Outstanding seasons from Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley and Baltimore’s Derrick Henry sparked discussion about the “return of running backs” during the 2024 NFL season. While there has long been an existential crisis surrounding the position at the pro level, the importance of running backs has remained steady in college football.
They might not win the Heisman Trophy as often as they used to — thanks to the rise of passing offenses — but the position remains essential. If you look at the best teams in the country each year, you might find a team without an elite quarterback. Nearly all of them, however, have stars at running back.
So, which teams have the best running back rooms heading into the 2025 season? Considering all that, it should come as no surprise that the list is made up almost entirely of teams hoping to make noise in the postseason.
Last year, I listed Penn State as an Honorable Mention and received plenty of heat for it. Consider this an apology of sorts to Nittany Lions fans. Both Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen eclipsed 1,000 yards last season, leading Penn State on a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Both had the chance to leave for the NFL following the season but opted to return to make another run at a Big Ten and national title with the Nittany Lions. Their presence is one of the primary reasons so many are high on Penn State entering the season.
Speaking of things I caught heat for: last year I also said Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was the best running back in the country at a time when Ashton Jeanty was en route to a second-place finish in the Heisman race. I stand by it still. He wasn’t the same workhorse in the Notre Dame offense because he didn’t have to be, but it’s his skill and talent that excite me so much. If you don’t believe me, ask Google.
The reason Love doesn’t need to be a workhorse is because the Irish have Jadarian Price, who rushed for 746 yards and seven touchdowns last season. They also share the load with Aneyas Williams and Kedren Young, who both impressed as freshmen last season. It’s a deep and talented room. The room may be too deep to allow Love to garner serious Heisman consideration, but I still won’t rule it out.
A couple of weeks ago, on the Cover 3 Podcast, we were trying to figure out who the Group of Five Star would be now that Ashton Jeanty was gone. The first name that came to my mind was Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, only to remember Hughes had transferred to Oregon. Such is life as a G5 program these days, but their loss is Oregon’s gain!
Hughes rushed for 1,401 yards and 15 touchdowns last year and looked impossible to tackle at times. He’ll now be the head Duck at the RB spot, but he’ll be spelled by Noah Whittington (540 and 6) and Da’Jaun Riggs.
I originally had Texas third, but knocked them down a spot due to the uncertainty surrounding C.J. Baxter. Baxter missed all of last season after tearing the LCL and PCL in his right knee, and while I’m anticipating he should be fully healthy this year, you never truly know how a knee injury will heal until you see it in action.
That said, Baxter is extremely talented and could prove to be the best back in the country. The beauty for Texas is, even if he’s capable of it, he doesn’t have to be because the Longhorns still have Quintrevion Wisner (1,064 yards rushing and 5 TD) and Jerrick Gibson (377 yards and 4 TD), who gained a lot of snaps following Baxter’s injury last year. There are a lot of good options in Austin.
Louisville is the only team in my top five I don’t consider a title contender, but I do believe the Cardinals are a sneaky playoff option — in part because of what should be an outstanding run game. At this time last year, I couldn’t have told you much about Isaac Brown, and why would I? He was a three-star freshman, checking in at 5’9 and 180 pounds. It did not take long to notice him on the field, though!
Brown rushed for 1,168 yards last year, averaging 7.1 yards per clip. And that wasn’t even the highest YPC on the team, as his backup, Duke Watson, averaged 8.9. This is an explosive duo capable of housing it from anywhere, making the Louisville offense dangerous. In an ACC with plenty of question marks outside Clemson and maybe Miami, these two could help lead the Cards to an outstanding season.
Honorable Mention
- Georgia (Nate Frazier, Josh McCray, Roderick Robinson, Cash Jones)
- Minnesota (Darius Taylor, A.J. Turner, Cam Davis)
- Oklahoma (Jaydn Ott, Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson)
- Texas A&M (Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels, Rueben Owens, EJ Smith)
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