College Football 2011: 15 Running Backs Who Will Score 10 Touchdowns
With stars like Oregon’s LaMichael James and South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore still in the college ranks, 2011 should be a great year for running backs.
Just as 1,000 yards has been the measuring stick for a big season, scoring 10 TDs is another sign of a runner who’s playing at the top of his game.
Herein lie 15 runners who should reach that benchmark next season.
15. Zach Line, SMU
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SMU’s Zach Line isn’t a household name among tailbacks, but the 1,494 yards he put up last season deserve some notice.
The Mustangs have all five starters back on the offensive line, including All-Conference USA tackle Kelvin Beachum, so Line should get plenty of holes opening in front of him again next year.
Line put up 10 TDs in 2010 and shouldn’t have any trouble reaching that figure again next season.
14. Doug Martin, Boise State
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Boise State may have missed out on the BCS last season, but standout QB Kellen Moore returns to give the Broncos another shot at the big prize.
Also among the Broncos’ eight returning All-Wac performers is senior halfback Doug Martin.
Splitting carries with Jeremy Avery last year, Martin still managed to rack up 1,260 yards and 12 TDs. With Avery gone and the possibility of more running in the game plan thanks to the losses of WRs Austin Pettis and Titus Young, Martin should be in for another big season in 2011.
13. Cyrus Gray, Texas A&M
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Christine Michael’s broken leg could’ve derailed the Aggies' offense last season, but Cyrus Gray stepped in and played brilliantly, finishing with 1,133 yards and 12 TDs a year ago.
Michael will be back and healthy next year, so Gray’s touches are likely to go down, but on a loaded offense (10 returning starters), there should be plenty of scores to go around. Don’t be surprised if Gray tops his 2010 numbers next season.
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12. Silas Redd, Penn State
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Silas Redd’s 437 yards and two TDs as a true freshman may not look like much, but those stats don’t take note of the man playing in front of Redd. With Evan Royster graduated, Redd will step into the starter’s role next season.
Backed up by injury-plagued Stephfon Green, Redd may have to carry even more of the load than Royster did last season. Even with senior Derek Moye anchoring a veteran passing game, Redd should be able to put up some big numbers in his second year at Happy Valley.
11. Edwin Baker, Michigan State
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After getting their heads handed to them by Alabama in the Capital One Bowl, Michigan State enters 2011 with plenty to prove.
At the heart of that effort will be junior RB Edwin Baker.
Baker’s 1,201 yards and 13 TDs were a big part of the Spartans’ 11-2 finish, and he’s a good bet to be featured in the offense again. Playing in an experienced offense (five seniors among the returning starters), he should get plenty of chances to score in 2011.
10. Knile Davis, Arkansas
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With so much attention focused on NFL-bound QB Ryan Mallett, it was easy to overlook the importance of Arkansas’ ground game last season. How else could Knile Davis have run for 1,322 yards and 13 TDs to so little fanfare?
With Tyler Wilson taking over for Mallett, the Razorbacks’ offense appears to be in good hands. The passing game will still take center stage, but the physical Davis shouldn’t have any trouble putting up impressive numbers again in 2011.
9. Brandon Bolden, Ole Miss
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Troubled QB Jeremiah Masoli got all the publicity in Oxford last season, but tailback Brandon Bolden put up some big numbers in his own right. While he only ran for 976 yards, Bolden scored 14 TDs in 2010.
Masoli is gone, and with all five starters back on the line (including All-SEC tackle Bradley Sowell), Bolden could be set for a huge season.
8. Rex Burkhead, Nebraska
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It’s not so much that Rex Burkhead ran for 951 yards as a sophomore in the Big 12 that’s impressive. It’s that he did it as the third option in the Nebraska ground game.
Star QB Taylor Martinez is back, but with Roy Helu Jr. graduated, Burkhead becomes the first-string tailback for the Huskers. That’s a position that has produced some big names and big numbers over the years, and Burkhead appears ready to join that list.
Expect a significant improvement on the seven TDs he scored last season.
7. Trent Richardson, Alabama
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After splitting carries with defending Heisman winner Mark Ingram last year, Trent Richardson will be the go-to guy for Alabama next season. Even in part-time duty, Richardson racked up 700 yards and six TDs in 2010.
With the Tide breaking in a new QB, Richardson’s workload will probably be heavy, especially early in the season. It’ll be a huge surprise if he doesn’t score more than 10 TDs in 2011.
6. Michael Dyer, Auburn
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With Heisman winner Cam Newton off to the NFL, someone’s going to have to pick up the slack for the Auburn offense.
After a brilliant freshman season, RB Michael Dyer will be asked to shoulder much of that burden.
Dyer ran for 1,093 yards in 2010, but scored just five TDs, thanks in large measure to Newton’s superlative numbers. As the primary weapon next season, Dyer has a good chance to post some impressive stats of his own in 2011.
5. Ronnie Hillman, San Diego State
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He may not be ready to make Aztecs fans forget Marshall Faulk, but Ronnie Hillman proved last year that he’s ready to be a star in the Mountain West. As a true freshman, Hillman ran for a stunning 1,532 yards and 17 TDs last season.
With four starting linemen returning in front of him and a favorable non-conference schedule that includes Army and Washington State, Hillman might even improve on those numbers in 2011.
4. Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina
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After living up to his prodigious hype as a freshman, Marcus Lattimore should be the focal point of the South Carolina offense once again next season. Whether he can improve on his 1,197 yards and 17 TDs from 2010 remains to be seen though.
Lattimore isn’t going to sneak up on anybody, and the Gamecocks do have to replace two starting O-linemen, so it’s not going to be a cakewalk for the sophomore star.
Still, should senior QB Stephen Garcia be running the offense, Lattimore should find himself in position to get into the end zone more than a few times next year.
3. Montee Ball, Wisconsin
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The backfield trio of John Clay, Montee Ball and James White gave Wisconsin one of the top rushing offenses in the country in 2010. Even splitting carries with two other top-notch runners, Ball scored a remarkable 18 TDs.
With Clay and steady QB Scott Tolzien graduated, Ball will be seeing even more touches in 2011. He may not beat last season’s scoring output, but he should have plenty of chances to match it.
2. Vick Ballard, Mississippi State
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Somewhat lost in the much-ballyhooed development of QB Chris Relf was junior tailback Vick Ballard's importance to the Mississippi State offense.
Ballard accumulated a pedestrian 968 yards last year, but at the ends of drives, the ball found its way into his hands. He scored 19 TDs on the ground in 2010.
As the Bulldogs look to prove that their 8-4 finish last year was no mirage, expect Ballard to carry another heavy load in 2011, especially near the goal line.
1. LaMichael James, Oregon
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LaMichael James, last year’s Heisman runner-up, will face an uphill battle against Stanford’s Andrew Luck if he wants to take home the trophy in 2011.
Less in doubt though is James’ ability to put up ridiculous stats, especially where it counts most—on the scoreboard.
James scored 21 TDs last year while running for 1,731 yards. To say that he’s a good bet to reach double digits in scoring again is, to put it mildly, an understatement.
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