The Top Ten 3rd String Running Backs For 2010

At any other position, 3rd string means relative obscurity, at Rb, it means contributor.  After all, if the 3rd string Qb is in the game, chances are he's handing it off.  Today's mop is tomorrow's shine, and this list of running backs is neither short on talent, or hype.

Teams with backs on the list can rest easy.  The only problem may be pleasing the fans and players in terms of carries(not wins), because if you have elite talent this deep at Rb, you're going places, literally.

Here's a look at some talented Rb's that enter the season in the 3 hole:

10.Brandon Beachum/PSU size A, speed C+, power A+, elusiveness C+
Beachum is a wildcard considering he is recovering from major(ACL/MCL) knee surgery, but Brandon is reportedly nearing 100%.  Ohio State fans might not like the sound of a hometown kid(Cardinal Mooney) pounding on them the next couple of years.  Beachum is a bruising, athletic specimen at 6' 223, and had started to edge his way past USC transfer Stephon Green before the injury.  If we judged all 3rd string RB's via the 'eye-test', then Beachum would win by a landslide.  It's doubtful that Beachum will be rushed along with all the talent that the Nittany Lions have at the position, but barring injury, Beachum could be the best 3rd Stringer in the land by years' end.  This kid could play multiple positions.

9.Marc Tyler/USC size B+, speed B-, power B+, elusiveness B-
Tyler went for 72 yards on 5 carries against San Jose St.(14.4).  The endzone actually hurt his average.  The talented junior is coming off of a toe injury that limited his action last season.  He has had surgery on that toe, and should be ready to go f this fall. Tyler was the #1 ranked Rb in the country out of HS according to several recruiting services. 

8.Richard Murphy/LSU size C+, speed A-, power C-, elusiveness A
How many teams can say their 3rd String back busted chops in a National Championship 3 years ago?  Murphy, like Beachum, is coming off knee surgery.  He has serious quicks, and is a slippery fish to catch.

7.Jamaal Berry/OSU size C, speed A, power B-, elusiveness A+
Berry has not carried the ball once, but still makes the list.  He's one of 2 backs to make the list without a college carry.  Two assets make him a no-brainer.   His speed is dynamic, and he may be the shiftiest, cut-on-a-dime back on this list.  If he's matched up against a defender one-on-one, he's going to win that match up.  Expect Berry to go from college obscurity to break-out this season, as well as disappoint players like Jordan Hall and Roderick Smith in terms of playing time.  Berry has that burst you cannot teach.

6.Knile Davis/ARK size B+, speed A, power B+, elusiveness B-
Knile is big and fast.  The biggest preseason travesty is Phil Steele picking the Arkansas RB's as the 33rd best RB unit in the country.  Davis isn't as elusive as some of the other backs on the list, but he has heart and raw talent.  Davis might have been considered as a two-deep omition if not for a broken collarbone in the spring game.  For now, let's just call him one of the most gifted 3rd string backs in the country.  How many 220 pounders can clock a 4.37? Not many.

5.David Wilson/VT size C+, speed A+, power B-, elusiveness A
I know I'm going to hear about Josh Oglesby being the 3rd string back, and Josh very well may be the 3rd string back when it all shakes out.  The fact is, David Wilson is the future at VT, and his possible redshirt could be nothing more than saving a year of eligibility.  Wilson has as much ability as both Darren Evans and Ryan Williams.  He's the second fastest back on the list, and a starter at 100+ D1 schools this year.  He went for 345 yards on 59 carries(5.7) last season. Virginia Tech has my #1 Rb unit, just slightly ahead of the Crimson Tide, and David Wilson is the reason they got the nod.


4.Jewell Hampton/Iowa size B, speed B, power B+, elusiveness B+
Hampton was primed to push for starting time until the injury bug bit last August.  Brandon Wegher moved into the back-up spot, and left a jewell of a find for Iowa  here in the third slot.  As a true freshman, Hampton rushed for 461 yards at 5.1ypc in 2008.


3.Zach Brown/WISC size B, speed B-, power B, elusiveness B
Every team wishes they had a 3rd stringer with as much experience and proven worth as Brown.   He has played in 36 games over the last three seasons, accumulating over 1,100 yards at about 5 yards per carry.  Wisconsin's OL is big and tough, but you cannot discount the 1-2-3 punch of Clay, Ball, and Brown.  Brown may not be as explosive as other guys on this list, but he's reliable, and he does everything well.


2.Kenjon Barner/ORE size D+, speed A+, power B-, elusiveness A
Barner finished 3rd in the Pac10 in Kick-off returns at 25 yards per.  This is the fastest back on the list.  He went for 378 yards on 61 carries(6.0) last season.  This is basically the defacto pick here, as whoever loses the back-up role to Lamichael James, whether it be Barner or Lache Seastrunk, would deserve this spot.

1.Michael Dyer/AUB size B-, speed A-, power A-, elusiveness A
Michael could win the starting job by mid-season, but for now, most magazines and websites have him projected as the #3.  This looks like a young Terrelle Davis/Barry Sanders hybrid-in-the-making.  A low center of gravity and powerful bottom half make Dyer nearly impossible to bring down.