The 2015 college football season was all about the running backs with Alabama running back Derrick Henry winning the Heisman trophy, Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey leading the nation in all-purpose yards and LSU’s Leonard Fournette pushing critics to reignite the conversation about NFL Draft eligibility for younger players that excel at the college level. College football coaches are always looking for the next big thing at the position and there is bound to be at least a couple of gems among next year’s class. Here is a look at the top five running backs in the class of 2017.
Najee Harris
Committed to Alabama Crimson Tide
The five-star running back Harris is the No. 1 rated running back on the board and No. 2 overall player in the 2017 class of recruits. Harris ran for 5,007 yards and 59 touchdowns over the last two seasons at Antioch High School in Antioch, California and he is widely regarded as the best pure running back prospect since Leonard Fournette in 2014. At 220 pounds, Harris has the power to run in between the tackles yet he is still an outstanding sprinter with elite speed. His excellent hands make him that much more versatile as a running back that can make catches out of the backfield. He has the potential to break the big run every time the ball is in hands. Harris committed to Alabama in the spring of 2015 in just another example of the rich getting richer with the Crimson Tide landing another star prospect.
D’Andre Swift
Undecided
The No. 1 APB and No. 29 overall prospect for 2017 has yet to decide between offers from Clemson, Florida State, LSU, Michigan and Penn State among others, but is bound to become a star wherever he ends up. The top overall recruit from Pennsylvania in the 2017 cycle is an outstanding all purpose back with the ability to hit the juke button in an instant and shake defenders out of their boots. Swift has enough size and strength to run in between the tackles, but he is at his best in space where he can maximize his speed, quickness and juking ability.
Stephen Carr
Committed to USC Trojans
The No. 2 overall running back prospect for 2017 committed to USC in March of 2015 where he will get the chance to play not far from his high school in Fontana, California. Another big-play threat with the ability to make plays both between the tackles and in space, Carr has all of the attributes of an elite running back at the college level. Carr will still need to put on some size in order to add to his 6’0’’, 195-pound frame, but that shouldn’t be a problem as the Trojans’ star running back of the future spends the next year bulking up to handle the rigors of his position.
Cam Akers
Committed to Alabama Crimson Tide
It’s testament to Nick Saban’s recruiting ability that two of the top four running backs in the 2017 class have already committed to the Crimson Tide. Akers is a four-star recruit and is rated as the No. 3 running back in his class. Akers is a big back that is a lot more physical than Harris, but doesn’t have that same extra gear when it comes to his overall speed. He’s athletic enough to make plays in space, but it looks like Alabama will want to use him as a bruiser between the tackles as the perfect compliment to Harris in what could eventually be the top 1-2 running back tandem in the country.
Khalan Laborn
Undecided
The top prospect from the state of Virginia in 2017 has yet to decide where he will commit with offers from Alabama, Auburn, Arizona State, Florida State and Virginia Tech. The No. 2 all-purpose back is a true home run threat with outstanding speed and it doesn’t take long for him to make his decision and head for the endzone. Laborn isn’t regarded as the most powerful running back, but his ability to make plays out of the backfield as both a runner and pass catcher has helped to separate him from the rest of the running back class for 2017. Laborn could benefit from adding some size to his 5’9’’, 193-pound frame, but he will need to find a way to do it without compromising his best asset in his elite speed.
