1) Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M
Coming off the back of his first 1,000-yard-rushing season, Isaiah Spiller was my preseason RB1 through summer scouting. He’d been impressively productive through the first 17 starts of his career with the Aggies, and he possesses all the skills that you look for in a premier NFL running back.
At 6’1″ and 225 pounds, Spiller is built to withstand the rigors of the NFL. The thickly constructed running back has the requisite physicality to succeed, with impressive contact balance and the ability to grind out yardage. As you’d expect, he does his best work between the tackles, but his footwork and vision ensure he can win outside too.
2) Breece Hall, Iowa State
After leading the nation in rushing yards last season, many considered Breece Hall the de facto RB1 of the 2022 NFL Draft class coming into his junior season. As a sophomore, the Iowa State dynamo broke 1,500+ rushing yards while racking up 21 touchdowns (the most rushing first downs in college football) and the second-most running plays over 20 yards.
The Iowa State RB has excellent short-area explosion with decent long speed, natural elusiveness — and importantly — the vision to execute these attributes on the field. Like Spiller, he’s also an asset in the passing game with blocking and catching ability. However, Spiller presents more of a physical presence and has the edge over Hall in terms of contact balance.
3) CJ Verdell, Oregon
A significant lower leg injury suffered against Stanford has deprived college football fans and NFL Draft analysts of potentially another 1,000-yard season from Oregon running back CJ Verdell. After a lackluster performance in 2020 that had seen him become something of a forgotten man, Verdell reminded people that he is one of the top running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft class with big performances on the biggest stage.
Despite measuring between 5’8″ and 5’10” — depending on your source — he is one of the most physical running backs in the nation. He is the epitome of the phrase “angry runner.” He’s tough, strong, and it will often take multiple players to bring him down. Behind that is an athletic profile that contains explosiveness, decent long speed, and impressive contact balance. Verdell has a highly alluring profile as one of the top running backs in the nation.
4) Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
While the top three players have confirmed my preseason assertions about the top running backs in the nation, Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III has emerged out of apparently nowhere to challenge the accepted elite in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
The junior transfer from Wake Forest is the epitome of a sleeper. That in itself is remarkable for a running back who found the end zone 13 times during his sophomore season for the Demon Deacons.
Yet, it’s fair to say that Walker has surprised everybody with his performances this season. Through six games, Walker leads the nation with 913 rushing yards, has averaged 9.1 yards per catch, and is just 4 touchdowns shy of last season’s end-zone production.
5) Zonovan Knight, NC State
The model of consistency through his first two seasons at North Carolina State, Zonovan Knight has upped his game early in the 2021 college football season. In the opening game of the campaign, he tore up South Florida to the tune of 163 yards at 10.2 yards per carry. Knight is currently on pace to top 1,100 rushing yards with a career-high 6.5 ypc.
The junior RB has achieved this while appearing in a running back committee for the Wolfpack. Knight has just 3 more carries than teammate Ricky Person Jr. through Week 6, yet has 116 more rushing yards.
6) Eric Gray, Oklahoma
After building a reputation as one of the top running backs in the nation despite playing in a repulsive Tennessee offense, I expected Eric Gray to push on and flourish in the Oklahoma offense following his transfer to Norman. Unfortunately for Gray, it hasn’t quite been all sunshine and rainbows for the Sooners this season.
After logging four 100-yard games in nine games last season, the junior is yet to push through the mark in six games for the Sooners. He’s yet to find the end zone on the ground, and he’s averaging fewer yards per carry than his freshman season at Tennessee. Furthermore, he’s been overshadowed by teammate Kennedy Brooks.
7) Tyler Goodson, Iowa
Ok, I may have jumped the gun calling Gray the best receiving back in college football. Iowa’s Tyler Goodson has to be the front-runner for the award. While he has just 1 receiving touchdown for his career, Goodson has over 150 receiving yards in each of his three seasons, and he’s averaging a career-high 11.6 yards per catch this season.
While you won’t find Goodson’s name near the top running backs in college football in terms of pure yardage, he has had some standout games. Against Kent State, he racked up 153 rushing yards and was just one shy of a 100-yard game against Indiana.
8) Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
As the Notre Dame offensive line has struggled this season, so has Kyren Williams‘ standing as one of the top running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft class. He was as important to the Fighting Irish last year as Ian Book. This year, however, he’s struggled. Through six games, he’s averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Williams has just 4 rushing TDs.
9) Tyler Allgeier, BYU
The 5’11”, 220-pound running back has the potential to be pigeonholed as a power back due to his build and ability to bulldoze through contact. However, there’s more to Allgeier’s play than just brute force. As demonstrated last season, he is one explosive playmaker. The BYU running back has excellent burst while also possessing the vision that allows the best running backs to create big plays consistently.
10) Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
Having split carries with Scottie Phillips during his freshman campaign, Ealy emerged as the lead back in 2020. In the season opener, he rushed for a score against Florida before adding another just one week later. However, his finest work came in a two-game stretch in early-mid October.
When he put up 120 yards and 2 touchdowns against Alabama, Ealy became one of just six running backs to have achieved that feat against a Nick Saban-led program. The following week, the Ole Miss RB set a career-high 23 carries against Arkansas while adding another 100-plus-yard day to his résumé.
Coming off the back of his first 1,000-yard-rushing season, Isaiah Spiller was my preseason RB1 through summer scouting. He’d been impressively productive through the first 17 starts of his career with the Aggies, and he possesses all the skills that you look for in a premier NFL running back.
At 6’1″ and 225 pounds, Spiller is built to withstand the rigors of the NFL. The thickly constructed running back has the requisite physicality to succeed, with impressive contact balance and the ability to grind out yardage. As you’d expect, he does his best work between the tackles, but his footwork and vision ensure he can win outside too.
2) Breece Hall, Iowa State
After leading the nation in rushing yards last season, many considered Breece Hall the de facto RB1 of the 2022 NFL Draft class coming into his junior season. As a sophomore, the Iowa State dynamo broke 1,500+ rushing yards while racking up 21 touchdowns (the most rushing first downs in college football) and the second-most running plays over 20 yards.
The Iowa State RB has excellent short-area explosion with decent long speed, natural elusiveness — and importantly — the vision to execute these attributes on the field. Like Spiller, he’s also an asset in the passing game with blocking and catching ability. However, Spiller presents more of a physical presence and has the edge over Hall in terms of contact balance.
3) CJ Verdell, Oregon
A significant lower leg injury suffered against Stanford has deprived college football fans and NFL Draft analysts of potentially another 1,000-yard season from Oregon running back CJ Verdell. After a lackluster performance in 2020 that had seen him become something of a forgotten man, Verdell reminded people that he is one of the top running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft class with big performances on the biggest stage.
Despite measuring between 5’8″ and 5’10” — depending on your source — he is one of the most physical running backs in the nation. He is the epitome of the phrase “angry runner.” He’s tough, strong, and it will often take multiple players to bring him down. Behind that is an athletic profile that contains explosiveness, decent long speed, and impressive contact balance. Verdell has a highly alluring profile as one of the top running backs in the nation.
4) Kenneth Walker III, Michigan State
While the top three players have confirmed my preseason assertions about the top running backs in the nation, Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III has emerged out of apparently nowhere to challenge the accepted elite in the 2022 NFL Draft class.
The junior transfer from Wake Forest is the epitome of a sleeper. That in itself is remarkable for a running back who found the end zone 13 times during his sophomore season for the Demon Deacons.
Yet, it’s fair to say that Walker has surprised everybody with his performances this season. Through six games, Walker leads the nation with 913 rushing yards, has averaged 9.1 yards per catch, and is just 4 touchdowns shy of last season’s end-zone production.
5) Zonovan Knight, NC State
The model of consistency through his first two seasons at North Carolina State, Zonovan Knight has upped his game early in the 2021 college football season. In the opening game of the campaign, he tore up South Florida to the tune of 163 yards at 10.2 yards per carry. Knight is currently on pace to top 1,100 rushing yards with a career-high 6.5 ypc.
The junior RB has achieved this while appearing in a running back committee for the Wolfpack. Knight has just 3 more carries than teammate Ricky Person Jr. through Week 6, yet has 116 more rushing yards.
6) Eric Gray, Oklahoma
After building a reputation as one of the top running backs in the nation despite playing in a repulsive Tennessee offense, I expected Eric Gray to push on and flourish in the Oklahoma offense following his transfer to Norman. Unfortunately for Gray, it hasn’t quite been all sunshine and rainbows for the Sooners this season.
After logging four 100-yard games in nine games last season, the junior is yet to push through the mark in six games for the Sooners. He’s yet to find the end zone on the ground, and he’s averaging fewer yards per carry than his freshman season at Tennessee. Furthermore, he’s been overshadowed by teammate Kennedy Brooks.
7) Tyler Goodson, Iowa
Ok, I may have jumped the gun calling Gray the best receiving back in college football. Iowa’s Tyler Goodson has to be the front-runner for the award. While he has just 1 receiving touchdown for his career, Goodson has over 150 receiving yards in each of his three seasons, and he’s averaging a career-high 11.6 yards per catch this season.
While you won’t find Goodson’s name near the top running backs in college football in terms of pure yardage, he has had some standout games. Against Kent State, he racked up 153 rushing yards and was just one shy of a 100-yard game against Indiana.
8) Kyren Williams, Notre Dame
As the Notre Dame offensive line has struggled this season, so has Kyren Williams‘ standing as one of the top running backs in the 2022 NFL Draft class. He was as important to the Fighting Irish last year as Ian Book. This year, however, he’s struggled. Through six games, he’s averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Williams has just 4 rushing TDs.
9) Tyler Allgeier, BYU
The 5’11”, 220-pound running back has the potential to be pigeonholed as a power back due to his build and ability to bulldoze through contact. However, there’s more to Allgeier’s play than just brute force. As demonstrated last season, he is one explosive playmaker. The BYU running back has excellent burst while also possessing the vision that allows the best running backs to create big plays consistently.
10) Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss
Having split carries with Scottie Phillips during his freshman campaign, Ealy emerged as the lead back in 2020. In the season opener, he rushed for a score against Florida before adding another just one week later. However, his finest work came in a two-game stretch in early-mid October.
When he put up 120 yards and 2 touchdowns against Alabama, Ealy became one of just six running backs to have achieved that feat against a Nick Saban-led program. The following week, the Ole Miss RB set a career-high 23 carries against Arkansas while adding another 100-plus-yard day to his résumé.