College Football 2012: Most Difficult Running Backs to Replace

Last week, we took a look at the quarterback position across the country. By highlighting the most difficult quarterbacks to replace, we kicked off our jaunt here at Your Best 11 through the ranks of the college football world. To end the week, we take a look at the workhorses of the game—the running backs.

There are a handful of guys who didn't quite make the list, but they will most certainly be missed by their respective schools. Daniel "Boom" Herron at Ohio State, Terrance Ganaway at Baylor and Ronnie Hillman at San Diego State immediately come to mind. We didn't forget about them, folks.

Herron's loss will be felt, but with Urban Meyer's new system being installed at Ohio State, the Buckeyes will find a way to run the ball. As for Ganaway—that's a big loss for the Bears. But they have bigger fish to fry in finding a quarterback on their roster. Hillman was the toughest to exclude of all. The kid got it done for the Aztecs, and what happens this year with Walter Kazee and Adam Muema should be interesting.

While those guys didn't make the list, we do have five running backs who did.

Trent Richardson, Alabama

The top back in the NFL draft was just a monster for the Tide once he had his chance to truly take over the Alabama offense. He ran with power. He had the speed. He could make people miss, as we saw in the Ole Miss clip that seemed to be on repeat in the second half of the season. Richardson, simply put, was one of the best running backs any of us were able to see in the last few years.

Now, the job goes to Eddie Lacy. Lacy's shown flashes in the 'Bama offense, but the rising junior is missing the spring, and he has big shoes to fill.

However, unlike some of the other running back candidates, Lacy is blessed with a returning quarterback and an offensive line that would make 99 percent of college football coaches jealous. He knows his job: get positive yards, don't fumble and make plays when he can. Pretty simple. And he has the bodies in front of him to do it. While he won't duplicate Richardson's dominating running style, the people in Tuscaloosa are in good hands.

Chris Polk, Washington

What do you do when you've posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons and 26 total touchdowns at the running back spot? Head to the league, if you're Washington's Chris Polk. This kid is absolutely special, and while everyone marveled at the rapid maturation of Keith Price, it was Polk who was the Steady Eddie of the Huskies offense. Polk was reliable, he was explosive, he got the tough yards and he was one of the nation's true studs at the running back position.

Up next for Washington are Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey. The two come in with some experience and solid yards-per-carry averages, but now the spotlight will be on them. Callier has seen plenty of action, carrying the ball more than 120 times in his career, and the job as Washington's premier back is currently his to lose. Sankey played some as a freshman last year, and he'll get a shot to push Callier as the two backs duel going into the fall.

The situation at Washington is a bit more pressing than at Alabama, as the Huskies lose their top two targets at the wide receiver position. As new receivers grow into the role of primary pass-catcher, Price and Steve Sarkisian will lean on these two backs to get things done. They have to be ready come Day 1 to step into the limelight.

Doug Martin, Boise State

We had Kellen Moore on our list of quarterbacks, and we're going to drop Martin on this list as well. The NFL draft prospect ended his career with two 1,200-plus-yard seasons and a lot of wins for Boise State. Filling his shoes, in terms of impact alone, would be a mighty job for his backup. The problem is Martin's backup, D.J. Harper, has also left the Broncos. That leaves Drew Wright as the lone experienced candidate to step into the role. 

Throw in the fact that the Broncos lose the winningest quarterback in FBS history and their offensive coordinator going into 2012. Boise State rebounded just fine when they lost Bryan Harsin to Texas in 2011. This year, losing Brent Pease to Florida will be felt a bit more than the previous loss, though.

Replacing a coordinator is one thing; replacing a coordinator as you try to find a starter at quarterback is a bit different. The positive is that Chris Petersen is at the helm, and as long as he's been there, the Broncos have produced on the field. 

Update: DJ Harper is back for Boise State after being granted a 6th year of eligibility. That's a plus for the Broncos.

Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati

Pead has been starting since his freshman year, and each season, the running back has improved upon not only his production but also his overall contribution to the team. In 2011, that improvement culminated in Pead being the heart and soul of the Cincinnati squad.

Now, Cincinnati is moving forward without Pead and quarterback Zach Collaros. That is no small task, and while Munchie Legaux will do his best to replace Collaros, the running back position has its own big shoes to fill.

George Winn should be the guy for the Bearcats, but it will be a tall order to replace a guy like Pead, who was so active in every facet of the Cincinnati offense. Running the ball is a start, but Pead also brought in 39 catches and was able to make the big plays when the Bearcats needed them.

For a team hoping to get back to a BCS bowl, Cincinnati is placing a lot of weight on the running back spot, and we will find out quickly if Winn is capable of carrying the team to where they want to go.

David Wilson, Virginia Tech

Wilson had to bide his time in Blacksburg before becoming the Hokies' premier ball-carrier. He sat out a season with Ryan Williams at the spot. Then, Darren Evans was the lead dog. Finally, in 2011, Wilson got his shot, and in putting up 1,700 yards, he did not disappoint. He proved to critics, myself included, that he was fully capable of being an every-down back and not just a speed guy or a return man.

Who replaces Wilson full time is anyone's guess; Josh Oglesby also graduates, and the Hokies' other backs with experience, Daniel Dyer and Tony Gregory, have not shown much in their limited action. Frank Beamer and his team do have a knack for finding running backs who can produce, but this situation will be an interesting one. The Hokies get Logan Thomas back for Year 2 as the starting quarterback, but they lose three of their top five pass-catchers from 2011. 

The things that Wilson was able to do with the football in his only year as the premier back were just remarkable. While Trent Richardson was the clear-cut best in terms of power and speed, Wilson did a lot of things at the position that no one else in the nation could do. The junior's balance and body control were truly unmatched. Trying to fill that void is going to be a big job for whoever gets the nod for the Hokies.