Power Ranking College Football Conferences by Running Back Depth
Yes, football may be a quarterback's sport, but here at Bleacher Report, we are huge fans of everything and everything that involves the phrase "Run the dang ball!"
Which is why we're power ranking each of the 10 Football Bowl Subdivision conferences based on their running back depth. And when we talk about "depth," it's not just the sheer number of running backs on each team added up. Rather, which 1,000-yard rushers are returning? Are there returning players who are household names? Are these players in their final year, or are they coming back for another two or three years? What kind of rising stars could break out in 2015 to add to that list?
These are the types of questions we asked when exploring the best conferences by backfield. Agree or disagree? Let the debate begin (and let it also be settled once and for all in a few months on the field).
10. American Athletic Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Marlon Mack, USF (1,041); Kenneth Farrow, Houston (1,037)
Rising Star: Mike Boone, Cincinnati (650 yards)
Best Backfield: Houston
There's some fine young talent in AAC backfields this year. Despite playing on an offense that averaged just 17 points per game, Mack shined as a freshman for South Florida and led the entire conference with 1,041 yards.
Boone, another freshman, tied for fourth in the AAC with nine rushing touchdowns and had one of the highest yards-per-carry averages. Overall, though, the AAC lacks 1,000-yard rushers and double-digit touchdown producers. There's potential, to be sure, but a lot of room to improve.
9. Mountain West Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State (1,873 yards); Marteze Waller, Fresno State (1,368 yards); Jhurell Pressley, New Mexico (1,083 yards); Jacobi Owens, Air Force (1,054 yards)
Rising Star: Brian Hill, Wyoming (796 yards)
Best Backfield: Air Force
The Mountain West doesn't have a lot of household names at running back, but don't confuse that with a lack of production at the top. Pumphrey finished fourth in the nation in rushing yards and ninth in touchdowns. Additionally, New Mexico ranked fourth in the nation in yards per attempt (6.36) and featured a 1,000-yard back. Granted, the Lobos were predominantly a run-first offense, but the production can't be ignored all the same.
Though the loss of Boise State's Jay Ajayi hurts, there were no senior running backs among the top-20 rushers in the Mountain West last year. That's a good sign for the league's depth in the backfield.
8. Conference USA
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Devon Johnson, Marshall (1,767 yards); Leon Allen, Western Kentucky (1,542 yards); Aaron Jones, UTEP (1,321 yards); Kenneth Dixon, Louisiana Tech (1,299 yards)
Rising Star: Ray Lawry, Old Dominion (947 yards)
Best Backfield: Marshall
Conference USA returns four 1,000-yard rushers and could have returned five if UAB hadn't shut down its football program for a year, leading to Jordan Howard's transfer to Indiana. As far as Group of Five conferences go, C-USA has one of the more productive groups of running backs.
The rising star to watch is Lawry. The league's Freshman of the Year in 2014 rushed for 947 yards—at just over seven yards per attempt—and 16 touchdowns. The top of C-USA's running back stat sheet is loaded, as seven of the top 10 leading rushers from a year ago are returning.
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7. Atlantic Coast Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: James Conner, Pitt (1,765), Dalvin Cook, Florida State (1,008 yards)
Rising Star: Wayne Gallman, Clemson (789 yards)
Best Backfield: Pitt
You can't sleep on Pitt running back James Conner, that's for sure. Otherwise, the reigning ACC Player of the Year will hit you with that truck stick and make you look bad. The former outside linebacker recruit led the ACC with 1,765 yards last year and is college football's returning leader in rushing touchdowns (26) from 2014.
The ACC loses former Miami back Duke Johnson but has decent depth returning. Among those coming back are Gallman, Shadrach Thornton (North Carolina State) and Jon Hilliman (Boston College). Depending on the result of his trial later this month, Cook could be in the mix again as well.
What makes the ACC tougher to place are the number of mobile quarterbacks who cannibalize yards. It's not a bad thing necessarily that Justin Thomas (Georgia Tech), Jacoby Brissett (North Carolina State) and Marquise Williams (North Carolina) are playmakers; it just means fewer yards for running backs.
6. Mid-American Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Kareem Hunt, Toledo (1,631 yards); Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan (1,551 yards); Anthone Taylor, Buffalo (1,403 yards)
Rising Star: Franklin
Best Backfield: Toledo
It's been said before, but is worth repeating: Hunt's 1,631 yards are impressive on their own. Now consider that Hunt played in just 10 games last season. What would his numbers have been if he had been healthy the entire season?
Then there's Franklin. Typically, the rising-star category on this list has been reserved for players who either 1) don't quite top 1,000 yards, 2) are sophomores/juniors or 3) both. But as a freshman, Franklin topped 1,500 yards and led the MAC with 24 rushing touchdowns. That simply can't be ignored.
The MAC loses some key running backs from '14, like Thomas Rawls, but the youth in this conference is stepping up up like few others.
5. Big Ten Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State (1,878 yards); Jordan Howard, Indiana/UAB (1,587 yards); Justin Jackson, Northwestern (1,187)
Rising Star: Akeel Lynch, Penn State (678 yards)
Best Backfield: Ohio State
No conference in major college football lost more star power at running back from last year than the Big Ten. Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), David Cobb (Minnesota), Tevin Coleman (Indiana) and Ameer Abdullah (Nebraska) are all gone. In fact, Gordon, Cobb and Coleman made up last year's Doak Walker finalist list for best running back, with Gordon winning.
The good news is Elliott returns. No running back finished the 2014 season better than the junior, who had 200-yard efforts in each of Ohio State's three postseason games. Though Howard played for UAB last season, he comes to Indiana as a fine replacement for Coleman.
Also keep an eye out for Lynch at Penn State. This is a player who averaged 4.61 yards per carry and led the team in rushing yards behind a porous offensive line. All articles this offseason, from Onward State to PennLive.com, peg Lynch as a breakout star.
4. Sun Belt Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Matt Breida, Georgia Southern (1,485 yards); Marcus Cox, Appalachian State (1,415 yards); Elijah McGuire, Louisiana-Lafayette (1,264); Larry Rose III, New Mexico State (1,102 yards); Michael Gordon, Arkansas State (1,100 yards); Robert Lowe, Texas State (1,091 yards)
Rising Star: Rose III
Best Backfield: Georgia Southern
Look at the Sun Belt, sporting not one, not two, but six returning 1,000-yard rushers. And that doesn't even count Georgia Southern quarterback Kevin Ellison. In fact, a majority of those returning rushers are going to either be sophomores or juniors this season, so the Sun Belt could be set up with some excellent running backs for a while.
If ground-and-pound is your game, check out Georgia Southern this season. No other team ran for more yards per game than the Eagles. Additionally, their top four rushers from a year ago are returning.
3. Big 12 Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Samaje Perine, Oklahoma (1,713); Shock Linwood, Baylor (1,252); DeAndre Washington, Texas Tech (1,103)
Rising Star: Aaron Green, TCU
Best Backfield: Oklahoma
Perine, one of the top returning running backs in the country, leads the Big 12's deepest backfield. Alex Ross, Joe Mixon and Rodney Anderson will all play a role as well.
Beyond the Sooners, the Big 12 has plenty of underrated backs. Linwood was a star in Baylor's offense, recording the second-most rushing touchdowns in the league (16) and touches (251) at five yards per carry. Since the Bears return one of the better O-lines in the Big 12, Linwood could see his numbers increase.
Sleepers here include Green, who came on strong at the end of last season, Kansas State's Charles Jones, Texas' veteran back Johnathan Gray and West Virginia's running back duo of Rushel Shell and Wendell Smallwood.
2. Pac-12 Conference
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Paul Perkins, UCLA (1,575 yards); Devontae Booker, Utah (1,512 yards); Nick Wilson, Arizona (1,375 yards); Royce Freeman, Oregon (1,365 yards); Daniel Lasco, Cal (1,115 yards)
Rising Star: Freeman
Best Backfield: Oregon
When you start listing off the most recognizable names at the running back spot in college football—Nick Chubb, Ezekiel Elliott, James Conner, etc.—Perkins and Booker's names don't always come to mind first. However, those two players were among the most productive backs in the sport. Additionally, Freeman and Wilson were among the breakout stars in 2014.
If D.J. Foster wasn't moving to wide receiver for Arizona State, the Pac-12 would have an argument for the deepest corps of running backs anywhere. Foster's versatility makes him one of the most indispensable players in college football, according to Matt Hinton of Grantland.com, but having him as a true running back would help the league's overall depth there.
1. SEC
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Returning 1,000-Yard Rushers: Nick Chubb, Georgia (1,547 yards); Alex Collins, Arkansas (1,100 yards); Russell Hansbrough, Missouri (1,084 yards); Leonard Fournette, LSU (1,034 yards)
Rising Star: Jalen Hurd, Tennessee (899 yards)
Best Backfield: Georgia
You already know about Chubb at this point, but Georgia also has two other capable backs in Sony Michel and Keith Marshall.
“This is a great time for Georgia running backs. For years, USC was known as Running Back U in college football, but I don’t think there’s a doubt in anyone’s mind that Georgia has changed that outlook,” former Bulldogs great Herschel Walker told David Paschall of the Times Free Press.
However, the SEC is stocked at running back for 2015. Fournette, Hurd, Collins and Derrick Henry (Alabama)—they're all back. The SEC would be even deeper if Arkansas running back Jonathan Williams wasn't out for the season with a foot injury.
There are also some new names that could make a splash this season. Roc Thomas and Jovon Robinson could be a lethal one-two punch for Auburn. Damien Harris, the No. 1 running back in the 2015 recruiting class according to 247Sports, could also play this season.
From a running back depth perspective, no conference in college football is stronger at the top and for the future than the SEC.
Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
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