College Football's Top 10 RBs and Their NFL Counterparts
In recent years, the National Football League has shifted focus away from franchise tailbacks to pass-first schemes, shifting its rules to reward quarterbacks and give them space in the passing game. It's rare that an NFL tailback thrives much past 30 years old due to the down-in, down-out pounding that he takes on a weekly basis.
However, that could be changing soon given the talent present in the college game.
One of the most difficult tasks this preseason is filling out the tailback section of an All-America team with so much elite talent poised to step onto the field at the position in 2015. From Ohio State tailback Ezekiel Elliott, a strong Heisman Trophy candidate, to LSU up-and-comer Leonard Fournette, college football's tailbacks should excite fans of powerful running games.
Here's a look at the top 10 tailbacks in college football, based on their past production, potential and physical skills, and the NFL tailbacks they closely compare to. This is far from an exact science, of course, but for those who love both college and pro football, it'll make you think this fall.
10. San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey
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He might be the best back you've never heard of, but you certainly should get to know San Diego State junior Donnel Pumphrey. Pumphrey plays out of the spotlight at San Diego State, but he put up exceptional numbers last season, rushing for 1,867 yards and 20 touchdowns while averaging 6.8 yards per carry.
Pumphrey stands only 5'9", 170 pounds but has workhorse capability, carrying the ball 276 times as a sophomore. He also recorded 23 receptions for 160 yards, displaying the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He doesn't have a huge frame but is a big play waiting to happen with excellent speed and shiftiness.
How does he compare at the next level? Look at New Orleans Saints tailback C.J. Spiller. Spiller is a little bigger, at 5'11", 200 pounds, but he can hurt you in a number of ways and is always capable of breaking off a big gain. That's a role that Pumphrey could easily play in the NFL.
9. Florida State RB Dalvin Cook
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For Florida State, 2015 will be a bit of a "reloading" season following heavy NFL draft and graduation losses.
The Seminoles return only two offensive starters, but there's no questioning that head coach Jimbo Fisher has significant talent on his roster, starting with sophomore tailback Dalvin Cook. The 6'0", 203-pound back is one of the best tailbacks in college football, and he proved it during the stretch run of FSU's 2014 College Football Playoff and ACC title season.
He finished the playoff push with three consecutive 100-yard games, going for 144 against Florida and 177 and a touchdown in the Seminoles' ACC title game win over Georgia Tech. He finished the year with 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.
Cook has solid size and is capable of catching the ball, too, with 22 receptions for 203 yards as a freshman. A good comparison for him? Think Kansas City Chiefs star Jamaal Charles. Charles stands 5'11", 199 pounds and mixes big-play ability, power, versatility and speed as well as receiving acumen. The sky is the limit for Cook if he can continue to build on a great freshman campaign.
8. UCLA RB Paul Perkins
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It might be playing on the West Coast, or playing in the shadow of quarterback Brett Hundley, but for whatever reason, UCLA tailback Paul Perkins is a bit overlooked. That shouldn't be the case this fall.
In 2014, Perkins established himself as a truly great tailback, leading the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,575 yards and adding nine touchdowns while averaging 6.3 yards per carry. He piled up six 100-yard games and finished the season on a high, going for 194 yards and two touchdowns in an Alamo Bowl victory over Kansas State, while also catching 26 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns on the year.
He stands 5'11", 198 pounds and is a great all-around back with power and speed. How does he compare at the next level? Look to Buffalo, where LeSean McCoy is settling in with the Bills organization.
McCoy stands 5'11", 208 pounds and is more than capable of hurting defenses in multiple ways, gashing linebackers for big gains or catching balls out of the backfield. Perkins isn't as well-known as Shady, but give it time. He has a similarly smooth, versatile style.
7. Alabama RB Derrick Henry
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Three years ago, Derrick Henry arrived on campus at Alabama amid tremendous hype. The nation's all-time leading high school rusher, Henry possessed an enticing blend of power, speed and potential. As he enters his junior season, he has yet to fully live up to the buzz, but that isn't his fault.
Under head coach Nick Saban's watch, Alabama prefers a two-tailback system, which reduces the wear on either ball-carrier but can also limit each player's stats. A year ago, neither Henry nor T.J. Yeldon cracked 1,000 yards, going for 990 and 979 on 172 and 194 carries, respectively.
With Yeldon gone to the NFL, 2015 is Henry's time to shine. He'll be the clear lead back over senior Kenyan Drake, and while he won't tote the rock 30 times a game, the junior will show why he was such a prized recruit for the Crimson Tide.
A fair comparison to Henry? Another survivor of Alabama's backfield platoon: Green Bay Packers tailback Eddie Lacy. While Henry (6'3", 242 pounds) is a bit taller than Lacy, who stands 5'11", 230, they have similar grinding styles and are more than capable of being every-down backs in the NFL. We'll find out quickly that Henry is worthy of that burden.
6. Oregon RB Royce Freeman
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Royce Freeman wasted no time establishing himself as Oregon's lead back. Despite entering a talented backfield that also included Thomas Tyner and Byron Marshall, there was no question that the freshman was the "Rolls" Royce that the Ducks wanted to drive to national prominence.
He rushed for 1,365 yards and 18 touchdowns and was a key force in Oregon's run to the College Football Playoff national title game. With Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Marcus Mariota gone, the Ducks will expect even more of Freeman this season.
He stands 5'11", 230 pounds and has excellent power and speed, especially for a player of his size. He's a workhorse tailback. Who does he compare to? Oregon coaches point to a Duck alum in Carolina Panthers tailback Jonathan Stewart, as the Oregonian's Tyson Alger noted.
The 5'10", 235-pound Stewart is a dual-threat back who is more than capable of catching balls out of the backfield. The Panthers selected Stewart with the No. 13 overall pick in 2008, a lofty status Freeman would love to match.
5. Georgia RB Nick Chubb
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It took only one season for Nick Chubb to emerge from the shadows in Georgia's backfield and into national prominence. While Chubb was expected to fill a supporting role behind Todd Gurley last fall, Gurley's four-game NCAA suspension for accepting payment for his autograph and subsequent ACL tear thrust the true freshman into the spotlight.
Did he respond? Did he ever. Chubb rushed for 1,547 yards with 14 touchdowns and rolled up eight consecutive 100-yard rushing games, the first Georgia player to do so since Herschel Walker. He also finished on a major high note, rushing for 266 yards and two touchdowns in a Belk Bowl rout of Louisville.
As we enter 2015, Chubb is a legit Heisman Trophy candidate. At 5'10", 220 pounds, he is a bowling ball of a back who also has excellent speed, power and durability. Who does he compare to? Well, this might be too easy, but: Todd Gurley.
Gurley is a little taller at 6'1" and 227 pounds, but he has similar power and speed with perhaps a bit more burst. Georgia fans should enjoy comparing the two this fall, with Chubb excelling on Saturdays with the Red and Black and Gurley, assuming his knee is fully healthy, making his way as the St. Louis Rams' first-round selection.
4. Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine
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Last August, few outside Norman, Oklahoma, knew Samaje Perine's name. By November, if you didn't know his name, you weren't paying attention.
That's how good Perine was as a freshman. He stepped into the Sooners' lead tailback role and never let go, rushing for 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns while averaging an exceptional 6.5 yards per carry.
The 5'11", 237-pound back is a nightmare for opposing linebackers and safeties. He runs with power, speed and gusto and is the kind of guy who prefers to run over tacklers as opposed to around them. He's also plenty durable, too. He set the FBS single-game rushing record with 427 yards against Kansas on Nov. 22, one week after Wisconsin's Melvin Gordon set the record at 408 yards.
How does he compare at the pro level? That's easy. Seattle Seahawks tailback Marshawn Lynch is a bit lighter than Perine at 5'11", 215 pounds, but the two have very similar running styles, preferring to run toward contact as opposed to away from it. It's unclear how Perine will be deployed in new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley's Air Raid system, but here's guessing that if Oklahoma faces a critical late-game goal-line situation, Riley won't hesitate to feed Perine repeatedly.
3. Pittsburgh RB James Conner
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When you think power backs in college football, your mind shouldn't drift much further than the Steel City. Last fall, Pitt tailback James Conner emerged as one of college football's top overall tailbacks, carrying 298 times for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns en route to ACC Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Conner, who checks in at 6'2", 240 pounds, is a bruising back who is very difficult to tackle. He's the kind of back who runs through tackles and can't be brought down with a mere arm tackle. He passed the 200-yard mark three times, with a 263-yard, three-touchdown effort against Duke being a career highlight.
How does he compare at the next level? Well, an interesting comp is a guy who shares Heinz Field. That's right: Pittsburgh Steelers back Le'Veon Bell.
Like Conner, Bell would rather run over tacklers than around them, and he has an imposing frame at 6'1", 244 pounds. Each player can chew up turf and yards, and that makes Steel City football fans exceptionally fortunate this fall. Both ball-carriers fit the city's tough, give-no-quarter ethos.
2. LSU RB Leonard Fournette
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Last summer was almost unfair to Leonard Fournette. Before he ever stepped foot on LSU's practice field for his first collegiate workout, the Tigers freshman tailback, 247Sports' top overall recruit, was considered a game-changing back and one of 2014's most hyped players.
It took him a while, but Fournette finally lived up to the hype. Although he carried just eight times for 18 yards in his collegiate debut against Wisconsin, he finished strong, rushing for 146 yards and a touchdown against Texas A&M and 143 yards and two touchdowns in a Music City Bowl loss to Notre Dame, adding a 100-yard kick-return touchdown. He finished the season with 1,034 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, and much more is expected of him in 2015.
At 6'1", 230 pounds, Fournette has exceptional speed and power and can turn on a dime. He's capable of breaking a big play at any moment. Who does he compare to? Former NFL MVP and 2,000-yard rusher Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings. That's high, high praise, but the two possess very similar skills, as Fournette's now-former LSU teammate Terrence Magee noted before last season to NFL.com's Chase Goodbread:
"I'm sitting on my toes right now, on the edge of my seat, and every time I see Adrian Peterson run the ball, I'm the exact same way. And from the first time I've seen (Fournette) run the ball, to the things he's doing now in 7-on-7 and the drills that we do, I just can't wait to see him put a set of pads on and go against our defense. He's very exciting to watch play.
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Fournette has a long way to go to match A.D.'s track record, but he certainly has the potential.
1. Ohio State RB Ezekiel Elliott
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If you watched Ohio State's march to the College Football Playoff national title last January, you can understand why Ezekiel Elliott is a Heisman Trophy front-runner as we prepare for the 2015 season.
The punishing 6'0", 225-pound back emerged as one of college football's very best tailbacks while helping carry the Buckeyes to the program's first national championship since 2002.
He finished the season with three consecutive 200-yard rushing games, topping his best rushing total each time out. His best game was in the College Football Playoff National Championship against Oregon. Elliott gashed the Ducks defense for 246 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries in Ohio State's 42-20 rout. He finished the season with 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns, and he seems a sure bet to surpass 2,000 yards this season.
Elliott has a rare blend of power, speed and quickness, and he sees the field with excellent vision. He's also more than capable of catching the ball and doing damage out of the backfield.
Want an NFL comparison? Look at Indianapolis Colts tailback Frank Gore. While Gore is on the downside of his career, there's no question that he has displayed an excellent all-around mix of power, quickness and receiving skills. He has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in eight of the last nine seasons and made at least 40 receptions in each season from 2006-10.
Gore is productive and durable, and he isn't done yet. NFL teams could do much worse than getting the next Frank Gore in Ezekiel Elliott.
All college players' heights and weights via their respective teams' websites. All NFL players' heights and weights via NFL.com.
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