Ranking the 10 Best Freshman Running Backs in 2014
Did you know that 10 true freshman running backs combined for 54 games of 100-plus yards in 2014?
That amounts to 8,718 yards in only 54 games (or 161.4 yards per game) by a handful of 18-year-old kids who were all in high school this time last year.
Each of these 10 true freshman backs represents a story of performance meeting opportunity. In other words, each back had to convince the coaching staff, either by his skills or out of necessity, that he was the go-to guy.
So while we can compare stats straight up, not everybody got started at the same time.
10. Brian Hill, Wyoming
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Though LSU’s Leonard Fournette and Florida State’s Dalvin Cook are both contenders for the No. 10 slot, Wyoming’s Brian Hill exploded in the last five weeks of the season, outpacing the more well-known duo.
Hill had only 20 carries in the Cowboys’ first seven games before becoming the go-to guy in Week 9’s road trip to Colorado State. Since then, he’s had 126 carries for 752 yards, posting an average of 150.4 yards per game. If that was his season average, he would the No. 4 back in the FBS.
Included in the streak were 100-plus-yard performances in five of his six starts and a 281-yard game in the 45-17 win at Fresno State.
Hill came to Wyoming as a 2-star prospect from Belleville, Illinois. If he continues his pace into next season, he’ll become the Cowboys’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Devin Moore racked up 1,303 in 2009.
9. Marlon Mack, USF
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Marlon Mack is one of only eight freshman running backs to post 1,000-plus rushing yards in 2014.
He has averaged 86.75 yards per game (No. 49 in the FBS) for a total of 1,041 (No. 48) on 202 carries. This makes him not only the Bulls’ No. 1 rusher but also one of only seven freshmen with 200-plus touches.
Mack posted 100-plus-yard games four times, including ringing up 275 yards and four scores in his career debut versus FCS Western Carolina. He’s USF’s first 1,000-yard back since 2005, when Andre Hall rushed for 1,374 yards on 270 carries.
Mack was a 3-star prospect from Booker High School in Sarasota, Florida, whom Rivals.com had as the No. 48 running back in the class of 2014.
8. Justin Jackson, Northwestern
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Northwestern’s Justin Jackson is No. 29 in the FBS in total yards (1,187) and No. 35 in yards per game (98.92). His 245 carries are No. 17 overall and No. 2 among freshman backs.
Jackson posted three consecutive 100-plus-yard games twice this season, all against Big Ten foes and Notre Dame. The high points were 162 versus Wisconsin and then 149 in the upset win at Notre Dame.
He wrapped up the year by averaging 142 yards in the final three games, resulting in a 2-1 run for the Wildcats.
Jackson came to Northwestern as a highly touted, 4-star prospect from Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Illinois. Rivals.com had him as the No. 14 running back in the nation and the No. 156 player overall in the class of 2014.
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7. Larry Rose III, New Mexico State
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New Mexico State’s Larry Rose is one of only five freshman backs to average 100-plus yards per game this season.
He ranks No. 27 in the FBS in yards per game (110.2) and No. 38 in yards (1,102), despite not playing in the games at UTEP and LSU.
Rose posted 100-plus yards in five of his 10 outings and four of his final five games. Included were a 181-yard day versus Texas State and a 229-yard blast against Louisiana-Lafayette. He averaged a whopping 145 yards during his last five appearances.
Rose was a 2-star prospect from Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Texas, in the class of 2014. He is the Aggies’ second 1,000-yard back in 14 years and the most prolific rusher since 2000, when Chris Barnes ran for 1,131.
6. Ray Lawry, Old Dominion
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Old Dominion’s Ray Lawry is another back who got a late start, earning only 20 touches in his first five games but carrying the ball 114 times in the final seven.
Lawry averaged 78.92 yards per game on the season (No. 60) but improved to 113 in his final seven appearances. This included a 29-yard performance in the 30-27 win over Louisiana Tech in a game that he left with a head injury after only 10 carries.
He surpassed the 100-yard mark five times with the season high coming via a 213-yard day in the closer at Florida Atlantic.
Lawry’s 7.07 yards per attempt is No. 22 in the FBS and No. 1 among freshman backs with 100-plus carries. His 16 touchdowns are No. 13 in the nation and No. 3 among the freshman.
He came to the Monarchs as a 3-star prospect in the class of 2014 from Kingsway Regional High School in Woolwich, New Jersey.
As a sidenote, Old Dominion didn’t have a football program from 1941 to 2008, was an FCS Independent from 2009 to 2010, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association from 2011 to 2012, an FCS Independent again in 2013 and moved up to the FBS Conference USA this season.
5. Royce Freeman, Oregon
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The leading rusher for the No. 2 team in the land is true freshman Royce Freeman, a 4-star prospect from Imperial, California, whom Rivals.com had as the No. 8 running back in 2014. The last time the Ducks had a freshman lead the team in rushing was in 2009, when LaMichael James ran for 1,546 yards and 14 scores.
Freeman is No. 36 in the FBS in yards per game (98.75), No. 30 in yards (1,185) and No. 13 in touchdowns (16).
He posted 98-plus-yard performances in each of his last seven starts and went over the 100-yard mark in five of those games. Highlights were 169 yards versus Washington and 135 at Oregon State.
Freeman rushed for 999 yards in Pac-12 play, averaging 111 yards per game against conference opponents.
4. Nick Wilson, Arizona
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What’s amazing about Arizona’s Nick Wilson is that he’s No. 11 in the FBS in yards per game (114.82), despite not playing versus USC and having fewer than 15 carries in five other games.
That means he’s racked up 1,263 yards (No. 25 in the FBS) and 15 scores (No. 17) in what amounts to only six games with 20-plus carries.
Wilson has gone 100-plus yards seven times, including a three-game streak to open the season and then a four-game run to close out the year. His best two games came at the end: a 218-yard, three-score performance at Utah and a 178-yard, three-touchdown day in last week’s win over Arizona State.
Wilson is from Central East High School in Fresno, California. He was a 4-star prospect whom Rivals.com had as the No. 23 running back in 2014.
3. Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan
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No freshman running back has rushed for more yards in 2014 than Western Michigan’s Jarvion Franklin. He ranks No. 9 in the FBS in yards (1,525), No. 12 in yards per game (127.08) and is tied for No. 2 in touchdowns (24).
Only Melvin Gordon has rushed for more scores (26) than the trio of backs at No. 2: Franklin, Pitt’s James Conner and Boise State’s Jay Ajayi.
Franklin has seven 100-plus-yard games, including a four-game streak from Oct. 11 to Nov. 1 when he averaged 162 yards per game against Ball State, Bowling Green, Ohio and Miami (Ohio).
He’s scored three touchdowns in six games and had his best day in Week 3 when he hung up 211 yards and three scores in a 45-33 win at Idaho.
Franklin was a 3-star prospect from Andrew High School in Tinley Park, Illinois. He’s Western Michigan’s first 1,000-yard back since 2009 (Brandon West, 1,113 yards) and the first 1,500-yarder since 2000 (Robert Sanford, 1,571).
2. Samaje Perine, Oklahoma
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Oklahoma’s Samaje Perine’s 427-yard day versus Kansas on Nov. 22 set the FBS single-game rushing record, beating out Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon who just a week earlier had hung up 408 on Nebraska.
Perine is another freshman who got a late start, as he was used sparingly on 32 carries in his first three outings before finally getting 34 touches in the Week 4 game at West Virginia. He didn’t waste the opportunity, racking up 242 yards and four scores.
Perine is No. 6 in the FBS in touchdowns (19), No. 9 yards per game (129.82), No. 15 in yards (1,428) and No. 30 in yards per carry (6.67).
Not only can he claim four 100-plus-yard days this season, but he has had two 200-plus yard outings (the 242 at West Virginia and 213 at Texas Tech) and then the record-breaking 400-yard day versus Kansas.
He averaged 156 yards per game in his last eight and still has the regular-season finale versus Oklahoma State remaining.
Perine came to Oklahoma as a 4-star prospect from Hendrickson High School in Pflugerville, Texas. Rivals had him as the No. 13 running back and the No. 153 overall player in the class of 2014.
1. Nick Chubb, Georgia
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Georgia’s Nick Chubb took over the running duties for the Bulldogs after starter Todd Gurley was suspended after the fifth game of the season.
This took him from being a back who averaged 6.2 carries to 22.1, including the game versus Auburn when Gurley returned briefly (for 29 carries) before being lost again, this time to injury.
Chubb averaged 106.75 yards per game through the entire season (No. 28 in the FBS) but posted a 132.13 in the last seven outings. He had a consecutive streak of 100-plus-yard performances against SEC defenses (plus FCS Charleston Southern).
He hung up 143 yards on Missouri (the No. 25 ranked rushing defense in the nation), 156 on Florida (No. 13 in rushing D) and 202 at Arkansas (No. 23). In other words, he didn't earn his numbers against a string of underwhelming opponents.
Chubb ranks No. 23 in yards (1,281) and No. 27 in touchdowns (12). Though these aren't all-world numbers, remember that he gained 1,057 yards and scored 10 times in only seven games. That's 83 percent of the output coming down the stretch, against the stiffest opposition.
He’s Georgia’s most prolific freshman back since Gurley pounded 1,385 yards in 2012. Only Gurley did it in 222 carries, while Chubb did it in 187. Chubb had 6.89 yards per carry versus 6.24 for Gurley.
He came to Georgia as a 4-star from Cedartown High School in Cedartown, Georgia. Rivals.com had him as the No. 6 running back and the No. 35 overall player in the class of 2014.
Statistics courtesy of CFBStats. Recruiting data courtesy of Rivals.com.
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