and unanimous All-American averaged 6.1 yards per persist with it 285 speeding attempts in 2023. Meaning he’s the most attention-grabbing FBS participant who averaged bigger than 6 yards per flee and 20 rushes per game. He ran for over 1,700 yards and accounted for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage last year.
2. Jarquez Hunter , Auburn
Hunter has averaged higher than 6.0 yards per carry for his occupation at Auburn, which manner that if he modified into as soon as requested to contain the rock as on the overall as Gordon, he’d likely effect up Gordon-admire numbers. In a sport the effect a bell cow tailback feels admire a luxurious merchandise, Auburn has a participant it’ll depend on to rep laborious yards and be explosive in the SEC.
3. TreVeyon Henderson , Ohio Allege
Henderson rounds out a trio of tailbacks that can enter the 2025 NFL Draft and arrive off the board on Day 1. After a radiant freshman marketing campaign and a down sophomore year, he led the Buckeyes in speeding with 926 yards at 5.9 yards per clip last year. But his superpower is his explosiveness and his capability to rob over a game when obligatory, admire he did last September when he tore off a 61-yard fling that proved to be the variation in Ohio Allege’s 17-14 get well from Notre Dame .
4. Quinshon Judkins , Ohio Allege
One of the most fundamental greatest splashes in the switch portal this offseason modified into as soon as Judkins’ decision to leave Ole Leave out and be half of Ohio Allege. Two years ago, he earned recognition because the most attention-grabbing newcomer and freshman offensive participant in the SEC, speeding for 1,567 yards — 2nd all-time for a freshman in the SEC in the assist of Georgia sizable and Heisman winner Herschel Walker. Following one other 1,100-yard speeding season, he’s with out considerations one in every of the 5 easiest tailbacks in the game. And yes, Ohio Allege has two of these.
5. Omarion Hampton , North Carolina
No participant loved extra of a coming-out-celebration in the ACC last year than Hampton, who no longer easiest led the league in speeding (1,504 yards), but accomplished fifth in the country whereas carrying the rock with regards to twenty times per game.
Michael:
1. Ollie Gordon II , Oklahoma Allege
Gordon bought first-crew All-The united states honors and modified into as soon as named the Doak Walker Award winner last season after main the nation in speeding with 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns. He modified into as soon as one in every of easiest two non-quarterbacks to total among the many discontinuance seven in last year’s Heisman Trophy vote casting alongside Ohio Allege wideout Marvin Harrison Jr . and can provide a enhance to upon his seventh-hiss discontinuance in 2024. A summer arrest for suspicion of DUI clouded his offseason with damaging consideration.
2. Quinshon Judkins , Ohio Allege
His decision to switch from Ole Leave out to Ohio Allege despatched shock waves by the college football panorama in January because the Buckeyes secured one in every of the most attention-grabbing tailbacks in the country the past two years. Judkins enters 2024 coming off assist-to-assist seasons with on the very least 1,000 speeding yards and 15 ratings, statistics that are even extra impressive involved by he’ll be a real junior this drop. He and fellow tailback Henderson must always contrivance the game’s easiest RB tandem.
3. Omarion Hampton , North Carolina
The oldschool in-hiss recruit exploded into one in every of the most attention-grabbing running backs in the country all over his first year because the Tar Heels’ starter in 2023. Hampton led the ACC and accomplished fifth nationally in speeding with 1,504 yards and 15 touchdowns to develop 2nd-crew All-The united states honors from the Associated Press. No participant averaged bigger than Hampton’s sign of 115.7 yards per game last season on fewer speeding attempts (19.5 carries) per week.
4. Ashton Jeanty , Boise Allege
Kansas and California had been the most attention-grabbing two energy-conference capabilities to produce Jeanty, a three-smartly-known person prospect from Texas, a scholarship out of high college. He brushed these provides apart in desire of the Broncos and grew to change into an instantaneous contributor with 976 scrimmage yards as a freshman (seven touchdowns) and 1,916 scrimmage yards in 2023 (19 touchdowns). Jeanty’s sensible of 159.7 scrimmage yards per game led the country last season, edging Oklahoma Allege’s Gordon by 12 yards per game.
5. Kyle Monangai , Rutgers
There are more than likely three or four diversified flashier, extra statistically performed tailbacks that would possibly maybe well be featured in this space, but Monangai is deserving when involved by his general importance to the Scarlet Knights. He led the Colossal Ten in speeding with 1,262 yards last season on a crew that ranked 127th in passing offense. Opponents knew Monangai modified into as soon as going to dawdle the ball and quiet couldn’t discontinuance it. He by no manner fumbled in 242 attempts.
RJ Young is a national school football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast ” The Number One College Football Instruct. ” Observe him at @RJ_Young and subscribe to “The RJ Young Instruct” on YouTube .
Michael Cohen covers school football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Colossal Ten. Observe him at @Michael_Cohen13 .
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