College Football

College Football: Top 10 returning running backs entering the 2025 season

  • Jeremiyah Love leads the way: The rising Notre Dame junior is the best returning running back in college football.
  • Penn State is home to two of the top six: The Nittany Lions have the best running back duo in the nation between Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

With the 2024 college football season in the books, it’s time to turn our attention to 2025 by ranking the top returning players at every position.

Next up is running back. The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded at the position, but there are still plenty of talented backs returning to school.

Below is a list of PFF’s top 10 returning running backs in college football, in addition to an honorable mention nominee. Please note that NFL projection was not taken into account in these rankings.

1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish’s elite run game and stellar defense led them to the national championship game this past season, and the former should still be present in 2025 thanks to Love. 

The sophomore was the second-most valuable running back in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, while his 91.0 PFF grade ranked fifth. Love’s 38% forced missed tackle rate placed second among Power Four running backs this past season, and his 6.9 yards per carry ranked third. His fantastic athleticism allows him to run through or hurdle defenders, making him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.

2. Isaac Brown, Louisville

Brown wasn’t even among the top 40 running back recruits coming out of high school. The former three-star disproved that immediately and is now the runner-up for the title of “best running back in college football.” 

He ran for 1,168 yards as a true freshman, the most of any returning Power Four tailback. Brown’s 7.2 yards per carry also led all Power Four running backs, returning or not. What he lacks in size (5-foot-9, 190 pounds) he makes up for with game-breaking speed and quickness. 

Isaac Brown: 2024 PFF Grades
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3. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

Singleton surprised many when he decided to return to Happy Valley for his senior season after he was a projected Day 2 pick for the 2025 NFL Draft. His 1,106 rushing yards in 2024 trailed only the aforementioned Love and Brown among returning Power Four backs, while his 6.4 yards per carry stood eighth in the Power Four. Love is also the only returning halfback in college football who was more valuable than Singleton in 2024, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.

Singleton is also a more dynamic receiver out of the backfield than the two above him on this list, tallying 682 receiving yards over the past couple of seasons — the fifth most of any FBS running back during that span and the most among returning Power Four rushers. His seven receiving touchdowns are also tied for the most in the nation during that timeframe. Singleton has great size for the position at 6-foot-1 and 226 pounds, as well as the speed to take it to the house from anywhere on the field.

4. Jonah Coleman, Washington

Coleman has been one of college football’s most efficient runners since he arrived on the scene three years ago. Across his two seasons at Arizona and one with the Huskies, Coleman has posted a 95.4 career PFF rushing grade, tying for fifth among FBS running backs in that span. No other returning running back is even in the top 15.

He’s a human bowling ball at 5-foot-9 and 229 pounds with quicker feet than you’d expect for his size. The rising senior’s average of 4.6 yards after contact per attempt since 2023 ranks third among FBS running backs, while his 35% forced missed tackle rate in that span is tied for second among Power Four running backs.

Coleman is no slouch as a receiver, either, placing 15th among Power Four tailbacks with 509 yards after the catch since 2023. He and new quarterback Demond Williams Jr. should form a dynamic backfield in Seattle next year.

5. Makhi Hughes, Oregon

Following two outstanding years at Tulane, Hughes joined Oregon as one of the offseason’s top transfer targets.

He posted 1,982 rushing yards after contact across his first two seasons of college football. Only Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton tallied more in that span, and they’ll likely be the first two running backs selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Hughes’ 2,776 rushing yards since 2023 are the most of any returning FBS running back by 476 yards. His 92.2 career PFF overall grade ranks second to only Jonah Coleman among returning FBS players at the position. He doesn’t add much as a receiver (247 career receiving yards) and will need to prove he can sustain his dominance in the Big Ten, but there’s no denying Hughes is one of the best tailbacks in college football based on how he’s looked in just his first two years of college football.

6. Kaytron Allen, Penn State

The thunder to Nick Singleton’s lightning, Allen also announced his return for his senior season, thus giving the Nittany Lions the best backfield in college football entering 2025. 

Allen’s 92.5 PFF rushing grade since 2023 is a top-15 mark and ranks second among returning Power Four backs, as do his 2,000 rushing yards in that span. He ranks third among the same group with 1,266 yards after contact and 83 forced missed tackles. Allen isn’t a threat as a receiver and doesn’t have home-run speed, but he’s proven to be an extremely efficient runner who grinds out tough yards. 

Kaytron Allen: Career PFF Grades
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7. Darius Taylor, Minnesota

Taylor has been a do-it-all back for the Golden Gophers across his first two seasons. His 79.9 PFF receiving grade since 2023 leads all Power Four halfbacks, and his 1,317 yards after contact in that span rank second among returning Power Four runners.

He has good size at 6 feet and 215 pounds with long strides and the mentality to punish any defensive backs who try to tackle him.

8. Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh

There isn’t a better receiving back returning to college football than Reid. After excelling at Western Carolina for two seasons, he made the jump to the FBS and led all running backs with 580 receiving yards this past season. His 540 yards after the catch ranked second in the nation to only Cam Skattebo.

While his size (5-foot-8, 175 pounds) will likely preclude him from being an every-down back, he still tied for fourth among ACC tailbacks with a 23% forced missed tackle rate in 2023. Not to mention, he returned a punt for a touchdown. Reid is simply an electric player who should be given designed touches in any way possible.

9. Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech

Haynes has been one of the nation’s most productive backs over the past couple of seasons with the Yellow Jackets. His 2,005 rushing yards since 2023 rank first among returning Power Four backs, and his 1,145 yards after contact rank fourth.

Haynes also has 856 rushing yards before contact over the past two seasons, the most of any returning Power Four tailback. Since Georgia Tech has garnered average PFF run-blocking grades over the past two seasons, much of Haynes’ production can be attributed to defenders struggling to even get a hand on him because of his fantastic quickness. 

10. Jahiem White, West Virginia

White hasn’t handled as many carries as others on this list, but he’s made the most of every opportunity. His 35% forced missed tackle rate as a sophomore tied for third among Power Four running backs, and his 6.5 yards per carry career average ranks fourth among all running backs since 2023. 

He’s an elite athlete at 5-foot-7 and 195 pounds and is set to be the bell-cow for the Mountaineers as a junior, with quarterback Garrett Greene off to the NFL and fellow tailback CJ Donaldson Jr. transferring to Ohio State.

Honorable Mention: Jaydn Ott, California

Ott entered last year as PFF’s No. 4 running back in college football but had a disappointing junior campaign, rushing for just 385 yards. Much of that was due to a nagging ankle injury and the fact that the Golden Bears finished with the 20th-worst PFF run-blocking grade in college football (54.1). 

Ott still deserves an honorable mention here because of his dominance over his first couple of seasons. Across 2022 and 2023, his 108 forced missed tackles were the sixth most among Power Four tailbacks, his 1,394 yards after contact were the seventh most and his 517 receiving yards were the sixth most.

Now fully healthy, Ott should have a massive bounce-back senior season.

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