Lightweight and Durable: The 10 Best Small RBs in College Football

Small running backs have become the new offensive secret weapon in college football. The days of the bruising power back are not gone, but having a lightweight, speedy and durable back adds a unique dynamic to any offense. 

Looking ahead to the 2012 season, there are 10 small running backs who will receive a lot of focus once the season kicks off.

Some of these backs are already on the preseason radar, while others have quietly destroyed their yards-per-carry averages in the past few seasons.

If you are a fan of speedy and shifty backs who roll down the field like cannon balls, these 10 will be some of the best to watch in the country for the 2012 season. 

Branden Oliver: Buffalo

Branden Oliver has quietly become one of the most impactful backs in the college game in the past few seasons. Phil Steele has Oliver listed as a preseason All-MAC selection—an expectation that Oliver will fill this coming season.

Oliver is a 5’8”, 200-pound back from Miami, Fla. Last season as a sophomore, he averaged 4.6 yards per carry, earned 13 touchdowns and ended with 1,395 yards on the ground. He also added 38 receptions and 365 yards through the air. 

Granted, the Bulls went 3-9 on the season in 2011—a far cry from the MAC Championship season in 2008—but it wasn’t for lack of effort from the backfield. 

Oliver is a rising junior, and with the numbers that he produced last season, he could finish 2012 as a household name from a not-so-well-known team. 

Lyle McCombs: UConn

Lyle McCombs is a Staten Island, N.Y., product who totes the rock for the UConn Huskies. He is a 5’8”, 172-pound back who burst onto the scene as a freshman, producing a 1,000-yard season for the Huskies. 

McCombs averaged 4.2 yards per carry, added seven touchdowns and finished with 1,151 yards on the ground. He also added 19 catches and one receiving touchdown to his resume a year ago. His efforts earned him FWAA All-American honors in 2011. 

During the 2011 season, McCombs started in all 12 regular-season games—finishing six of those with over 100 yards on the ground. Despite his small stature, only one game saw him carry the ball less than 18 times. 

Look for a big sophomore season from McCombs, as his talent could put the Huskies back into the Big East conversation.

Zac Stacy: Vanderbilt

Zac Stacy exploded onto the SEC stage in 2011 with the new James Franklin offense giving him a ton of responsibility and focus.

Stacy is a 5’9”, 208-pound back from Centreville, Ala. 

It isn’t often that major game-changing-type recruits make it out of the Alabama or Auburn backyard, but Stacy is one of those who did. Last season, he rushed for 1,193 yards while averaging 5.9 yards per carry. He also added 14 touchdowns to his stat line. 

Stacy can also be a threat in the passing game, as he caught at least one pass in nine of 13 games for the Commodores last season. According to the Associated Press (via nola.com), he was a second-team All-SEC selection for the 2011 season.

NFLDraftScout.com has Stacy listed as the No. 22 running back in the 2013 draft class. That stock will rise with this season. 

Waymon James: TCU

Waymon James is a 5’8”, 203-pound back from Sherman, Texas.

James is going to have to pick up the slack this season left by former Horned Frog star Ed Wesley, who elected to enter the NFL supplemental draft in June (per NFL.com) after leaving school in May due to family reasons. 

James was part of a dangerous tandem of backs a season ago, but he will be expected to carry the primary load this season. As a reserve back, James earned 875 yards on 121 carries, landing an average of 7.2 yards per carry. 

Athlon Sports has placed James on its All-Big 12 preseason selection team as a third-team back. With limited carries in the past two seasons, that is a stamp of approval for a guy who should be a featured player for the Horned Frogs this season. 

They will need his unique blend of power, speed and shiftiness as they enter Big 12 play this season. 

Isi Sofele: Cal

Isi Sofele was the most under-appreciated running back in the Pac-12 a season ago. By the year’s end, ESPN’s Pac-12 blog by Ted Miller recognized Sofele as the most underrated running back in the conference for 2011. 

Sofele is a 5’8”, 190-pound bruiser who runs much bigger than the frame that he carries. John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle compared him to Manny Pacquiao in November of last year—a testament to the grit and tenacity that he carries on the football field.

Last season, he rushed for 1,322 yards on 252 carries (5.2 yards-per-carry average) and drove home 10 touchdowns.

Expectations are running high for Sofele this season, as NFLDraftScout.com has him listed as the No. 13 back in the 2013 NFL draft. 

De'Anthony Thomas: Oregon

De’Anthony Thomas is one of the most dynamic backs in the country for the 2012 season. At only 5’9” and 160 pounds, he lacks the ideal size to be an every-down option, but his explosive play makes him an instant Heisman candidate for the 2012 season. 

Not only did Thomas burst onto the scene as a freshman, with 595 yards on 55 carries—earning him a stunning 10.8 yards-per-carry average—but he also caught 46 passes for 605 yards and nine touchdowns. Seven touchdowns on the ground and two more in the return game earned Thomas 18 total touchdowns in 2011. 

Thomas is one of the most explosive athletes in the country, even earning preseason watch-list honors for the “Jet Award”—Johnny Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award—for the 2012 season (per Sporting News, via OregonLive.com).

Oregon’s offense will be as explosive as ever, and Thomas will be a major piece of that success. 

Matt Brown: Temple

Matt Brown quietly became one of the most dynamic runners in the country last season as a backup to Temple starter Bernard Pierce, who is now with the Baltimore Ravens. 

Brown is as small as a featured back comes—standing at 5’5” and 170 pounds—but he runs like a Mack truck. Last season, he was able to push for 916 yards on 155 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per carry. In five of 13 games, he finished with more than 100 yards as a backup. 

The Temple rushing offense leaped from No. 67 in the country in 2010 to No. 7 in 2011, per cfbstats.com. A lot had to do with the new offensive scheme implemented by head coach Steve Addazio and offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler, but the players had to carry the rock down the field. 

Brown became a strong presence a year ago for the improved Owls attack, and this season he should improve his draft status.

Brown has also been selected to the CFPA All-Purpose Trophy Watch List for the coming season, as his impact in the return game is also a major part of Temple’s success. 

Dennis Johnson: Arkansas

The big name that comes to mind when thinking of Arkansas running backs is Knile Davis.

Davis was prepared to be the featured back for the Hogs a year ago before suffering a knee injury during fall camp. 

In his stead, Dennis Johnson became a powerhouse runner for the Razorbacks.

At 5’9” and 213 pounds, Johnson is a compact bruiser. He finished the year with 670 yards on 106 carries and three rushing touchdowns. He also added 24 receptions and 255 yards in the passing game. 

Johnson is also a dangerous return man, earning 461 yards and a touchdown from kickoffs. According to Barrett Sallee, who is the SEC Lead Blogger for Bleacher Report, Johnson is the No. 100 returning player in the SEC this season. Sallee mentions that Davis should receive the bulk of the 2012 carries, pushing Johnson back into a reserve role.

His experience and toughness could earn him more touches than most expect—especially with the type of injury that Davis is recovering from. 

Jarred Salubi: Baylor

Jarred Salubi has a leap to make in production this fall. At 5’9” and 210 pounds, he is a bowling ball of a rusher but has lacked the ground production to be considered an early favorite for preseason honors. 

With the loss of Robert Griffin III, the Bears will need a major offensive threat to take the reins. Salubi needs to be that guy. 

In 2011, he finished with 331 yards on the ground off of 58 carries—earning him an average of 5.7 yards per carry. Salubi left spring as the featured back (per OurDailyBears.com), but he will be pushed for time by newcomer Lache Seastrunk. 

Baylor finished the 2011 season as the No. 10 rushing attack in the country, but the bulk of that production came from Griffin III and senior Terrance Ganaway. 

This is Salubi’s year to shine—the Bears need him to. 

Roy Finch: Oklahoma

Roy Finch heads into the 2012 season as the secondary option from the Oklahoma backfield. Dominique Whaley is a rising senior and the lead back, but Finch’s explosiveness will earn him time.

Finch checks in at 5’7” and 166 pounds, but he has put up very good numbers for the past two seasons. He finished 2012 with 605 rushing yards on 111 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.

He also added 296 yards in the passing game for the Sooners.

On a team that is littered with All-Star-type offensive talent, Finch can easily fall under the radar. In eight of 13 games last season, he received less than 10 touches. That will change this season, and Finch will be one of the best scat-back options in the country. 

Finch is also listed as the No. 22 back by NFLDraftScout.com for the 2014 draft class.

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