Predicting the SEC's Top 7 Breakout RBs in 2015
The 2014 season was a banner year for breakout running backs in the SEC, as Georgia's Nick Chubb, Auburn's Cameron Artis-Payne, Mississippi State's Josh Robinson, LSU's Leonard Fournette, Tennessee's Jalen Hurd and Alabama's Derrick Henry all became bona fide superstars.
Who's next?
The SEC is loaded with talented running backs just waiting for the chance to shine, and many of them will get that chance in 2015.
Who will be the breakout running backs next season in the conference? Our top seven choices based on opportunity, talent and scheme are in this slideshow.
Florida RB Adam Lane
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Kelvin Taylor and Matt Jones provided a nice one-two punch at running back for the decidedly one-dimensional Florida offense in 2014, but with Jones gone to the NFL, Taylor is left looking for a running mate under new head coach Jim McElwain.
Enter: Adam Lane.
The 5'7", 222-pound bowling ball had 16 carries for 109 yards and one touchdown in the 28-20 win over East Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl, proving that perhaps he should have earned more than the eight mop-up carries he received during the regular season.
New running backs coach Tim Skipper seems excited about his new toys:
"New Florida #Gators running backs coach @CoachTSkip talks about his backs: @_Powellbp4, @Kelvintaylor21 & Adam Lane pic.twitter.com/tQoDREF2jw
— Mark Wheeler (@InsideTheGators) January 15, 2015"
Taylor will likely get the majority of the first-team carries, but since Florida is still in search of a passing game, McElwain will have to get creative with how he uses his running backs. That means more chances for Lane on the ground and perhaps as a receiver out of the backfield.
Auburn RB Jovon Robinson
2 of 7Auburn has had quite a bit of success hitting the junior college ranks over the last few years. Quarterback Cam Newton and running back Cameron Artis-Payne have both exploded on the Plains after successful stints in the junior college ranks.
The next in line is running back Jovon Robinson.
The No. 1 overall junior college prospect, who signed with Auburn initially out of Wooddale High School in Memphis, Tennessee, re-signed with the Tigers on junior college national signing day in December 2014. He rushed for 811 yards and nine touchdowns last season for Georgia Military College, according to the National Junior College Athletic Association, and he led all junior college running backs with 2,387 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2013.
Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has produced 12 1,000-yard rushers in nine seasons as a college head or assistant coach, and at 5'11", 225 pounds with quick feet, Robinson is a perfect fit for what he wants to do offensively.
Toss in a scheme in 2015 that should be more pass-happy with quarterback Jeremy Johnson, and the holes for Robinson to run through will be the size of the Grand Canyon.
South Carolina RB David Williams
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After two successful seasons as the No. 1 running back for South Carolina, Mike Davis jumped early to the NFL and left a gaping hole in the Gamecocks backfield.
Luckily for head coach Steve Spurrier, there are options available.
Brandon Wilds, a 6'2", 222-pound redshirt senior, will likely enter the season as the No. 1 back, but keep an eye on redshirt sophomore David Williams. At 6'1", 214 pounds, Williams is also capable of taking the pounding between the tackles, but he also has the jets to be a weapon in space.
He rushed for 256 yards and two touchdowns last season, essentially serving as the third-string running back in Columbia, and he is the most complete back of the trio of returning Gamecock ball-carriers that includes speedster Shon Carson.
Spurrier has evolved into a coach who's more conservative during his time in the Palmetto State, which means Williams should have plenty of opportunities to make noise in 2015.
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Ole Miss RB Jordan Wilkins
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Ole Miss' glaring problem last year was the absence of a between-the-tackles running game.
Jaylen Walton led the Rebels with 586 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns, quarterback Bo Wallace notched 121 carries for 199 yards and five touchdowns, and I'Tavius Mathers had the third-most carries on the team with 67 for 290 yards and three touchdowns.
Late in the season, Jordan Wilkins began to emerge.
He rushed for 45 yards in the win over Tennessee in mid-October, 171 in the win over Presbyterian in early November and had two carries for 42 yards in the 31-17 Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State.
Mathers was one of two Rebel running backs to transfer this offseason, which leaves Walton (5'8", 166 lbs) and Wilkins as the two most experienced backs on the roster. Walton will still be featured on the edge, but another year in the strength and conditioning program and more experience for the offensive line should allow Wilkins to provide the between-the-tackles punch Ole Miss desperately needs.
Vanderbilt RB Ralph Webb
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Raise your hand if you knew Vanderbilt nearly had a 1,000-yard rusher last season.
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Redshirt freshman Ralph Webb nearly did that, as he rushed for 907 yards and four touchdowns for a team that was plagued by inconsistency from its revolving door of quarterbacks and was forced to play from behind more times than not.
Not a bad debut but his encore should be better.
Webb will return in 2015 and benefit from the presence of first-year offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig. What was Ludwig known for at Wisconsin? Pounding the rock.
Webb will break the 1,000-yard mark in 2015 and confirm his status as one of the best SEC running backs that nobody talks about.
Alabama RB Kenyan Drake
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Kenyan Drake served as the changeup back in Tuscaloosa through the first five games of the season, before a gruesome leg injury suffered against Ole Miss in Alabama's fifth game of the season ended his year.
It was a promising season before the injury.
Drake had already notched 112 rushing yards and four touchdowns and caught five passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns before the injury.
He'll be back in 2015, and according to Michael Casagrande of AL.com, he should be a full-go for spring practice.
At 6'1", 202 pounds, Drake will be counted on to be the "lightning" to Henry's "thunder" in the Crimson Tide backfield. What's more, the Crimson Tide will be without its top three receivers and will have a new quarterback, which means more chances for Drake as a running back and a receiver in 2015.
Texas A&M RB Tra Carson
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Psst...Jake Spavital...run the football.
Spavital was a little too pass-happy this year as Texas A&M's offensive coordinator, as the Aggies ran 514 pass plays and 421 rushing plays despite having inexperienced quarterbacks Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen serving as his signal-callers.
Not the best recipe for success.
Tra Carson led the Aggies with 581 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the season, and he will be back to lead a talented group of running backs that includes Brandon Williams and James White. Carson notched career highs in carries (25) and yards (133) in the 45-37 win over West Virginia in the Liberty Bowl.
That sets the stage for what should be a fantastic senior campaign for the 6'0", 233-pounder. Carson has the size to be a force between the tackles, but he is also light on his feet and can be a weapon in the screen game out of the backfield.
If Spavital cleans up his play-calling, Carson could be looking at a 1,000-yard season in 2015.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a co-host of the CFB Hangover on Bleacher Report Radio (Sundays, 9-11 a.m. ET) on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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