SEC Football: Power Ranking Top 10 RBs for 2015 Season
As difficult as it is to find playmaking quarterbacks on 2015 SEC football rosters, it's every bit as easy identifying stud runners.
The league is loaded with top-shelf tailbacks for the upcoming season.
From home run threats, to grind-it-out gamers, to a few guys who can do it all, this year's group may be the strongest stable of runners the conference has seen in several years.
So, who's the best, especially when the top three seem so interchangeable? When you look at Alabama's Derrick Henry, Georgia's Nick Chubb and LSU's Leonard Fournette, you know right away they're freaks of nature.
But they're also durable workhorses who will be forced to shoulder most of their teams' offensive loads this season with inexperienced or historically inefficient quarterbacks at the helm.
Then there are the two Arkansas running backs who belong high on the list. Everybody has a favorite between Jonathan Williams and Alex Collins, but who ranks higher? How about Tennessee's super sophomore Jalen Hurd? Where does he fit?
There are numerous other former top recruits who have little or no sample sets of game reps, too. That played a factor in the rankings as well.
Considering past performance, elite potential and their dependability factor on the success of their respective teams, let's take a look at the top 10 runners in the rugged SEC.
10. Tra Carson, Texas A&M
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Rather than go with a talented newcomer here, such as Tennessee's Alvin Kamara or a second-tier back who can line up all over the field like Alabama's Kenyan Drake, this was a pick that went to a seasoned veteran.
Texas A&M rising senior Tra Carson ranked second on the Aggies in rushing yards a season ago with 448 and scored five times, but he missed this spring with injury. That opening allowed for James White to shine during the 15-practice session.
Even so, Carson gets the nod here because he still should be the team's workhorse.
The last time Carson was healthy, coach Kevin Sumlin rode him in the Liberty Bowl, handing the bruiser the ball 25 times. Carson proved his ability to be the man by turning those carries into 133 rushing yards.
With White and speedy Brandon Williams inserted into the rotation, A&M has several weapons, but Carson is the one who has proven his worth in SEC battles. Sumlin's offenses aren't known for running a lot, but Carson has the ability to be a 1,000-yard back with the proper workload.
The Aggies are at their best when they display a better run-pass mix rather than trying to throw the ball all over the field against everybody.
With sophomore signal-caller Kyle Allen poised to have a breakout year, teams will drop back to guard against the pass.
That could mean bigger run lanes for Carson, and though the former Oregon transfer isn't a long-run threat, he can pound for tough yards all day. It could be a big year for him.
9. Kelvin Taylor, Florida
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Florida may have its share of offensive issues as it searches for offensive linemen and playmakers, but new head coach Jim McElwain has a history of getting the ball in his best players' hands.
There's no doubt junior running back Kelvin Taylor has the talent to be elite, and with the shackles of Will Muschamp's painful, plodding offense off, there's a chance he could have a big year.
Colleague Barrett Sallee even called Taylor the "ultimate sleeper" for the Heisman Trophy.
With Matt Jones departed, Taylor should be the primary back. A season after running for 565 yards and six touchdowns, the 5'10", 210-pounder should take advantage of an increased workload.
Sophomore Adam Lane will be in the mix, as well as star freshman Jordan Scarlett, but Taylor has the ability to be the man.
During spring drills, Taylor and Lane told the Palm Beach Post's Graham Hall they were fits for the new pro-style offense.
"I feel like just this offense here is just an offense that's really, to be honest, just a running back's dream to be in," Taylor said. "It's perfect for a back. You got so many things you can do in this offense, and I think it just fits me perfect, so I'm excited."
Taylor's orange-and-blue blood runs deep, as he's the son of Gators legend Fred Taylor, who also went on to be an NFL star with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though Taylor hasn't gotten off to an eye-popping start in Gainesville, nobody really thrived offensively when Muschamp was the coach.
This is a new lease on his career, and Taylor appears ready to take advantage.
8. Roc Thomas, Auburn
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When a team recruits a star prospect everybody's talking about, it's very easy to forget the star from last year's class.
That happened to an extent on the Plains when everybody got excited about 5-star running back Jovon Robinson choosing the Tigers over Alabama and many others during the 2015 cycle.
Some folks anointed him the starter right away, seemingly forgetting they had Racean "Roc" Thomas already in the backfield, a former 5-star stud himself, who at 5'10", 203 pounds, has the ability to carry the team throughout a slugfest or break away for long touchdown runs.
It's been years since Auburn had a home run back, probably since the Ben Tate days. Even Tre Mason didn't have breakaway speed.
But Thomas provides the ability to do it all. With a huge spring game, he kind of re-announced his name onto the scene.
Sure, Robinson will get plenty of carries, but teams need two go-to backs. Thomas already has shown what he can do with limited carries, backing up Cameron Artis-Payne last year.
Though AU coach Gus Malzahn is known for picking a workhorse and riding him throughout the season, it would behoove him to spread the ball around at least to distribute carries between Thomas and Robinson.
Still, if Malzahn does want to go heavy on one player's workload, Thomas should be the guy.
In 12 games in 2014, Thomas had just 214 yards on 43 carries and a touchdown. He also earned his two starts late in the season against AU's two biggest rivals, Alabama and Georgia.
From the first time he touched the ball (a touchdown run in his debut against San Jose State), Thomas proved he belonged.
The A-Day spring-ending game was more validation, as he rushed for 69 yards and two scores on just seven carries. He has electric ability, and Tigers fans should expect big things from the sophomore.
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7. Russell Hansbrough, Missouri
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Much like his team, Missouri senior Russell Hansbrough doesn't always get the publicity he deserves.
But that doesn't keep him from being a marquee tailback who has become the centerpiece of the Tigers' spread offense.
In his first season as coach Gary Pinkel's feature back in 2014, the 5'9", 195-pound runner rushed for 1,084 yards and finished with nine total touchdowns. His rushing totals ranked sixth in the SEC, and he averaged 77.4 yards per game.
Like many of Pinkel's recruits, the Arlington, Texas, product wasn't one of the highest-ranked recruits nationally, but he's a perfect fit for the get-in-space-and-go aspect of Mizzou's offense.
Even when he had to split time as a sophomore, he still had 685 rushing yards. Now that Marcus Murphy is gone, Hansbrough will be even more of a featured back. Ish Witter will get plenty of carries, but this will be Hansbrough's show again.
Columbia Daily Tribune writer David Morrison called Hansbrough the "main event" for the 2015 season and said the senior should have the most carries for a Mizzou running back since Devin West's 283 in 1998.
With so much unproven talent at receiver and inconsistent quarterback Maty Mauk behind center, Mizzou will be a run-heavy team again. The Tigers return four senior offensive linemen, and they may be able to impose their will on teams as they go for a third consecutive SEC East title.
6. Alex Collins, Arkansas
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If you asked 100 people who the better running back was between Arkansas' stud duo of Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams, it may be split down the middle.
They both can do it all, have home run threats and are even built eerily the same. Collins is 5'11", 224 pounds, and Williams is 6'0", 224 pounds. With their pads and helmets on, they could almost be clones.
Regardless, they're both great, and they both belong in the upper tier of SEC running backs.
But Williams is just a small bit ahead of Collins. He was the first to reach the 1,000-yard milestone in 2014 (though both got there), and he also started all but two games. Though coach Bret Bielema did a masterful job splitting carries between them, Williams was the first one out there more often.
Still, Collins is elite, and it wouldn't be shocking for him to have a better season. The junior from Miami has moved on from a wacky recruitment to become part of a two-headed rushing monster who is poised to lead Arkansas to a major bowl in 2015.
Running behind the Hogs' mammoth offensive line isn't the toughest thing in the world, but Collins can do plenty by himself when things break down. And once he gets to the second level, he has the ability to take it to the house.
A season ago, Collins finished with 1,100 yards on 204 carries, becoming one of just two Razorbacks ever (along with Darren McFadden) to begin their careers with consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
He ranked fifth in the SEC in rushing yards per game (84.6) and total rushing yards.
If he has a huge year again, it's likely Collins will forgo his final season in Fayetteville, but for now, he's primed to have another 1,000-yard season.
5. Jalen Hurd, Tennessee
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A season ago, Tennessee trotted out one of the two worst offensive lines statistically in school history. That's what makes Jalen Hurd's freshman year even more impressive than how it looks on paper.
The 6'3", 230-pound jumbo back from Hendersonville, Tennessee, finished with 899 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns, despite being severely limited in two games with injuries.
Most importantly, when the Vols needed a huge play, such as a crucial fourth-down conversion in the comeback win over South Carolina, they went to Hurd. On the play, UT set up a screen pass, and Hurd broke a would-be drive-ending tackle and turned it into a touchdown.
He played through most of those dings because he had to, but once Hurd got healthy, his fresh legs dominated Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl. He finished with 122 yards on 16 carries in that game and also scored two touchdowns.
After missing most of spring practice, he came out in the spring game and blew past defenders for a couple of long runs, too.
With fellow sophomore Alvin Kamara transferring in, Hurd should stay fresh this year, which will help him put up big numbers. UT also returns four starters along the offensive front, so it should be a better year for running numbers, too.
Hurd was overshadowed by fellow freshman runners Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette last year, and he may be throughout his career simply because both look like generational stars.
But Hurd deserves some publicity in his own right, and he's getting some now, even generating some Heisman buzz. If he stays healthy, he could have a big year for UT.
4. Jonathan Williams, Arkansas
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The second part of Arkansas' dynamic duo is entering a senior year that could catapult Jonathan Williams into marquee status when it comes to the NFL draft.
He has the size and the speed to do everything on this level and the next. Coming off a year where the only person he had to one-up was the player right behind him on the depth chart, he and Alex Collins should continue to make each other better.
As a junior in 2014, the 6'0", 224-pound workhorse started 11 games and was honored by the Associated Press as the league's All-SEC second-team running back and an Earl Campbell Award semifinalist.
He had 1,190 yards on 211 carries and scored 12 touchdowns. To prove he has that grand slam ability, he added a 90-yard run for good measure. Rather than turn that terrific season into NFL stardom, he elected to return for his final season.
According to ESPN.com news services, Williams said upon his decision: "My faith, family and education are very important to me, and all three played a major role in my decision. I have many goals that I want to pursue, on and off the field. Graduating from the University of Arkansas is very important to me, and I look forward to running through the 'A' again in 2015."
His return is massive for the Hogs' run back onto the national scene.
NFL.com's Bryan Fischer recently labeled Arkansas' tandem as the nation's best running back duo, and it's hard to poke any holes in that assessment.
If he and Collins duplicate what they did a season ago, this could be a memorable year for the Hogs.
3. Derrick Henry, Alabama
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With all the talk about Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette, people tend to forget Alabama massive specimen and running back star Derrick Henry.
Considering all the depth issues the Crimson Tide have experienced since the close of the 2014 season, Henry should have ample opportunity to prove he belongs higher on this list.
Behind him is Kenyan Drake, who is coming off a broken leg suffered against Ole Miss that cost him most of last season. Former stud prospect Damien Harris figures to be third on the list, and if Bo Scarbrough can return from a torn ACL this spring, he'll join the fray.
There's the potential Bama could add transfer Andrew Buie from West Virginia, too, according to AL.com's Michael Casagrande, but Henry is the proven star who needs to take the next step.
He's probably up to the challenge.
A season ago, Henry shared carries with T.J. Yeldon and still finished the year with 990 yards on 172 carries. Much as he did during his freshman year, the 6'3", 242-pound runner got better as the year went on.
Henry rushed for 92 yards on 12 carries and scored two touchdowns against Western Carolina. Then in a limited capacity against Auburn, he torched the Tigers for 72 yards on five carries and scored a touchdown.
In Bama's SEC Championship Game rout of Missouri, he ran the ball 20 times for 141 yards and scored two more touchdowns and then had 95 more yards against Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. Inexplicably, he only touched the ball 13 times, though he was dominating.
He averaged more than seven yards per carry in all four of those games, and he not only can run between the tackles, but he possesses an extra gear once he gets to the second level.
With Bama needing a runner to ride, Henry may wind up with the best stats of any SEC runner in 2015.
2. Leonard Fournette, LSU
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Yes, this is a "potential" pick more than anything, but when it comes to Leonard Fournette, there is just so much potential.
There's a bit of a rock-star vibe surrounding the LSU sophomore running back, and it isn't just the swagger he exudes. It's the faith that his teammates and coaching staff have in him to be a star.
After a bit of a sluggish start to his career, Fournette rebounded to set a school freshman rushing record with 1,034 rushing yards. He also averaged 26 kick-return yards per game and led the entire league in all-purpose yardage with 137.4 per game.
He also had five 100-yard rushing games and got much better as the season wore on, going for 146 yards (on a 7.7 average) in the season finale against Texas A&M before rushing for 143 more (on a 13.0 average) in the Music City Bowl loss to Notre Dame. He also housed a kick 100 yards for a score.
According to NFL.com's Mike Huguenin, Fournette is among college football's "scariest players." He said the following of the beast-mode runner.
"Even if you're a Notre Dame fan, you had to marvel at the sight of a man this big getting to full speed so quickly," Huguenin wrote. "Fournette has the speed to turn the corner, but almost seems to relish running between the tackles and dishing out some punishment."
At 6'1", 230 pounds, you'd think he's just a power back, but he possesses sub-4.4 speed, too. Fournette is a freak of nature who'll dominate the SEC during his next two years on the Bayou.
It's a bit of a gamble putting him over a known commodity like Derrick Henry, but Fournette is also going to be a pack mule when it comes to offensive workload this year. We'll see who posts the bigger numbers.
They're both elite studs.
1. Nick Chubb, Georgia
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Speaking of emerging superstars, there's nobody more talked about in the SEC right now than Georgia sophomore running back Nick Chubb.
When you impress the great Herschel Walker—one of the greatest freshman running backs and all-time running backs to ever play the game—you know you've accomplished something. Walker expressed to NBCSports.com's John Taylor just how impressed he is with Chubb:
"One thing I like about him, the game is over, practice is over, and the kid is out there working out. That's just the sign of a good athlete. That's a sign that he's doing things he needs to get done. This kid came on as a freshman and just think if he had started the whole season what he would have done. That's what's so amazing.
"
Indeed, Chubb began the season backing up Todd Gurley and had just 224 yards and two touchdowns through the season's first five games. In the last eight games of the year, he had 1,323 yards and 12 touchdowns.
According to Taylor, if you extrapolate that production over the course of a year, Chubb would have amassed 2,150 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Fournette may have the higher ceiling, but Chubb's production is extraordinary, and that's why he gets the nod for the top spot.
As a high-profile recruit, Chubb was adored by Georgia fans everywhere. Then, he gained national notoriety when some ridiculous pictures emerged of him at a high school track meet. Chubb's muscles seemed to have muscles, and people began comparing him to Walker even then.
He maybe didn't have quite the fanfare surrounding him as Fournette, but he had plenty. He more than lived up to the hype as a freshman, and with the Dawgs breaking in a new quarterback in '15, it'll be Chubb's show in Athens.
It's going to be fun to see what he does for an encore.
All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes and observations gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted.
Brad Shepard covers SEC football for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.
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