Power Ranking the SEC's Freshman RBs for 2015
Over the last half-decade, several freshmen have stepped up to become forces at running back in the SEC.
Marcus Lattimore, Michael Dyer, Todd Gurley, Leonard Fournette, T.J. Yeldon, Nick Chubb, Jalen Hurd and Alex Collins are just a few of the laundry list of fresh faces to explode on the SEC scene.
With the class of 2015 signed, sealed and delivered, many more true freshmen will be in positions to make an impact from the moment they step foot on campus.
How do they rank based on size, speed, talent and opportunity? Our picks are in this slideshow.
7. LSU RB Nick Brossette
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Nick Brossette will join an LSU backfield in his hometown of Baton Rouge this fall that includes Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette and fellow stud signee Derrius Guice.
That's no problem, though.
Brossette rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his four high school seasons at University Lab, broke the 2,000-yard mark three times and scored a mind-boggling 141 rushing touchdowns during his high school career. At 6'0", 207 pounds, he's a true all-around back who will provide a nice supplement to Fournette and Guice.
"Running backs, there's always a great need for versatility in the running back position," said head coach Les Miles in a press conference on national signing day. "We had two running backs on campus upon graduation, and we signed two in the state, Nick Brossette and Derrius Guice. Both very talented backs and very capable.
"Nick is the all-time leading rusher and scorer in the state of Louisiana, certainly both of those men will have very bright careers at LSU."
When is LSU at its best? When it has a stable of running backs to split carries and keep the whole corps fresh, and Brossette will be part of that rotation in 2015.
6. Mississippi State RB Nick Gibson
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Mississippi State needs to replace the production that former bowling ball Josh Robinson posted last year, and 4-star running back Nick Gibson could be the guy.
The 5'11", 197-pounder doesn't have the stature of Robinson, but he is far more dangerous in space, is big enough to take the punishment between the tackles and can be a nice weapon for quarterback Dak Prescott out of the backfield.
"Very versatile," said running backs coach Greg Knox according to Mississippi State's official football blog. "Very similar to the mold of [fellow RB/WR signee] Malik Dear. Hard-nosed runner. Tough, very physical. Great change of direction, great pad level. A good open-field runner, good out in space."
Basically, Gibson is exactly what Mississippi State needs. He can replicate some of what Robinson did while providing options out of the backfield and keep opposing defenses on their toes. He'll have to compete with Dear, Aeris Williams and Ashton Sumpert—among others—for playing time.
His versatility will make it hard for head coach Dan Mullen to redshirt him, though, which means he'll have an impact in a variety of ways.
5. Auburn ATH Kerryon Johnson
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One coach told me a few months ago that Auburn athlete signee Kerryon Johnson is "the next Darren McFadden." He'll likely get a chance to prove it early during his Auburn career.
While Jovon Robinson and Roc Thomas are the two likely candidates to earn No. 1 running back carries in 2015 for the Tigers, head coach Gus Malzahn sees Johnson as the likely candidate to earn snaps as the Wildcat quarterback—a position McFadden thrived in with then-coordinator Malzahn at Arkansas in 2006.
Malzahn confirmed the McFadden comparison during his national signing day press conference.
"He's going to play running back, but he's very good at the Wildcat," Malzahn said. "The last guy I saw with his skill set that can do what he can do is Darren McFadden. So he's got the ability to run the read-zone back there."
I wrote in January that Johnson should play safety at Auburn and become the next Cody Prewitt. For now, though, it appears Johnson will start on the offensive side of the ball. If Malzahn's track record with Wildcat quarterbacks is any indication, defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will have a hard time prying him away once he gets going.
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4. Florida RB Jordan Scarlett
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Florida pulled a pre-signing day surprise, when it flipped former Miami commit Jordan Scarlett from the 'Canes to the Gators. That flip helped new Florida head coach Jim McElwain orchestrate a late-season charge to finish 21st in the final 247Sports team recruiting rankings.
"That was huge," McElwain said during his signing day press conference. "And Jordan was a guy that we targeted when we first got here, and that was one of the first places we went down because we felt that's the type of back that would really fit here at the University of Florida."
At 5'10", 202 pounds, Scarlett is built like a college veteran who's been in a college strength and conditioning program for several years, has speed to burn and will become a star in Gainesville before all is said and done.
He'll have to compete with Kelvin Taylor, Adam Lane and others for playing time. But in an offense that struggles to move the football through the air, having a variety of running backs will be a big factor in Florida becoming competitive within the SEC East again.
3. Ole Miss RB Eric Swinney
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The search for a running threat between the tackles at Ole Miss is the college football equivalent of searching for Sasquatch or the Loch Ness monster.
He doesn't exist.
Jaylen Walton and I'Tavius Mathers are good edge-rushers, and Jordan Wilkins showed promise last year. But the area between the tackles seemed like it was filled with running back quicksand. Mathers transferred (along with Mark Dodson), clearing the path for Akeem Judd and true freshman Eric Swinney to make an impact.
At 5'10", 188 pounds, Swinney is a true all-purpose back who could provide the threat inside that head coach Hugh Freeze has been searching for.
"Swinney has balance, talent, vision, toughness, pad level," Freeze said during his signing day press conference. "He probably does not have the top‐end speed that a few in the nation have, but other than that, I would put him up against anybody. He has a low center of gravity."
Suddenly, Ole Miss has options and versatility, the latter of which has been mythical in Oxford.
2. LSU RB Derrius Guice
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Earlier in the slideshow, LSU running back Nick Brossette was mentioned as one of the best running backs in this freshman class.
His future teammate, Derrius Guice, might have something to say about that.
The 5'10" 213-pounder is built like a running back but can be moved all over the field to create favorable matchups. LSU head coach Les Miles like what he brings to the table.
"We had two running backs on campus upon graduation, and we signed two in the state, Nick Brossette and Derrius Guice," Miles said to reporters on national signing day. "Both very talented backs and very capable. If you recall, Guice went to the Army All-American game and then selflessly moved to wide receiver and then dominated the game from the wide receiver spot."
LSU has plenty of wide receivers in house, including Travin Dural, John Diarse and Malachi Dupre, but Guice's versatility allows offensive coordinator Cam Cameron the luxury of keeping him and fellow running back Leonard Fournette in the game at the same time, which could provide the kick-start the LSU offense desperately needs.
1. Alabama RB Damien Harris
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Alabama has become synonymous with producing talented, big, NFL-ready running backs since Nick Saban arrived on campus in 2007, and Damien Harris is the next in line.
The 5'11", 205-pounder was the top-ranked running back in the class of 2015 and has everything Saban and offensive coordinator want in a starting running back. He has tremendous top-end speed, the power of a bruiser, the quickness of a smaller back and the vision of a seasoned veteran.
While it may seem like he's stepping into a crowded running back meeting room when he arrives on campus this summer, that might not be the case.
Derrick Henry is the unquestioned No. 1 running back. But Altee Tenpenny transferred, Tyren Jones is suspended indefinitely and Kenyan Drake is still recovering from a devastating leg injury that cut his 2014 season short.
That leaves Henry, Bo Scarbrough and early enrollee Desherrius Flowers as the only healthy, non-suspended running backs as of late February, which means that Harris could find some playing time as a true freshman if he impresses the staff during fall camp.
Even if Drake comes back, as he should, Kiffin will move him all over the place like he did with Reggie Bush at USC, which could open the door even further for Harris.
Whether it's this year or down the road, Harris will be a Heisman finalist as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide. He's that good.
Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.
Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.
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