College Football's Top 10 RBs and Their NFL Counterparts
Player comparisons are the lifeblood of NFL draft season in college football, and running back might be the position where it is most evident.
College football is going through a running back renaissance of sorts, and that effect has spread into the professional ranks with more and more elite rushers heading to the next level. As that happens, fans of both levels try to find similarities between the college rushing leaders and the NFL running back stars.
No two running backs are exactly alike, but similar styles, skill sets and sizes can lead to some glowing comparisons for those looking to tear up the college ranks this fall.
Here are my personal rankings for the top 10 running backs in college football heading into the 2016 season and the NFL player—past or present—that he most resembles on the field, based on evaluations from draft analysts and other college football experts across the country.
Before we begin, please note that a player being compared to a certain NFL player doesn't mean they'll have a similar career in the NFL. Instead, these counterparts are used to showcase the similarities in running styles and roles for their respective teams. While a college back could easily exceed his NFL counterpart, some of these stars would have some tough acts to follow.
10. Shock Linwood (Baylor)
1 of 10
NFL Counterpart: Ronnie Hillman
The way Shock Linwood runs the ball for Baylor's lightning-fast offense is similar to the style employed by Ronnie Hillman, who led the Super Bowl-winning Denver Broncos in rushing last season. Linwood is an inch shorter and five pounds heavier than Hillman, but they're both powerful backs who can do a ton of damage in space.
"Linwood is [like] Ronnie Hillman of the Denver Broncos, in that he's capable of running inside when absolutely needed, but he's much better utilizing his speed and quickness in the open field," Sayre Bedinger of NFL Mocks wrote last year. "He's explosive through the hole and when the blocks are set up right, he’s hard to track down because he's so shifty."
Hillman was more of a workhorse running back at San Diego State, as he rushed 311 times for 1,711 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2011. But in Denver, Hillman splits carries with C.J. Anderson, much like Linwood did in 2015 with Johnny Jefferson and Devin Chafin at Baylor.
Both Linwood and Hillman can carry the ball a ton of times if needed, but the way their respective teams use them keeps them fresh and ready to break off big plays. They bring both between-the-tackles toughness and open-field speed in sub-6'0" packages.
9. Wayne Gallman (Clemson)
2 of 10
NFL Counterpart: DeMarco Murray
It's a comparison that has been repeated several times during and since Clemson's run toward the national championship game last season—Tigers star running back Wayne Gallman has a lot of former NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray in his game:
"Tonight, I watched some Clemson film. Came away thinking Wayne Gallman looked like DeMarco Murray. ++ vision, feet, aggression. - speed
— Jeff Tefertiller (@JeffTefertiller) May 24, 2016"
"The world is learning about Wayne Gallman tonight.
— Josh Collacchi (@JoshCollacchi) December 6, 2015"
DeMarco Murray with nitrous oxide.
At SB Nation's Cat Scratch Reader, Gallman was compared to Murray because of his "fluid, but somewhat upright running style." The two backs are similar in size, with Gallman listed at 6'1" and 215 pounds and Murray at 6'0" and 217 pounds.
Gallman, like Murray, has also been used as a valuable weapon in receiving and pass protection for Clemson. He had 21 receptions for 213 yards last season, and Murray has had at least 35 catches every year since his rookie season for the Dallas Cowboys. Gallman and Murray are both tough running backs with a variety of ways to hurt defenses.
8. Jalen Hurd (Tennessee)
3 of 10
NFL Counterpart: Eddie George
In order to find the best NFL counterpart for massive Tennessee running back Jalen Hurd, let's take a short trip back in NFL history and pick out Hurd's football idol. Growing up near Nashville, Tennessee, Hurd was a huge fan of former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George, another physically imposing back with a dynamic skill set.
"You have to take advantage of your size as a running back, and he does that," George said of Hurd in 2014, per Lauren Moore of the Tennessean. "He has that nastiness to him that you want to see out of young players. He is not nice on the field ... He will take your head off."
At 6'4", 240 pounds, Hurd is even bigger than his idol George, whom he was compared to in college as early as pregame press conferences before his freshman season debut against Utah State. Tennessee offensive coordinator Mike DeBord told Adam Rittenberg of ESPN.com he immediately saw the similarities between Hurd and George, whom he coached against when the Heisman winner was at Ohio State.
Hurd plays in more of a speed-oriented offense than George did with the Titans, but Hurd is a lot like George in how he uses his unique power and stamina to his advantage. He can dish out plenty of punishment like the four-time Pro Bowler and keep things ticking for the Tennessee offense.
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7. Elijah Hood (North Carolina)
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NFL Counterpart: Frank Gore
Elijah Hood might not be a household name to all college football fans, even after his 1,400-yard campaign last season with North Carolina. But the NFL running back he resembles most is well known for anyone who knows football—veteran Frank Gore.
Hood started getting comparisons to Gore's running style as early as his high school days. In 2013, Bleacher Report's Edwin Weathersby saw the similarities between the hard-running North Carolina native and the former San Francisco 49ers great, who racked up 1,000-yard campaign after 1,000-yard campaign in the Bay Area.
"Hood doesn't have great foot quickness, but he's extremely strong, powerful and physical between the tackles," Weathersby wrote. "I see solid vision from him and he has a little juice through holes."
6. Samaje Perine (Oklahoma)
5 of 10
NFL Counterpart: Michael Turner
At 5'10", 234 pounds, Oklahoma star running back Samaje Perine has been compared to a lot of thicker backs during his time in Norman, where he broke an all-time FBS single-game record as a freshman. The best comparison out there belongs to a unique running back who no longer plays in the league:
"Is Samaje Perine a new-age Michael Turner? That was the closest comp I could come up with.
— Eric Edholm (@Eric_Edholm) December 31, 2015"
"A while back @FBallGameplan compared Samaje Perine to Michael Turner and I think that comparison is spot on. pic.twitter.com/vAs7haGXsq
— Rob Donaldson (@DraftCharge) May 5, 2016"
Michael Turner had a few more pounds on him when he retired from the NFL after nine seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Atlanta Falcons. But the comparison is easy to see. They're both tough to bring down as bigger running backs, and they have—or had, in Turner's case—an impressive amount of quickness for backs their size.
Much like Turner, Perine is excellent at finishing hard runs for Oklahoma, and he's been known to break off a few huge runs like "The Burner" did during his time in San Diego and Atlanta. He can make one cut and make life extremely difficult for defenses with his powerful legs.
5. Nick Chubb (Georgia)
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NFL Counterpart: Maurice Jones-Drew
College football hasn't gotten to see a full season of Nick Chubb as Georgia's No. 1 running back yet, but what he's shown so far has analysts comparing him to a taller version of veteran workhorse Maurice Jones-Drew:
"Nick Chubb Jones-Drew
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) December 31, 2014"
"Todd Gurley may have hard time stealing carries from Nick Chubb when he gets back. Chubb is legit, maybe closest thing we've seen since MJD
— Steve Palazzolo (@PFF_Steve) November 12, 2014"
"#Chubb reminds me a lot of Maurice Jones Drew...pretty incredible to watch.
— Bulldogs On 2 (@WSBbulldogs) November 8, 2014"
Chubb has a few inches on Jones-Drew, who was a star for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2006 to 2013. Both running backs developed reputations for being tough to bring down in the open field, combining power with a fantastic amount of elusiveness. The vision and the subtle cuts are what set them apart.
If Chubb can regain his form in 2016 after what was a devastating knee injury against Tennessee, he'll have plenty of NFL teams coveting him and his talents. Any franchise would love to have a running back with the skills and style of a Jones-Drew.
4. Royce Freeman (Oregon)
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NFL Counterpart: Jonathan Stewart
This comparison is the easiest one out there to make for Royce Freeman, the latest in a line of fantastic running backs out of Oregon. But there are too many similarities to ignore between Freeman and former Oregon running back Jonathan Stewart, who is now with the Carolina Panthers:
"Royce Freeman is Jonathan Stewart 2.0
— Daniel Jeremiah (@MoveTheSticks) January 2, 2015"
"Royce Freeman has shades of Jonathan Stewart with a little LeGarrette Blount in how he finished runs.
— Levi Damien (@LeviDamien) November 9, 2014"
The sizes are similar between Freeman and Stewart, although Freeman has a couple of inches on the former Duck. (A recent picture of the two showed just how freakish Freeman is in size.) At 229 pounds, Freeman knows how to throw his weight around in Oregon's freaky-fast offense, breaking tackles and providing a throwback of sorts for a system that is built on blinding speed.
Freeman might have more quickness than Stewart, but his calling card is still rumbling through opponents for big plays on the ground. The current Oregon star received comparisons to Stewart as a freshman by coaches who coached them both, and they haven't slowed down since.
3. Christian McCaffrey (Stanford)
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NFL Counterpart: Brian Westbrook
Late last season, Christian McCaffrey was receiving plenty of comparison to Reggie Bush for the way he was tearing up Pac-12 records. But a better comparison to whom McCaffrey looks like now, and how he'll most likely be used at the next level, is former Philadelphia Eagles running back Brian Westbrook.
McCaffrey has a couple of inches on Westbrook, who was a two-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles and is the FCS career record holder for all-purpose yards with 9,512. At his peak, Westbrook was catching anywhere from 60 to 90 passes per season, and he was a talented return man early in his career with Philadelphia.
"The spectacular sophomore is an explosive 'two-phase' player with a natural feel for finding creases in the middle of the defense as a runner-receiver-returner," Bucky Brooks of NFL.com wrote. "I would cite former Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook as an apt comparison. The two-time All-Pro was a dominant multipurpose specialist in the NFL; McCaffrey could thrive in a similar role down the road."
Westbrook fits better than Bush as a comparison for McCaffrey because of his workload at running back. McCaffrey carried the ball 337 times last season, and Westbrook had three straight seasons in which he averaged at least 16 rushes per game—something Bush has never done in the NFL.
McCaffrey should be utilized at the next level as a running back, first and foremost, and he could be a taller FBS clone of Westbrook.
2. Dalvin Cook (Florida State)
9 of 10
NFL Counterpart: Jamaal Charles
Dalvin Cook is the most explosive back in college football for 2016, as the Florida State star topped the FBS charts last season in several big-play categories. His open-field speed is ridiculous, and he has the agility to make defenders look silly.
Bleacher Report NFL draft lead writer Matt Miller has the perfect comparison for Cook:
"Man, Dalvin Cook has that Jamaal Charles second gear. Can't let him get a step on you. Bad angles = touchdowns.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) June 2, 2016"
"Dalvin Cook's feet and hips are unreal. Add in his breakaway speed and I'm going to stick with the Jamaal Charles comparison.
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) July 1, 2016"
The comparison to Charles, the Kansas City Chiefs star who has averaged an incredible 5.5 yards per carry in his NFL career, is one Cook embraces. He told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt last December he sees a lot of Charles in the way he runs, adding that "he's not scared to run through you or around you."
Like Charles, Cook is more than just a pure speedster at running back, as he has an uncanny ability to break early tackles and find that seam for six points. One mistake can turn into another long run for both Cook and his highly successful NFL counterpart.
1. Leonard Fournette (LSU)
10 of 10
NFL Counterpart: Adrian Peterson
LSU superstar Leonard Fournette is a 6'1" all-around machine at running back who is considered the best at his level. Sound familiar? Minnesota Vikings running back and seven-time Pro Bowl selection Adrian Peterson is the exact same height and is the best of the best in the NFL.
Fournette started picking up comparisons to Peterson, who was also an incredibly dominant back in his college days at Oklahoma, before he even played a single snap at LSU. During his highlight-reel performance against Auburn in which he had 228 yards and three scores on just 19 carries, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said Fournette "had that 'All Day' look" with his tackle-breaking and quick burst.
A week later, when Fournette dismantled Syracuse's defense to the tune of 244 yards, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit called Fournette "the most physically imposing" running back he's seen in college football since Peterson. While Fournette didn't finish the 2015 season with the Heisman Trophy, he led the nation in rushing yards per game—something Peterson is accustomed to doing in the NFL.
Both Fournette and Peterson are physical freaks who check every single box for an elite running back. The comparisons have done nothing but pick up steam since Fournette arrived in Baton Rouge, and they should continue into the 2016 campaign and beyond.
Stats are courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings are courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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