College Football Rankings: Top 25 Running Backs Heading into Week 5

With non-conference play nearly over, some of the big guns are stepping up as conference play is getting underway. The cream is rising to the top and some of the big names who started off slow have come on strong as of late.  

There were a few moves this week when it comes to the top 25 running backs. Only one new name is on the list, but there was some movement up top with a new man standing at No. 1. 

Here are the top 25 running backs in the country heading into Week 5 of the college football season. 

25. John White IV (Utah)

John White IV drops two spots on the list this week, not because of his performance but because of the showing a few people behind him had. 

White and Utah were on bye last week so he was not able to show why he belongs in the rankings. White will get his chance in the coming weeks against Pac-12 opponents. 

He struggled against USC but has had big games against non-conference opponents. Things will certainly get tougher for White in the coming weeks. 

24. Joseph Randle (Oklahoma St.)

Randle drops two spots this week after carrying the ball 21 times for only 83 yards against a stout Texas A&M defense. 

Randle had gone over 120 yards in each of the first three games of the season, all against non-conference opponents. 

The explosive Oklahoma St. offensive attack will allow Randle to put up big numbers as the season progresses, and he should be a mainstay on this list. 

23. Edwin Baker (Michigan St.)

Baker continues his steady plummet down the list and will probably be off with another poor showing this weekend against Ohio St. 

Baker began the season in the top 10 but has struggled mightily in every game this year. He carried the ball 16 times for 69 yards against Central Michigan and has started to lose some carries to LeVeon Bell.

Even though Baker is still very talented, he has only reached the end zone once and is averaging just over four yards per carry for the season. 

22. Bernard Pierce (Temple)

Pierce dropped off the list last week but is back this week after perhaps the second-best game by any running back over the weekend. 

He proved why he is a workhorse, carrying the ball 32 times for 149 yards and five touchdowns in the 38-7 victory over Maryland. 

He will be a force to be reckoned with in the MAC and is going to rush for a ton of yards the rest of the way. 

21. Henry Josey (Missouri)

Josey was impressive in only 14 carries against Oklahoma. He totaled 133 yards and a touchdown against the vaunted Sooners defense. 

That was good for 9.5 yards per carry.

Josey has come on strong as of late and has posted 396 yards on only 28 carries in the last two weeks combined. This young sophomore may be coming into his own and could be in the top 15 in the coming weeks. 

20. Marcus Coker (Iowa)

Coker is back up one spot this week after a solid performance over the weekend. 

He rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns on only 18 carries against Louisiana-Monroe. 

Things will get tougher for Coker as Big Ten play begins Saturday against Penn St., and this big sophomore will have to prove himself against some better opponents in the coming weeks. 

19. Bobby Rainey (Western Kentucky)

Rainey sits pat at No. 19 after having the weekend off for a bye.  

It might be hard for Rainey to get the amount of carries he needs to put up some huge numbers because the Hilltoppers always seem to be playing from behind. 

While he is a talented running back, Rainey will have to play well to stay on this list in the coming weeks. 

Montel Harris (Boston College)

Harris returned from injury over the weekend and carried the ball nine times for 27 yards against Massachusetts. 

He drops five spots this week and will need to get more carries to stay on the list in the weeks to come. 

Harris is as talented as nearly anybody in the country and remains on the list because heading into Week 5, he is still one of the most talented running backs in the country. 

17. Chris Rainey (Florida)

Rainey continues his climb up the list, moving up three spots this week. 

He rushed for 105 yards on 15 carries against Kentucky. While he didn't have any receptions, like he has had in previous weeks, don't expect that to happen again.  

The going gets tough for Rainey on Saturday against Alabama. 

16. Doug Martin (Boise St.)

Martin drops one spot this week after rushing for 75 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries against Tulsa. 

He has not put up the numbers this year that many thought he would. While Boise St. has looked impressive, Martin will need to get going if the Broncos plan on running the table this season. 

15. Ray Graham (Pittsburgh)

Graham drops three spots this week after totaling 89 yards on 21 carries against Notre Dame. 

He also had eight receptions for 43 yards. 

Graham has failed to go over 100 yards in each of the last two weeks and will have to prove himself with Big East play beginning Thursday against South Florida. 

14. David Wilson (Virginia Tech)

Wilson vaults up three spots this week. He averaged over five yards a carry against Marshall on Saturday and totaled 132 yards and one touchdown on 26 carries.

He has started to come into his own, rushing for over 130 yards in three of the four contests this season. 

Wilson will be a force in ACC play and could end up in the top 10 by the end of the season. 

13. Lamar Miller (Miami)

Miller is up one spot this week. He ran for 106 yards and a touchdown against Kansas St.

While it was Miller's worst game of the season, he has still rushed for over 100 yards in every contest and is averaging 6.6 yards per carry for the entire season. 

If he gets the carries, Miller could go over 100 yards every game and be one of the top-five running backs in the country. 

12. Zach Line (SMU)

Line has been one of the most consistent performers all season and moves up four spots this week after having his best game of the year against Memphis.

He carried the ball 20 times for 136 yards and three touchdowns. 

Line has consistently moved up the list and could continue to rise with the competition he will be going up against the rest of the season. 

11. Vick Ballard (Mississippi St.)

Ballard helped lead Mississippi St. to an overtime victory against Louisiana Tech. 

He only carried the ball 17 times for 68 yards and a touchdown. Ballard stays at No. 11 this week and has has only totaled 106 yards in the last two games combined. 

Ballard will have to pick up his game if he wants to get back into the top 10 this year. 

10. Chris Polk (Washington)

Polk drops one spot after by far his worst outing of the season on the ground. He rushed for 60 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. 

He did help make up for it in the air, with four receptions for 85 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown that helped seal the win over California. 

Polk should get back to his 100-yard ways in the coming weeks. 

9. James White (Wisconsin)

White flips spots with Polk this week and is up one to No. 9. 

He only carried the ball nine times against South Dakota, but he finished with 95 yards and a touchdown. 

White and Montee Ball and proving every night why they are the best running back duo in the country. 

8. Montee Ball (Wisconsin)

Ball remains at No. 8 after a 15-carry, 88-yard performance against South Dakota. 

He got into the end zone twice and it appears he will be fresh the entire season while he is splitting carries with James White.

Wisconsin will be a handful to stop on the ground all year long. 

7. Cyrus Gray (Texas A&M)

Gray drops four spots after his worst outing of the season in the biggest game of the year for Texas A&M. 

The Aggies lost to Oklahoma St. 30-29 and Gray carried the ball 13 times for only 35 yards.

After peaking at No. 2 two weeks ago, Gray has started to fall and will need to right the ship and have some solid games if he plans on remaining in the top 10 for the rest of the season.  

6. Ronnie Hillman (San Diego St.)

Hillman moves up one spot this week after proving he can run with the big boys. 

He carried the ball 21 times for 109 yards against Michigan and was one of the few bright spots for a San Diego St. team that was never really in the game. 

Hillman could slowly move up this list and will be one of the top running backs in the nation in total yards by the end of the season. 

5. Michael Dyer (Auburn)

After going over 150 yards against Mississippi St. and Clemson, Dyer struggled against Florida Atlantic. He rushed for only 68 yards on 14 carries.

Dyer is still averaging nearly seven yards per carry for the entire season and will have some more huge games in SEC play because of his ability to break out for a big run. 

4. Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati)

Pead moves up two spots this week after an impressive showing on national TV Thursday night. 

Pead rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries. He also caught three passes, including a 25-yard touchdown. 

He continues to be near the top of the country in yards per carry at 7.9 and should have no problem staying in the top 5 in the coming weeks. 

3. Trent Richardson (Alabama)

Richardson came up big for Alabama against Arkansas and moves up two spots this week to No. 3. 

He carried the ball 17 times for 126 yards. Richardson also had three receptions for 85 yards, including a 61-yard touchdown and helped lead Alabama to a big conference win over Arkansas. 

2. Marcus Lattimore (South Carolina)

Lattimore had his first below-average game of the season and moves out of the top spot for the first time all year. 

He only totaled 77 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. He did also have three receptions for 73 yards and a 52-yard touchdown. 

Lattimore drops not because of his performance but because the man who was No. 2 last week had a huge game. 

1. LaMichael James (Oregon)

James had as big a game as anybody has all season in Week 4 against Arizona. 

He carried the ball 23 times for 288 yards and two touchdowns. That followed up a 204-yard performance on 12 carries the previous week. 

James is proving why he is the most explosive back in the country and the No. 1 spot is his to lose the rest of the season.