Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon highlighted last year’s class of college football running backs as first round backs in the 2015 NFL Draft. It was a bit of a renaissance as running backs going in the first round had been a fading memory. This year’s running back class is loaded with considerable talents that could eventually be drafted to the NFL beginning with a pair of SEC studs. Here is a look at the top five candidates with the potential to be the top running back in college football for the 2015 season.
Nick Chubb, Georgia
The 5’10’’, 220-pound Chubb stepped in to the Georgia lineup as a freshman and dominated in place of the injured Gurley last season. He ran for 1,547 yards and finished the year with a combined 16 touchdowns. Expectations are even higher for his sophomore year as the bruising back looks to pick up from where he left off in last year’s bowl win when he delivered 266 yards and two touchdown against the Louisville Cardinals. Chubb will continue to pound the ball between the tackles but the Bulldogs are also expected to use him more as a receiver. He not only has potential to be the top running back in college football but he’s on the Heisman watch list too.
Leonard Fournette, LSU
Fournette was the No. 1 recruit in the country last year and he certainly delivered after choosing to stay home at LSU. The New Orleans native ran for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns in his freshman season and expectations will be even higher for his sophomore year after he established himself as the team’s feature back. He’s 6’1’’, 230 pounds but also has incredible quickness, elusiveness and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He’s a well-rounded player and it’s clear that Fournette has all of the tools to become a feature NFL running back.
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James Conner, Pittsburgh
Conner was a beast at Pittsburgh last season when he averaged 5.9 yards per carry while running for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns en route to being named the ACC Player of the Year. Conner has already smashed Tony Dorsett’s single-season school rushing and scoring records, and now he returns with big expectations as he looks to solidify his NFL Draft stock with one more productive season. At 6’2’’ and 250 pounds, there is no doubt about Conner’s ability as a battering ram back that can both overpower defenders with his strength and run right past them with his speed.
Ezekiel Elliott Jr., Ohio State
The Buckeyes are fully loaded across the board once again and the former Missouri man Elliott is part of that. He has the potential to be a Heisman trophy candidate if he can live up to expectations this season. Elliott torched Alabama’s defense for 11.5 yards per carry en route to running for 230 yards and two touchdowns in last year’s Sugar Bowl. He finished the season with a ridiculous 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding another 28 receptions for 220 yards in the process. Elliott isn’t the most powerful back despite his 6’1’’, 225-pound frame but he has ridiculous speed and quickness, and functions in an offense that is very explosive. NFL scouts will be watching closely to see what he has in store for an encore in 2015.
Samaje Perine, Oklahoma
Perine is the type of running back that stayed under the radar heading into his freshman year but then capitalized on opportunity created by suspension and injuries for an absolutely massive 2014 season. Perine ran for 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns in his freshman season including a NCAA record-setting performance against Kansas in which he ran for 427 yards and five touchdowns. Perine has already established himself as a back that can thrive in a feature role and there is no doubt he has the potential to exceed last year’s production. He could be the top running back in college football for the 2015 if Oklahoma’s offensive line obliges.
