College Football Recruiting 2012: Ranking the Top 25 Running Backs

Round three of our top 25 rock-toter rankings.

Running backs are a coveted position every recruiting cycle as it's a position that can be an impact spot early on for a program. This year, we have several talented rock-toters who I think can play as freshmen and several others I think will be starters after a year or two.

Here are the top 25 running backs in America this 2012 cycle.

25. Vonte Jackson

A slickster as a runner, Jackson stands 6'0", 185 pounds and is a very elusive. He's a got a long and lean frame, and his game based on speed, quickness and agility.

He's primed to rush for over 1,000 yards this season after falling just short at 956 last year.

Jackson is bound for Wisconsin.

24. Jonathan Williams

Williams is a 5'11", 205-pound RB who has a trait I really love in backs—decisiveness.

He has a bit of a no-nonsense approach to running. When he sees a hole or alley forming, he sticks his foot in the ground and bursts to get there.

He shows some juice to scoot through and can beat a linebacker to the alley. Williams also has solid speed and can even factor as a receiver out of the backfield on third downs.

Williams has switched to Arkansas over Missouri.

23. Drew Harris

At 6'1", 205 pounds, Harris is a workhorse type who can shoulder the running game for an offense by himself.

As a junior, Harris carried the ball 227 times for 1,960 yards and 28 touchdowns. His sophomore year saw him tote the rock over 300 times. He's a downhill, physical runner with solid run strength to push piles and break tackles.

For him, it's down to Virginia Tech versus Pittsburgh.

22. Keivarae Russell

Russell is a back who has a game predicated on quickness. He can jump, pick and slide to holes very quickly, get up field in a flash, make a defender miss in tight spaces and has great elusiveness.

He's only 170 pounds, but his 5'11" frame can put on some weight to hold up in college. Russell can also factor as a returner.

Russell is headed to Notre Dame.

21. Jovon Robinson

Robinson is a big, rugged back with a 6'1", 220-pound frame.

He won't wow you with his speed or ability to make dazzling long runs and highlight plays, but at the end of the game, you'll know he was there.

Robinson is very physical, shows good vision, flashes patience and is very decisive in his decision-making with the ball.

He's heading to Auburn.

20. Kenyan Drake

Drake has a chance to really develop into a major part of his offense in college as he has a fine skill-set. At 6'0",195 pounds, he is a super athlete who can really explode with the football.

His burst is extremely apparent on film, and he even flashes soft hands. I can easily see him becoming a jack-of-all-trades type of offensive weapon, where he can split time between the running back and receiver, lining up in the slot on third downs.

He'll do damage at Alabama.

19. Byron Marshall

At 5'10", 195 pounds, Marshall makes most of his money on the edges. He's quick to escape to turn the corner, and if he gets his shoulders square upfield, he's gone.

He easily will be able to be used on sweeps, pitches and screens in college. Marshall is dangerous in space and can split the safeties deep.

He's committed to Oregon.

18. Mike Davis

A smooth and easy going runner, Davis is a shifty type who prides himself on making defenders miss. If you're looking for a back with some wiggle in his style, look no further than Davis.

Weighing in at 5'10", 195 pounds, Davis is dangerous in the open field. But what makes him special is his explosion out of cuts at the junction point of routes in the passing game. Linebackers will have fits trying to cover Davis in college.

He's headed to South Carolina.

17. D.J. Foster

Foster is similar to Drake in playing style, as he also is a dynamic athlete at the RB position.

He's 6'0", 185 pounds and, while he needs to tack on some more mass on his frame, he does show great speed and playmaking ability.

Foster can make a defender miss with some serious shake 'n' bake moves as a RB, and can catch the ball like a receiver.

It comes down to USC versus Cal versus Arizona State for Foster.

16. Warren Ball

Ball is a 6'2", 200-pound running back who is equally good as a receiver out of the backfield. We use the term "every down" back a lot when evaluating running backs, but Ball is the epitome of the term.

He will be able to tote the rock on the first two initial downs, but he will also be able to be used as a featured pass-catcher in the air assault portion of his team's offense. 

Ball is committed to Ohio State.

15. William Mahone

Mahone is like Savon Huggins; a 6'0", 195-pound back with solid pop and quickness. He's a quicker-than-fast athlete who also has good run strength.

Mahone doesn't shy away from tugging it up the middle and will bang with the big boys. He plays faster than many think.

He's committed to Notre Dame.

14. Brian Kimbrow

Kimbrow is a bit undersized for a rock-toter at 5'9", 165 pounds, yet he makes up for it in other ways. The Memphis native claims he has been clocked at 4.25 in the 40-yard dash.

Quick, slippery, elusive and explosive, Kimbrow is a versatile offensive weapon. 

Kimbrow is going to Vanderbilt.

13. Greg Garmon

Big backs with vision are among my favorite types, and Garmon is exactly that. At 6'2", 200 pounds, you can almost see his eyes processing information quickly on tape, and he sees blocks very well.

Once he makes his selection of where to attack, he sticks his foot in the ground and charges upfield, showing excellent speed. He should be an exciting player in college.

He's committed to Iowa.

12. Alex Ross

Ross is a physical runner who never backs down from defenders. At 6'1", 205 pounds, he loves to mix it up in between the tackles and dares tacklers to challenge him in alleys.

Ross gets to and through holes with solid explosion and decisiveness. He wastes no time and knows what he wants to get out of each carry.

Oklahoma has him locked up.

11. Mario Pender

Pender is 6'0", 210 pounds and committed to Florida State.

On tape, the super productive rock-toter shows excellent speed by turning the corner on the perimeter and also skating through interior holes. He can take it to the house at any time.

Pender does a solid job of banging inside, runs tough, is very durable and can break a few tackles as well.

10. Wes Brown

Brown is a very solid running back prospect from the Mid-Atlantic region and has the tools be a complete runner on the collegiate level. He's solid in all areas of his game and stands at 6'0" and 190 pounds.

He can pick and slide to holes, and he has the juice to skate through. Look for Brown to develop into a very solid back down the line.

9. Trey Williams

Williams is not very big, but he's very fast, slippery, explosive, quick and elusive. At 5'8", 175 pounds, Williams is a stick of dynamite in the backfield and can score any time he touches the rock.

He uses his lack of height to his advantage, sliding and hiding behind his line, then darting when he sees a crease. He may not be an every-down back in college, but I still expect him to be very productive.

Texas A&M, Arkansas and Oklahoma State are in the mix.

8. Brionte Dunn

Dunn is your classic big-back prospect. He's a bruiser who does the dirty work in between the tackles and loves to mix it up in run alleys. At 6'1", 215 pounds, he's a chugger who relishes contact.

I like the way Dunn finishes runs and plays to his size upon contact. He's physical and has excellent run instincts.

Dunn's headed for Ohio State.

7. Matt Jones

Jones is a big-back prospect who stands a large 6'3", 210 pounds. Most big backs are stiff, straight-line bruising types, but Jones is the contrary.

He has very good athleticism and has good wiggle for a big back. He is decisive with his reads, hits holes hard and can also be used as a receiver.

Jones is committed to Florida.

6. Barry Sanders Jr.

At 5'9", 190 pounds, Sanders actually does remind you a bit of his dad when you watch him on tape. He has excellent elusiveness and quickness in the open field and just enough long speed to get to the house.

He displays great balance to take hits and shoves in the box, and he can still stay on his feet and get up field. He won't wow you with his stature, but he will with the ball in his hands.

He's committed to Stanford.

5. T.J. Yeldon

At 6'1", 200 pounds, Yeldon is the top RB prospect in Alabama this year. He has excellent size, but has home run potential since he shows a good burst and long speed on tape.

He is very fluid and natural with the ball in his hands, flashes excellent run instincts and good foot quickness. Yeldon has a high ceiling.

He's committed to Alabama, as he has switched from Auburn.

4. Randy "Duke" Johnson

Johnson shows athleticism that speaks to me as being quicker than fast. At 5'9", 180 pounds, he's an elusive ball carrier who can shake and bake with the best of them.

Dangerous in the open field, he always looks for even the smallest crease to skate through and can hide well behind his blockers to pick and slide to holes.

He's headed to Miami.

3. Rushel Shell

At 5'11", 215 pounds, Shell is among the best running backs in the country. He has elite vision, awareness and run instincts to go along with great speed and run strength.

Shell will be an every-down carrier as a collegiate player as he shows the toughness, size and run strength to stay between the tackles, while also solid hands and speed as a receiver out of the backfield.

Shell's committed to Pitt.

2. Keith Marshall

Marshall shows a skill set that is based on speed and quickness. He has a good burst to scoot to the second level, can shake and bake in the open field and has solid run instincts. 

He's an elite-caliber recruit at 5'11", 185 pounds with nimble feet and is a pure home run hitter. Marshall can score from anywhere on the field in every way possible. Great vision, wiggle, elusiveness and playmaking ability all are attached to his name.

Marshall is committed to Georgia.

1. Johnathan Gray

With production that amounts to over 6,000 yards and 109 touchdowns over the past two seasons alone, Gray has a firmly entrenched himself into the Texas and U.S. High school football record books this senior season.

At 5'11", 195 pounds, Gray has elite vision, feel, instincts, elusiveness, speed and quickness. He's as complete a running back as there is in the nation and maybe to come out in the past several years.

Texas has him locked up.