College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Top 25 Running Backs
Each year, we see excellent performances from star running backs. As we look ahead to the crop of talent in 2011, we can only expect to see a special season from the nation’s best ball carriers.
Superstars LaMichael James, Trent Richardson, Michael Dyer and Marcus Lattimore are going to send shock waves through the nation each and every Saturday as Oregon, Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina look to win a BCS National Championship.
These are just four of the best running backs who are going to make it difficult to keep our jaws off the floor.
Their dynamic speed, cat-like quickness and brute strength while carrying the ball, and sometimes even defenders, all the way into the end zone for six points is astonishing.
Here’s the rundown of the top 25 running backs for college football in 2011.
25. Bryce Beall, Houston Cougars
1 of 25
I expect Beall to receive some more carries this season, closer to his 2008 totals, which saw him run the rock almost 200 times. Last year, he ran 163 times and his numbers reflected the limited amount of touches.
He did find the end zone more efficiently in 2010 than 2008, though. He scored 12 touchdowns last year compared to 13 in 2008. The only problem is that due to the limited carries, he only ran for 870 yards compared to 1,247.
I expect to see a happier medium in Houston.
24. Kenjon Barner, Oregon Ducks
2 of 25
Barner, like teammate LaMichael James, has great talent. He’s just biding his time until James heads to the NFL.
For now, Barner has to make most of his limited playing time in spelling James and acting as a potentially elite return man.
Barner was excellent with just 91 touches last season. He managed to score six touchdowns and rush for 551 yards.
Once James moves on to the next level, or suffers an injury, Barner will be ready to explode with his fantastic talent.
23. Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati Bearcats
3 of 25
Pead had a quality season, considering he only received 157 carries. He scored six touchdowns, but more impressively, ran for over 1,000 yards, not an easy feat on such little carries.
Pead will certainly receive more carries in 2011 and with his speed, he’ll be a lethal back in this nation.
He displayed very good vision last season, finding holes quickly and cutting up field.
He seemed always to keep his head up and look ahead to run for as much real estate as possible. I like his outlook at Cincinnati going forward.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
22. Vick Ballard, Mississippi State Bulldogs
4 of 25
Ballard is returning for his senior year, ready to make a lot more noise than he did in 2010.
Ballard was a touchdown machine but needs to get his yardage totals up to par to be considered elite. He should be able to do so with even more power in 2011.
Last year, Ballard ran for an obscene 19 touchdowns to go along with his 968 yards.
Ballard will once again be called upon frequently for Mississippi State, and he will be eager to do it all to improve his 2012 draft stock.
21. Marcus Coker, Iowa Hawkeyes
5 of 25
The backfield is open for Marcus Coker to run away with it. Coker has the potential to easily be one of the best backs in all of the Big 10 as soon as 2011 with his great combination of speed and power.
We saw what Coker was able to do late last year at the Insight Bowl against Missouri. He ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns.
Rest assured that the rest of the Big 10 was taking notes on Coker, but that won’t matter one bit.
He is on the verge of breaking out and making a name for himself. He truly has the makings to be one of the best backs in the nation.
The Insight Bowl was just the tip of the iceberg, as Coker will carry the Hawkeyes towards the top soon enough.
20. Doug Martin, Boise State Broncos
6 of 25
Kellen Moore receives all of the attention, it seems, for the Boise State offense. Doug Martin deserves some too every once in a while!
He’s going to excel in his final season with Moore. This duo is going to wreak havoc on the Mountain West Conference this year.
Last season, he ran for 1,260 yards on 201 carries and scored 12 touchdowns. These are great numbers, considering the Broncos are a pass-happy offense.
Expect him to continue building upon his success next year.
19. Ed Wesley, TCU Horned Frogs
7 of 25
With quarterback Andy Dalton in the NFL, who do you think the Horned Frogs will rely on to take them to a third straight undefeated season?
Yup, Ed Wesley.
He ran for 1,078 yards on 166 attempts. Now that he will be force-fed the rock in his junior year, he should explode for somewhere closer to 1,400 yards on the ground.
He also rushed for 11 touchdowns, scoring in all but three regular season games.
He should realize that he has the potential to surprise some people and should be heavily prepared and motivated heading into 2011.
18. Lance Dunbar, North Texas Mean Green
8 of 25
Dunbar did a fine job after receiving 74 more carries in 2010 than 2009.
He carried the rock 274 times for 1,553 yards and 13 touchdowns last year compared to 200 carries for 1,378 yards and 17 touchdowns the previous season.
His 274 carries ranked among the top 10 backs in the nation and 1,553 yards were eighth in the nation.
Clearly, Dunbar has the opportunity to remain one of the top backs in the nation.
It would be difficult to expect him to receive much more carries in 2011 but with his ability to handle the load, he won’t care and neither will the rest of the team, as he averaged 5.7 yards per carry.
17. Bobby Rainey, Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
9 of 25
Rainey was a monster for the Hilltoppers last season. He appeared to be the total package, displaying quality speed, quickness, power and vision.
He has strong legs, so when he puts his head down while running full steam, he’s barreling through the opposition.
Rainey ran for 1,649 yards and 15 touchdowns. These are fantastic numbers, but the only concern would be the amount of carries he was given despite being a workhorse.
He carried the rock 340 times in 2010, the most of any ball carrier in the nation last year.
16. Brandon Bolden, Mississippi Rebels
10 of 25
The Ole Miss star is looking to capitalize on his experience in his final season to raise his draft stock heading into 2012.
Bolden had a respectable 2010 season, rushing for 976 yards on just 163 attempts. More impressive was that he managed to score 14 touchdowns.
At this point, he has seen just about everything there is to see, so he will be more than prepared to make a bigger name for himself next season in search of his first 1,000-yard campaign.
15. Jeff Demps, Florida Gators
11 of 25
This Gator speedster has elite speed and quickness. Not a single defender wants to see Demps in the open field since they might as well cede the touchdown, as very few will be able to run him down.
Demps is the man who will be looked upon to keep the Gators from becoming irrelevant. As long as they feed him the rock, they should dodge the bullet despite the loss of head coach Urban Meyer.
Demps does remarkable damage on limited touches. Now that he’s getting older, he should be able to handle more carries in 2011.
The world better watch out; we may not be prepared for his type of speed. On 99 carries, he scored seven touchdowns and ran for 745 yards.
14. Montel Harris, Boston College Eagles
12 of 25
Harris will once again be the workhorse back for the Eagles, but also the overall focal point given his quality receiving skills.
He has been stellar throughout his college career, and his senior year will definitely be his best with his experience and knowledge of the game.
Last year, he ran for 1,243 yards and eight touchdowns, down from 1,457 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2009.
I expect his numbers to jump back up in 2011, as he is once again relied on to lead this Eagles offense to success.
13. Chris Polk, Washington Huskies
13 of 25
Chris Polk will explode in 2011. It may just be a given.
Jake Locker is no longer around, and although he was a quality quarterback, I don’t expect Polk to be overly affected.
He is returning for his junior year and is going to be the focal point of the offense next season.
Last year, he ran for a 1,415 yards on 260 carries, good for 5.4 yards per carry, and nine touchdowns.
Polk has awesome speed and great power inside his solid frame. His fantastic footwork allows him to stay upright and push his way forward for extra yards.
I fully expect him to increase his totals across the board in 2011 and catapult himself toward the upper echelon of college backs.
12. Edwin Baker, Michigan State Spartans
14 of 25
I’m a big believer in the Spartans continuing their surprising 2010 success. The man who will lead the way for head coach Mark Dantonio will be Edwin Baker, who was excellent last season.
He gained 1,201 yards on 207 attempts, good for almost six yards per attempt. He scored 13 touchdowns, including one game with four touchdowns.
Baker was a non-factor against Alabama, but that was just a bump in the road. Baker will prove his worth once again in 2010 with his great speed and intensity.
11. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M Aggies
15 of 25
This senior back will be one to look out for in 2011. He has great speed to go along with his bruising frame and will be used heavily in the Aggies offense.
On 200 attempts last year, he ran for 1,133 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Now having seen more in college, he’ll be able to take his experience and use improved vision to tear about the Big 12.
Gray is a difficult body to tackle, and we could be seeing a ton of highlights of him running people over.
He stood out most in last year’s regular-season finale, in which he ran for 223 yards and two touchdowns on the road against the Texas Longhorns.
He should prove to be the total package next season.
10. James White, Wisconsin Badgers
16 of 25
With John Clay in the NFL, the Badgers’ three-headed rushing monster is down to two.
That’s fine, because Wisconsin still has a very good offensive line and two excellent running backs. We’ll get to White’s teammate soon, but for now, White is the star of the show.
He averaged 6.7 yards per carry as he rushed for 1,052 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. He is the “lightning” of this rushing attack and will continue to excel in 2011 with more experience and touches.
We’re going to be hearing a lot from this Wisconsin rushing attack.
9. Montee Ball, Wisconsin Badgers
17 of 25
Now, it’s time for the power of this two-headed Badger rushing attack. Ball has deceptive speed but he has the power to run down a defender.
In 2010 alone, he scored 18 touchdowns. With James White emerging, watch Ball come in to close out games and score a ton of touchdowns once again.
He’ll also because used frequently at the goal line to rough up some wannabe tacklers.
He was just shy of rushing for 1,000 yards in 2010, but considering he only received 163 carries, his numbers are excellent.
He managed to average 6.1 yards per carry last year. Watch him continue to average a ton of yards per carry behind a very good offensive line, despite the increase in attempts.
8. Dan Herron, Ohio State Buckeyes
18 of 25
Herron will have to make up for lost time, given his five-game suspension to start the season. This will only motivate him and add to his intensity.
He will be an integral part of this Ohio State offense and will be relied on heavily to keep the Buckeyes at the top of the Big 10.
He had an excellent 2010 campaign, rushing for 1,155 yards and a whopping 16 touchdowns. He will prove that he’s one of the best running backs heading into the 2012 draft, all while making up for lost time.
7. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford Cardinal
19 of 25
Andrew Luck receives all of the attention, but Stephan Taylor is no slouch by any means. He opens up the passing game for Luck to succeed.
In 2010, Taylor rushed for 1,137 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Expect Taylor’s numbers to improve in 2011, as teams put the target on Luck’s back all season.
We could even see him relied on more to preserve Luck at some points in the season.
6. Knile Davis, Arkansas Razorbacks
20 of 25
Davis has very good speed, but even better footwork.
He can stop flat on a dime in an instant to avoid a defender and pick up his blazing speed directly after making his man miss.
He is not afraid of taking a hit and will even seek out some contact to rough up a would-be tackler.
Arkansas is going to rely heavily on him in 2011 with the departure of quarterback Ryan Mallett to the NFL.
In 2010, Davis scored 13 touchdowns. He ran for 1,322 yards for a ridiculous 6.5 yards per carry, tied for ninth in the nation.
5. Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State Aztecs
21 of 25
Hillman excelled mightily for the Aztecs in 2010, and there is no reason to believe he won’t succeed again in 2011.
Simply put, the kid was a beast. He ran for almost six yards per carry, gaining 1,532 yards on 262 attempts as a pure workhorse. He also scored 17 touchdowns.
Hillman is proving to be a complete back, with amazing speed and quickness. At 5’10”, he uses his frame to his advantage and can often hide from defenders.
He also looks like a blur on the field, which makes it extremely difficult for tacklers to wrap him up.
With his speed and refusal to go down, he should top 20 touchdowns in 2011.
4. Michael Dyer, Auburn Tigers
22 of 25
We finally get to the superstar of the BCS National Championship game. If you watched or just saw the highlights, you saw Dyer’s remarkable balance act, which mean this kid just has “it.”
He was one of the most underrated Auburn Tigers players since Cam Newton shined in every game.
Newton was able to shine mostly on his own talent, but also because he had a fantastic running back waiting in the wings in Michael Dyer.
In the biggest game, he took the spotlight from everyone else and ran for 143 yards. For the entire season, he ran for 1,093 yards on 182 attempts, good for six yards per carry. He also ran for five touchdowns.
Now that Dyer will be the focal point of the offense and relied upon heavily in his second season, he is going to explode for monster numbers and prove that his 2010 success was not in large part due to Newton.
3. Trent Richardson, Alabama Crimson Tide
23 of 25
Richardson will finally step out of Mark Ingram’s shadow and attempt to become the second Heisman winner in Alabama history.
He has awesome speed and agility. Even better, his eyes are always looking downfield in preparation of his next move. His excellent vision allows him to see the field clearly and evade would-be tacklers.
In 2010, he ran for 700 yards and six touchdowns. Not overly impressive, right? Well, he did that in just 112 carries as the second-string running back. His 6.3 yards per carry was tied for No. 13 in the entire country.
Richardson is actually an even better prospect than Mark Ingram, in my opinion. Richardson is stronger than he looks, and this will show as he powers the Crimson Tide towards the top of the BCS in 2011.
2. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina Gamecocks
24 of 25
Lattimore is the real deal and will soon take over as the very best running back in college football.
In his first season starting, Lattimore was an absolute monster. He ran for just shy of 1,200 yards and scored 17 touchdowns on the ground.
He was tied for No. 10 in the nation in touchdowns and was just shy of rushing for five yards per carry.
What I like most about Lattimore is that he absolutely refuses to go down on the first hit. He has fantastic body control, balance and foot work.
He has great vision, which makes him a threat from anywhere on the field.
Lattimore is an all-around talent with immense skills and will be a name on the tip of everyone’s tongue in 2011.
1. LaMichael James, Oregon Ducks
25 of 25
LaMichael James may once again fall to quarterback Andrew Luck in the Heisman in 2011, but he’s going to give every other player a run for their money.
I’ll even argue that right out of the gate, he is going to have the early lead given his immense talents.
James reminds me of a young LaDainian Tomlinson, which is saying a lot considering Tomlinson is my all-time favorite football player.
James dominated college football in 2010, rushing for 1,731 yards and 21 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards, yards per game and was second in rushing touchdowns.
Those are remarkable numbers indeed. Yet, they will be topped in 2011.
He has the best combination of speed and agility in the nation, which makes him an unstoppable force.
With another year of experience and even more motivation, James is going to be a serious Heisman contender.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
