Ranking college football’s 10 best running backs for 2023
9:00 AM ET ESPN personnel The majority of college football’s biggest spring games have come and gone, and now it
‘s time to flash forward to August and the upcoming season.Two of the biggest questions as the summer methods: Which offense will be the most explosive, and which players will be behind that production? We’ve currently knocked out the leading 10 quarterbacks heading into the 2023 season, and next up are the running backs.Here are the names ahead of the fall slate.Eleven press reporters voted on a ballot with 10 points to the first-place running back down to one point for the 10th-place RB.
Blake Corum racked up 1,463 backyards on the ground before a torn meniscus and sprained MCL restricted him against Ohio State and kept him out of Michigan’s postseason. Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports Year: Senior 2022 statistics: 1,463 hurrying yards, 18 hurrying touchdowns, 80 receiving lawns, 1 receiving touchdown Points: 105 points( 9 of 11 first-place votes)Corum’s return to the Wolverines carries some surprise following his All-America 2022 season and the appreciation he got. Jim Harbaugh stated Corum is the best college back he has coached, while Biff Poggi, who coached Corum both in high school and at Michigan, explained him as having tones of both Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. A late-season knee injury hindered Corum’s Heisman Prize opportunities and ultimately brought him back for a final season with the Wolverines. If healthy, he will be the centerpiece of Michigan’s offense alongside another back consisted of here, Donovan Edwards.A mix of power, shiftiness and speed propels Corum, a Doak Walker Award finalist who won the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football as Big Ten MVP. Last season, he finished 11th nationally in total hurrying backyards(1,463)and connected for fifth in hurrying goals(18 )regardless of
basically missing Michigan’s last 3 games (he had two carries versus Ohio State )and sharing brings with Edwards. Restricted early by Michigan’s uneven nonconference wins, Corum bullied his way in Huge 10 play, averaging 24.1 carries and 152.8 lawns in the 8 league games prior to his injury. The small-town kid from Virginia go back to the huge phase this fall as he tries to end up being Michigan’s very first Heisman winner since Charles Woodson in 1997.– Adam Rittenberg Year: Sophomore 2022 stats: 1,567 hurrying backyards, 16 rushing goals, 132 receiving lawns, 1 touchdown Points: 85 points(2 of 11 first-place votes)It’s a marvel Judkins ever left state. However the previous three-star recruit wasn’t the toast of Alabama and didn’t sign with the Tide or the Tigers. Credit Ole Miss for seeing his potential, because after
last season, Judkins isn’t going to be ignored ever again. As a freshman, he led the SEC in rushing backyards(1,567
)while also setting the single-season hurrying record at
Ole Miss for lawns and hurrying goals (16 ). CBS called him its freshman of the year. And, according to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Judkins was so well thought about that opposing coaches tried to tempt him away by means of the transfer website. He stayed, signing a name, image and likeness offer that will keep him as the focal point of the Rebs ‘offense.– Alex Scarborough Year: Junior 2022 stats: 1,443 hurrying yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 271 receiving backyards, 2 getting touchdowns Points: 71 How do you fly under the radar with a label like Rocket? But that’s exactly what occurred with Sanders last season thanks to Arkansas’ substandard 7-6 finish. The offense as a whole struggled, due in large part to quarterback KJ Jefferson battling injuries. However Sanders more than held up his end of the bargain, ranking second in the SEC in rushing yards( 1,443 )and third in rushing touchdowns (10). A healthy Jefferson might make a quick Sanders even better
, and the 2 might form among the very best QB-RB hurrying duos in the SEC.– Scarborough Year: Sophomore 2022 statistics: 1,061 rushing yards, 12 hurrying goals, 85 receiving backyards, 1 getting touchdown Points: 53 Among the most obvious upgrades to Penn State’s offense last fall was its running game, and much of that can be credited to the emergence of Singleton, the Big Ten’s 2022 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Behind a greatly improved offensive line, Singleton supplied a one-two punch with Kaytron Allen, and with both returning this fall, the Nittany Lions need to be a more severe contender in the Big Ten’s East Division.”[ Nicholas], his physical characteristics are a lot of speed and power,” offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich told ESPN.”You get the straight-line ability to bust a run and go the distance whenever. He’s very hard. He supplies a great deal of motivation the way he plays. He’s reasonably quiet, but I see him getting more vocal leadership every day. He understands the plan and comprehends the protections effectively.”In 2021, Penn State had one of the worst running games in the country but made a quantum leap last season, improving from No. 118 in hurrying yards per game(107.8)to No. 45 in 2015 at 181.1. With Singleton continuing to improve on catching the ball out of the backfield, he might contribute much more this fall.– Heather Dinich Year: Junior 2022 stats: 991 hurrying lawns, 7 rushing touchdowns, 200 receiving lawns, 2 getting goals Points: 48 The”other” Michigan running back is a truly great one, and he might continue to make his mark in his 3rd season with the Wolverines. Edwards in fact arrived as a more decorated hire than Corum– ESPN rated him as the No. 4 running back and No. 68 general player in the 2021 class– however has actually had to fall in line, first behind Corum and Hassan Haskins and then behind just Corum last season. However Edwards flashed in the No.
2 role, taping 173 hurrying backyards and 2 touchdowns as Michigan ran over Penn State. He likewise filled out very well after Corum’s injury, rushing for 520 lawns and 3 goals versus Ohio State, Purdue( Big 10 national championship) and TCU (College Football playoff semifinal). Edwards is Michigan’s home run player and among the nation’s finest. He had touchdown runs of 85 and 75 backyards versus Ohio State as Michigan pulled away in the fourth quarter. Edwards ranked fourth nationally in runs of 40 yards or longer with six, including four in his last 3 games as Michigan’s primary ball carrier. His 7.1 yards-per-carry average last season ranked third in Michigan history. He’s likewise a capable receiver, taping 38 receptions in his very first two seasons. His use will be fascinating with Corum’s return, but Edwards brings a volatility to Michigan’s offense that ought to not be lost in what could be his last season with the group.– Rittenberg Braelon Allen will be playing under a brand-new offensive plan this season after hurrying for 2,510 backyards and 23 goals as a freshman and sophomore. Image by John Fisher/Getty Images Year: Junior 2022 stats: 1,242 hurrying lawns, 11 hurrying touchdowns, 104 receiving backyards Points: 47 Wisconsin’s offense will have a make over this fall following the hire of offending planner Phil Longo, but that does
n’t suggest the Badgers are abandoning the running game completely in favor of the Air Raid offense. Instead, a more powerful death game must create more chances for Wisconsin’s star running back. With brand-new coach Luke Fickell on the sideline, Allen ran for 116 yards and scored on a 20-yard goal in
the Surefire Rate Bowl win over Oklahoma State. It was an efficiency he’s capable of building on in the brand-new offense, but he needs to stay healthy. Allen played through a shoulder injury late last season, and he likewise missed the Minnesota game because of an ankle injury.The 7-6 2022 season was irritating for everybody within the program, consisting of Allen, whose production declined a little from his freshman season when he wasn’t even a full-time starter. Under previous coach Paul Chryst, Wisconsin was a run-first, pro-style offense driven by its big offensive linemen, however it also became predictable. With less protectors in the box this fall to represent what Wisconsin hopes will be a respectable death game, Allen must reassert himself as one of the best running
backs in the country.– Dinich Year: Junior 2022 stats: 1,058 rushing yards, 5 hurrying touchdowns, 299 receiving backyards, 3 goals Points: 39 Among Oregon’s great transfer portal discovers ended up being Irving, and the Ducks required him after playing their first season given that 2017 without CJ Verdell or Travis Dye in the backfield. In spite of committing to Minnesota out of high school(he didn’t play his senior year throughout the 2020 COVID-19 season) and investing his freshman season with the Gophers, he moved to Oregon, anticipating that a more creative offense would much better fit his game.Irving was right, as he developed into the Pac-12’s third-leading rush with 1,058 yards. He and Noah Whittington became a two-back force that became challenging to stop all season. They became the very first set of Oregon colleagues since 2018 to each rush for 100-plus yards in the same game on Nov. 12 vs. Washington, with Irving hurrying for a career-high 149 yards and Whittington adding 106. In 2022, Irving even showed he may be able to toss the football a bit, finishing 2 passes for 36 yards and a touchdown to Ducks QB Bo Nix. The 2023 season must be another huge one in the backfield for Irving and the Ducks, as he, Whittington and Jordan James all return.– Harry Lyles Jr. Year: Junior 2022 statistics: 1,182 rushing lawns, 15 rushing touchdowns, 242 receiving lawns Points: 32 In two years at Clemson, Shipley has actually been something of an enigma. As a freshman, he battled injuries on an offense that had a hard time strongly. Still, Shipley was a silver lining in an otherwise uninspired year for the Tigers. He rushed for 739 backyards and 11 touchdowns, with the bulk of his success coming by the season’s second half, as Clemson reeled off 6 straight wins to close out the year. It was enough to indicate Shipley as an emerging star, a near safe bet to break out as a sophomore in
2022. Instead, Shipley’s follow-up campaign was … good. Excellent, however a touch shy of great.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Shipley had five 100-yard games. He scored 15 touchdowns. He topped 1,100 lawns on the ground. He included 38 catches and more than 300 backyards as a kick returner. By any reasonable requirement, he was remarkable. However Clemson once again lost three games and Shipley sporadically disappeared from the game plan, spurring fan complaints. He was terrific, many fans believed, however could not he be even better?That question might be responded to in 2023. Clemson has a brand-new offensive planner in Garrett Riley, who crafted one of the most dynamic hurrying attacks in the nation a year back at TCU. It has a brand-new QB in Cade Klubnik, and there’s ample factor for optimism that a more
respected death game will open running lanes for Shipley, too. Furthermore, Shipley’s adaptability could result in him flourishing in the death game, too, comparable to Travis Etienne’s last seasons at Clemson.The ceiling for Shipley is enormous, and for the much better part of the past two years, he has brought an otherwise mediocre Clemson offense. In 2023, there’s a chance the stars align and Shipley and the Tigers are all at peak production. If so, he may be the best back in the country.– David M. Hale Year: Redshirt junior 2022 stats: 990 hurrying lawns, nine rushing touchdowns, 144 receiving yards.Points: 29 Injuries sidetracked Benson’s career at Oregon, and even when he came to Florida State in the spring of 2022, there were huge concerns about whether he might thrive in a lead role. He tantalized FSU fans throughout in 2015’s spring game, but Mike Norvell
alleviated Benson into the offense early on. He had 10 carries or less in each of his first six games against FBS challengers last season, however it sufficed to flash the potential that made him such an intriguing prospect.After racking up 69 lawns on simply seven brings in a Week 7 game versus Clemson, however, it was clear there was no more holding Benson back.Over the season’s last 6 games, Benson carried 100 times for 618 backyards and six touchdowns with 18 runs of 10 or more lawns. He topped the 100-yard mark four times, consisting of 168 versus Syracuse and 111 against SEC rival Florida. By year’s end, there was no question the Seminoles had a growing star.In 2023, there will be no reducing Benson into the deep end. With the transfer of Treshaun Ward(Kansas State ), Benson is the specific RB1 for FSU, and while the Seminoles still have some good depth at the position, there’s every reason to think he’ll get more than 200 touches. What Benson does with that type of workload is no longer an enigma. The expectation is that he’ll remain in the mix for All-America honors.– Hale Year: Junior 2022 stats: 1,382 hurrying lawns, 9 rushing touchdowns, 219 getting yards Points: 29 The Golden Eagles required a huge year out of Gore in their first season in the Sun Belt, and he didn’t disappoint. The child of one of the most reliable running backs to ever play the game, Gore helped run Southern Miss to a 7-6 (4-4 )record in their first season in what has turned into one of the very best conferences in the Group of 5.
For the more casual viewer, you might keep in mind Gore and his dad scoring a touchdown on the very same weekend in 2020. More just recently, Gore ran for an NCAA bowl-record 329 yards and accounted for 3 goals to help Southern Miss hold back Rice 38-24 in the 2022 LendingTree Bowl, complete with a cameo from his thrilled auntie. After that efficiency, Southern Miss head coach Will Hall said, “He’s a special man. He ‘s actually learned how to be a leader. He’s actually found out how to deal with the duty of being Frank Gore Jr., and he has embraced that, and he’s
embraced the whole offer of ‘to whom much is offered, much is needed.'”Much will be required of Gore once again in 2023, as the
Golden Eagles will rely on him through another fall.– Lyles Jr.