The 2015 college football season was widely referred to as the “Year of the Running Back” after a handful of players at the position absolutely dominated. From Heisman trophy-winning running back Derrick Henry at Alabama to Leonard Fournette at LSU, Christian McCaffrey at Stanford and Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott, there was no shortage of talent at the position. It will be very interesting to see how the 2016 season plays out with a handful of talented running backs – especially in the ACC – poised to run wild at the position once again this coming season.
There’s been a renewed push for running backs in the NFL a year after there were no running backs taken in the first round. Last year, Todd Gurley single-handedly carried an anemic St. Louis Rams offense and that is part of what led the Dallas Cowboys to invest in Ezekiel Elliott in the first round in 2016.
In this article, we’re going to solely focus on the runners in the ACC. Here is a look at the top running backs in the ACC right now.
Dalvin Cook
Florida State Seminoles
Cook is clearly the most dominant running back in the ACC heading in to the 2016 season with an elite combination of size, speed, power and elusiveness that makes him extremely difficult to stop. Cook’s 7.38 yards per carry in 2015 ranked first in the ACC and he also led the way in percentage of plays for 10 yards or more. The 6’0’’, 203-pound back finished last year with 1,691 yards and 19 touchdowns while adding another 24 catches for 244 yards and a receiving score. Cook could very well top those numbers in 2016 and all eyes will be on him as the top returning back in the ACC heading in to his junior season at Florida State.
Elijah Hood
North Carolina Tar Heels
Only Cook finished with a better mark in terms of yards per carry than the 6.7 average that Hood registered in his sophomore season at North Carolina. The 6’0’’, 220-pound bruiser showed off his power and speed while rushing for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns in a major leap forward from his freshman campaign. Hood might not offer much in terms of contributing in the passing game but he is clearly one of the best pure rushers in the ACC heading in to this coming season. What helps him is that he’s in what many consider to be one of the best offenses in the country. With Larry Fedora running the show, the Tar Heels have been very explosive, which means there is amply opportunity for Hood to shine. The expectation is that he will continue to set the tone for the Tar Heels offense in 2016.
Wayne Gallman
Clemson Tigers
Gallman was somewhat overlooked in the Clemson offense a year ago when it was quarterback Deshaun Watson stealing the spotlight as a Heisman trophy candidate. However, the 6’1’’, 205-pound back is known as one of the tougher runners in the ACC and his numbers support the notion that he deserves a spot on this list. Gallman averaged 5.4 yards per carry while running for 1,527 yards and 13 touchdowns a s sophomore last season. The Tigers reloaded with an eye on contending for another ACC championship and more this season and still have one of the most prolific offenses in the country. That means they’ll be scoring plenty of points and Gallman will be collecting plenty of stats. He’ll be among the keys to their success on offense once again.
Matt Dayes
N.C. State Wolfpack
Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list, Dayes posted excellent numbers for the Wolfpack last season when he was limited to just 134 touches. The 5’9’’, 203-pound back averaged 6.5 yards per carry while rushing for 865 yards and 12 touchdowns and the potential for him to post even better numbers this season is obvious since he should get more carries. Dayes is a physical, between-the-tackles runner and the numbers prove that he deserves a spot on this list. Dayes ranked third in the ACC behind only Cook and Hood in yards per rush beyond the line of scrimmage and it will be very interesting to see what he has in store for his senior season at N.C. State.
