College Football Rankings: The 25 Best Stables of Running Backs

The college football season may have just ended a month ago, but the next seven months give us plenty of time to cover next year. It's never too early to look ahead to next season as there is so much to touch on. 

In this article we'll be covering the running backs, but not just the most talented backs in college football. This is more about teams that have more than one talented running back. They don't have to be the best the sport has to offer, but when you combine the production of the backs on the team, it has to equal greatness.

Everybody loves the passing game and the quarterbacks, but it's the teams with the great running backs that often experience more success. It's very hard to not be able to run the football and actually accomplish something as a team.

Here are the top 25 teams that are in the best position at running back heading into next season.

25. Cal Golden Bears

Cal had a talented team last season that underachieved. Heading into this season, they have an even better team that should make some noise in the Pac-12. Running back Isi Sofele really made a name for himself last year by rushing over 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns. He should look to have an even better season next year as he'll become the heart and soul of the offense.

Running back C.J. Anderson isn't too bad either as he rushed for 345 yards and nine touchdowns on only 72 touches.

With many key players returning for the Golden Bears and a talented recruiting class coming in, expect this team to surprise some people next year.

24. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Quarterback Taylor Martinez does his fair share of running the football, but you can't leave a team off this list that has a back like Rex Burkhead. He finished the year with over 1,300 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns. He topped 100 rushing yards in seven games last season.

There isn't really a second running back on this Nebraska team worth mentioning, but when your quarterback only completes 56 percent of his passes and runs 188 times, you could mistake him for a running back.

23. Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia really surprised some people last year and should be able to build on that heading into next season with a three-headed monster at running back. The players include Perry Jones, Kevin Parks and Clifton Richardson. Jones was the best out of the three, as he finished with over 900 rushing yards, over 500 receiving yards, threw for a touchdown and even returned a few punts.

Parks and Richardson themselves combined for over 1,000 yards and 13 total touchdowns.

Head Coach Mike London knows how to get the most out of his players, but when you have talented backs like the Cavaliers have, the job becomes that much easier.

22. Iowa State Cyclones

Iowa State was a terrible team last year, even though they did pull off the biggest upset in a win over Oklahoma State. The running game is one of the few things the Cyclones have going for them, as they had six players that ran for at least 200 yards. Four of those players are running backs and they're all returning, with Jeff Woody, Shontrelle Johnson, Duran Hollis and James White leading the way with 743 yards.

Iowa State may not be a great team and these names may not be familiar to you, but this team gets the job done on the ground. After all, that is what this article is about.

21. Oklahoma Sooners

There's a reason the Sooners are one of the favorites to win the BCS National Championship. One is because they have a solid quarterback, but they also have a great running back tandem. Dominique Whaley rushed for over 600 yards last season before missing the final seven games due to injury. That was his first year on the field and he's an absolute beast when he's healthy.

Oklahoma also has two speedsters in Brennan Clay and Roy Finch. Together, they finished the year with over 800 rushing yards and four touchdowns. If Whaley can stay healthy, the Sooners are in a great position with these backs helping to lead the way.

20. Penn State Nittany Lions

There were really only two things that the Nittany Lions were good at last year, and that's defense and running the football. Silas Redd rushed for over 1,200 yards and went over 100 yards on the ground in six games. He is a complete running back who has the ability to really take his game to the next level and become one of college football's best. The Nittany Lions also have a solid player in Curtis Dukes who averaged nearly six yards per carry last year.

Combined, these backs could make the Nittany Lions the top rushing team in the Big Ten next season.

19. Oklahoma State

The passing game of Oklahoma State's high-scoring offense got the majority of the credit last year, but their running game that ranked 58th in the country wasn't too shabby either. Joseph Randle led the team with over 1,200 yards on the ground and 26 total touchdowns. He also caught the ball for a ridiculous 43 times for 266 yards. 

He alone would have been good enough to get himself on this list, but the Cowboys also have a talented back in Jeremy Smith who rushed for over 600 yards and averaged seven yards per carry.

With Oklahoma State losing several key players on the offense, the running game will have to step it up this season. With the talented backs that the Cowboys have, they should be more than up to the challenge.

18. Clemson Tigers

Although Clemson didn't exactly finish the season on the right note, they do have a couple of talented running backs leading the way heading into next year. Andre Ellington returns for his senior season after rushing for over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns. He's a great back to have on any team and has solid acceleration when he gets out in the open field.

Mike Bellamy was a freshman last year who averaged six yards per carry on only 57 touches. Expect his role to expand as he's a speedster with great upside. The Tigers have one of the top offenses in the country and it makes things a lot easier when you have backs like this.

17. Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers may have let Michael Dyer walk, but they will remain good as far as the running back position is concerned. Onterio McCalebb is more than capable of leading this team in the backfield as he's extremely fast and has all of the ability to get the job done. He's averaged more than five yards per touch in his first three seasons.

Tre Mason is another back who has great speed. He only touched the ball 28 times as a freshman, but with Dyer out of the picture, expect his role to expand.

The Tigers are a team on the rise in the SEC after losing the majority of their team after the 2010 season. It starts with the running game, as the quarterback position is still a question mark.

16. Kansas State Wildcats

What a surprise Kansas State was last season. This is a team nobody saw coming, and they ended up winning double-digit games for the first time since 2003. A huge reason for their success was their running game. Sure, quarterback Collin Klein led the team in rushing, but running backs John Hubert and Angelo Pease are a nice little tandem that can get the job done.

Combined, they rushed for over 1,000 yards and had six total touchdowns. They may not be as impressive as some of the other backs on this list, but they are effective and the Wildcats will likely go as far as the running game takes them.

15. Michigan Wolverines

We know that Denard Robinson is going to be the leading rusher for the Wolverines every season, but this team still has talented runners besides him. Fitzgerald Toussaint really turned it on at the end of the year, rushing for over 100 yards in four of the final six games. If he's able to produce that well for a whole season, he may be in the running for a Heisman trophy next year.

Speedster Vincent Smith also showed his ability, averaging six yards per carry and four total touchdowns with only 50 carries.

With the running backs stepping up, Roberson's job will be that much easier and the Wolverines will be even scarier.

14. Eastern Michigan Eagles

The Eastern Michigan Eagles may have finished last year with a sub-par 6-6 record, but it wasn't due to a lack of running the football. They had four players that ran for over 500 yards last season and two of those running backs are returning this season. 

That includes Javonti Greene and Dominque White who combined for 1,263 yards last season and 12 total touchdowns. Both backs are small, have great acceleration and should be able to lead the Eagles to a much more successful season next year.

13. Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue was a very inconsistent team last season, but their running game was dominant as they had four players that had at least 200 rushing yards. Three of those running backs are returning in Akeem Hunt, Ralph Bolden and Akeem Shavers. All three of them averaged at least four yards per carry and Hunt, who was a freshman, averaged a ridiculous 8.7 yards per touch.

These backs really feed off each other, and if they're able to produce like they did last season, they could possibly reach a second consecutive bowl game for the first time since 2006-2007.

12. Missouri Tigers

Missouri also has a dual-threat quarterback in James Franklin who rushed for 981 yards last year, but even without him in the picture, the Tigers are in a great position. Henry Josey rushed for over 1,100 yards a season ago, and that's with missing the final three games due to injury. Because we're not sure when he will come back, the Tigers are a little lower than they probably should be.

With that said, running back Kendial Lawrence had a solid junior season, rushing for over 500 yards in limited action and scoring five touchdowns. 

If Josey is able to return by opening day, the Tigers will have one of the most talented offenses in the SEC. Without him, they still have a talented team, and it starts with the running game.

11. South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina finished the year ranked 25th in the country in rushing yards, and that's with Marcus Lattimore missing the final six games due to an injury. Well, now he is back and ready to go and will likely defend his title as the top back in the SEC. In the last one-and-a-half seasons, he's rushed for over 2,000 yards and has had 30 total touchdowns. Amazing, right?

Running back Brandon Wilds should also get several carries as he had an impressive freshman year, averaging 4.5 yards per touch and racking up over 600 total yards.

Don't overlook this team in the SEC next season.

10. Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs have one of the most explosive running back tandems in the country. Isaiah Crowell maybe didn't exactly fulfill expectations last year rushing for only 850 yards, but he's too talented not to pick it up next year. He's still one of the fastest players in the country and has touchdown ability every time the ball is in his hands.

Pair him up with Keith Marshall who is another back that has great speed and big play ability, and this is a team that will give the opposing defense fits.

Georgia is going to continue to make noise in the SEC and may be the next team from the conference to win a BCS National Championship.

9. Texas Longhorns

There are very few teams in the country that have as bright of a future as the Texas Longhorns. I mean, seriously, this is a team that had two freshmen rush for over 400 yards last year. What type of production do you think they'll be able to put up next season with a year under their belt?

Malcolm Brown is one of the most talented players at the position and has ridiculous upside. Joe Bergerson is a solid compliment to him as he averaged 6.4 yards per touch last year. And the Longhorns added one of the top backs in this year's class in Johnathan Gray who runs with great speed and has excellent vision of the field.

All three of these running backs are a recipe for success in the Big 12.

8. Alabama Crimson Tide

Great teams are always able to replace great players with great talent. Alabama is one of those teams that will be fine with Trent Richardson heading to the NFL, and that's because they have a powerful running back in Eddie Lacy who has averaged over seven yards his first two seasons. He won't blow you away with his speed, but he will lower his shoulder and punish the defense. Alabama also has an under-the-radar player in Jalston Fowler who averaged seven yards last year as well.

With Lacy likely heading to the NFL after this season, they picked up a talented back in T.J. Yeldon who will also see some touches next year as well. 

Quarterback A.J. McCarron is improving extremely quickly, and with running backs like this, it'll only make his job that much easier.

7. Stanford Cardinal

Andrew Luck is on his way out, which likely means more touches for the running backs. Stepfan Taylor did a great job last year averaging 5.5 yards per carry and finishing with 1,330 rushing yards. He also had 25 receptions which is the second year in a row where he finished the season with at least 20 catches.

Tyler Gaffney averaged over six yards per carry a season ago as he doubled his production from 2010 with nearly the same amount of touches.

The Cardinal has also added Barry Sanders Jr. to the mix this year in recruiting, which will only help this program moving forward. With the offensive line Stanford has and the amount of talented backs, this team should remain a force in the Pac-12.

6. TCU Horned Frogs

Surprised?

The TCU Horned Frogs may have gone unnoticed in the MWC, but did you know that they had three running backs that rushed for over 700 yards last season? All three of them are also returning next season with Waymon James, Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker.

Those three are a huge reason for the Horned Frogs' success and why they ranked 19th in the country in overall rushing yards. With this team heading into the Big 12, they should receive a bit more credit and, with a three-headed monster, could have early success in their new home.

5. Texas A&M Aggies

Much like several teams on this list, the Aggies are also losing a talented back in Cyrus Gray who rushed for over 1,000 yards and had 15 total touchdowns. They do, however, have a talented back in Christine Michael who averaged six yards per carry but fell just short of 900 rushing yards.

The Aggies also added a speedster in Trey Williams who is arguably the top running back in this year's recruiting class. He has breakaway speed and threatens to go the distance every time the ball is in his hands.

Texas A&M was the 23rd best rushing team in the country last year and should produce that well again, especially with the backs they have heading into the SEC.

4. Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas had one of the top passing teams in the country but lacked a running game. Ronnie Wingo and Dennis Johnson are talented players but aren't good enough to carry a team by themselves. With Knile Davis coming back from injury, this team will become even more explosive, adding dimension to the offense they lacked last year. 

This will also allow Wingo and Johnson to play their roles as the backups and become more productive in a more limited role. Davis rushed for over 1,300 yards with 13 touchdowns in 2010 and will arguably be the overall top running back in the SEC next season.

3. Wisconsin Badgers

Anytime you have last year's leading rusher on your team, you have to be pretty high on this list. Montee Ball put the NFL on hold for another season and is bringing all 1,923 rushing yards and 39 total touchdowns with him. He's an absolute workhorse and absolutely kills defenses with a great combination of speed and power.

Running back James White is also returning, and he did a fantastic job last year rushing for 713 yards with only 141 attempts. These two backs were a huge reason this team ranked 11th in the country in rushing yards last season.

Both of these players are very good at what they do, and with questions at the quarterback position, their workload may increase even more next season.

2. Oregon Ducks

We all know the Oregon Ducks are losing Heisman candidate LaMichael James to the NFL draft, but that doesn't mean this team is going to hurt at the running back position. That just means that speedster De'Anthony Thomas is going to get even more touches, which means it's going to become even more difficult to slow down the Ducks' explosive attack.

Running back Kenjon Barner, who's averaged over six yards per carry his first three years, will also see a bigger role next year as well. Much like Thomas, he is also a fast running back that is fantastic in the open field. He's also an underrated receiver as he has had 30 receptions combined in the last two seasons.

Oregon averaged nearly 300 yards per game last year on the ground. Something tells me they will be able to match that production again next season.

1. LSU Tigers

Is there any team that is deeper than the LSU Tigers at the running back position? If so, please name them.

The Tigers were the 22nd best rushing team in the country last year, averaging over 200 yards per game on the ground. All three of their leading rushers are returning, including Michael Ford, Spencer Ware and Alfred Blue. All three of them bring something new to the table and make things extremely difficult for the opposing defenses. It's one thing to have one solid back on the field, but with three on the field, the defense never gets a break.

There's a reason LSU is always one of the top rushing teams in the country, and heading into next year, they have the personnel to remain one of the elite rushing teams.

Randy Chambers is a B/R featured columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail].