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1. Joshua Jacobs 5’9 209 Alabama Junior
- Jacobs is getting a ton of love from the scouting community with good reason. Flew up the boards and is now RB1. He played a variety of roles in the Tide offense such as catching out of the backfield and had several key blocks in a fullback type. He’s a solid athlete. The stats don’t flesh out the real story as he was in part of a committee. He’s very good.
Games Watched: 2018 vs Auburn , 2018 vs Tennessee
2. David Montgomery 5’11 216 Iowa State Junior
- Montgomery held the title of best running back in the class for a long time until Jacobs usurped him. He has elite footwork in both the run and pass game. Can make defenders miss with regularity. Not afraid to mix it up and run through defenses to get those extra yards. One cut and go. Lateral agility is a major plus. Speed is a question as he doesn’t really run away from defenders. Decent route runner. Production was similar to 2017 so consistency is there.
Stats (2017 in parentheses): 257 carries (258) 1,216 yards (1,146), 4.7 ypc (4.4), 13 TDs (11)
Games Watched: 2018 vs Oklahoma , 2018 vs West Virginia , 2018 vs Kansas State
3. Devin Singletary 5’9 200 Florida Atlantic Junior
- The best running back that no one is talking about. He had a monstrous 2017 with 1,918 yards and 32 touchdowns. Really blew up as a sophomore under Lane Kiffin’s guidance. The 2018 season hasn’t been as productive but he’s still a solid back. He’s the all time leader in rushing touchdowns by a player who attended a FBS school in the state of Florida. That’s an impressive accomplishment given the talent that has come out of the state. 2018 stats: 261 carries, 1,348 yards 22 touchdowns. 5.2 ypc
Games Watched: 2018 vs Oklahoma, 2018 vs Louisiana Tech
4. Darrell Henderson 5’9 200 Memphis Junior
- Henderson exploded onto the scene as a sophomore but he skyrocketed as a junior with 1,909 yards and 22 touchdowns on 8.9 ypc. He’s a dynamic athlete that can play bigger than his size indicates. One of the best running backs that no one talks about but should get drafted early. He’s a home run threat on every carry.
Games Watched: 2018 vs UCF, 2018 vs Houston
5. James Williams 5’11 195 Washington State RS Junior
- Williams is a versatile athlete for a running back. He’s equally adept at the running thing and also receiving out of the backfield. The stats and film back it up as he leads the team in rushing and receptions. I love his film. He’s vaulted into the top five on my board based on his 2018 film. He should test well during the offseason.
Games Watched: 2018 vs Oregon, 2018 vs Washington
6. Trayveon Williams 5’9 200 Texas A&M Junior
- Williams is an experienced SEC back that can catch out of the backfield with the best of them. He has the athleticism and an improved vision to see the angles and holes opening up. Has picked up injuries here and there on a consistent basis. Williams posted 1,760 yards and 18 touchdowns on 271 carries. Also had 27 receptions and 278 yards.
Games Watched: 2018 vs Alabama, 2018 vs LSU
7. Benny Snell 5’10 223 Kentucky Junior
- Snell is probably the most underrated running back in the country due to the depth of the class and the program he plays for. A physical power back that can pound the rock at least 30 times without fatigue. Pass blocking is a plus. Vision and IQ are a plus as well. Rarely has yards for loss on his resume.
8. Justice Hill 5’10 190 Oklahoma State Junior
- Hill is the main guy on the Cowboys offense as a junior after waiting his turn behind Mason Rudolph and the receivers. He’s one of the best backs in the nation. Lateral agility is a plus. Vision is up there with the best.
9. Elijah Holyfield 5’11 215 Georgia Junior
- If the name sounds familiar, it is. Elijah is the son of the boxing great Evander Holyfield. He bided his time behind the vast array of Georgia star backs until he broke out as a junior himself posting 159 carries for 1,018 yards and seven touchdowns in a timeshare with Deandre Swift (who’s in the running for RB1 in 2020). Surprisingly declared as a junior. A powerful force inside the tackles.
10. Damien Harris 5’10 216 Alabama Senior
- He took a bit of a backseat to Josh Jacobs in 2018 but is a talented prospect in his own right. Football IQ is very good. He’s very instinctive as a runner and knows where and how to attack a defense. Takes what he can get and goes down. Knows what he is and doesn’t deviate from that much. A power back. The biggest knock is that he doesn’t have that home run speed to run away. Straight line runner with very little lateral agility.