[h=1]Gurley, Allen headline top 10 RBs[/h]
By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]KC Joyner | ESPN Insider
Over the past few weeks, ESPN Insider has featured the top 10 wide receivers and top 10 quarterbacks in college football.
This third part of the series will review the top 10 running backs in college football. The depth of quality candidates at this position is higher than it has been in a few years, so the competition was quite spirited. The list includes strong representation from the Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 and varies from speedy breakaway threats to explosive power runners.
Here are the top 10 running backs in college football:
(Note: Unless otherwise noted, all metrics below are from games against Power 5 opponents.)
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1. Todd Gurley, Georgia Bulldogs
Gurley has missed two games due to a suspension, yet he still leads the SEC with 773 rushing yards. He ranks first nationally in rushing plays of 10 or more yards (25) and has more rushing plays of 20 or more yards (8) than any other running back. Gurley does this with a combination of great power, speed and hurdling ability. He might eventually lose this top spot, depending how his situation plays out, but at the moment, Gurley has to be considered the best ball carrier in college football.
2. Javorius Allen, USC Trojans
Allen has posted 1,043 yards from scrimmage, a mark that easily ranks first among running backs and also tops the scrimmage yardage totals of all skill players. His superior cutback ability is part of why he leads the nation in scrimmage plays of 30 yards or more (9). No player on this list combines pass-catching ability (third in receiving yards by a running back, fourth in running back receptions) and rushing skills (776 yards on the ground, tops among running backs) quite to the extent Allen does.
3. Tevin Coleman, Indiana Hoosiers
No Indiana player has ever won the Heisman Trophy. Playing for a Hoosiers squad that might be hard-pressed to end the season with a winning record will almost certainly keep Coleman from becoming the first to do so, but his candidacy certainly has its share of awe-inspiring numbers. He has the type of speed that destroys pursuit angles, and that has led to his total of seven scrimmage plays of 40 or more yards, best in the nation. Coleman is currently averaging an incredible 8.4 yards per play from scrimmage, a mark that leads the nation among running backs with at least 50 scrimmage plays against Power 5 teams. If Coleman keeps up his current pace of 190.3 yards from scrimmage per game (a mark that includes contests against non-Power 5 teams), he will end the regular season with 2,284 scrimmage yards, which would rank in the top 10 in college football history.
4. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin Badgers
Gordon is continuing the trend of dominant Wisconsin power backs. He ranks second nationally in yards per play from scrimmage (8.1) against Power 5 teams (50 plays minimum) and is tied for second in rush plays of 40 or more yards (4). Gordon eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season in Wisconsin's sixth game, a win over Illinois, and set a school record for the fewest games to that milestone. Also, he displayed great balance on this 46-yard run.
5. Josh Robinson, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Dak Prescott is the name that comes to most people's minds when they talk about the Bulldogs, but don't forget about Robinson's contributions to this offense. Robinson ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards per game (133.7), behind only Gurley at 175, and yards per carry (7.7), again behind only Gurley at 7.9. He has scored on 9.6 percent of his carries, a mark that ranks second among SEC running backs, and he has quite a burst for a 5-foot-9, 215-pound fireplug.
6. Paul Perkins, UCLA Bruins
Perkins hadn't even locked down the top running back spot on his team coming into the season, but through the first eight weeks, he has has proven himself to be one of the top backs in the country. He currently ranks fifth among running backs in yards per rush (6.7) and percentage of rushing plays with 5 or more yards (47.7 percent) against Power 5 teams (50 rush minimum). Perkins' big-play ability is evident in his No. 2 ranking in rushing plays of 10 or more yards (23). Great vision is another of his traits. That was on display when he did a superb job reading the defense and using blocks on a 49-yard screen pass that went for a touchdown against California.
7. Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska Cornhuskers
Abdullah has plenty of breakaway ability (20 rushes of 10 or more yards, good for fourth nationally), but where he really stands out is his ability as a short-yardage specialist (11 rushing touchdowns, first in the nation). Abdullah is the only active FBS player with 20 or more career 100-yard rushing games. As great as these figures are, what might be the most amazing arrow in his statistical arsenal is Abdullah is the only running back in Nebraska history to post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. When considering the extraordinary history of elite Cornhusker ball carriers (Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch), it speaks volumes for how illustrious Abdullah's Nebraska career has been.
8. Duke Johnson, Miami Hurricanes
Johnson is one of the most consistent backs in college football. Among backs with at least 50 carries, he ranks fourth nationally in percentage of rushes that gain 5 or more yards (48.1 percent). His seven games with 90 or more rushing yards is tied for first nationally, and his six games with a rushing touchdown ties for second nationally. Johnson has the power to hit a play between the tackles, but he also has a great ability to bounce a rush outside.
9. Royce Freeman, Oregon Ducks
Freeman is a true freshman on whom Oregon's offense has been leaning more often -- with great success. He ranks 11th nationally in rushing yards per game against Power 5 teams in October (125) and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns in that time frame (6). Freeman also has accurate passing skills, which were on display on a trick-play, throwback pass to Marcus Mariota that led to a 26-yard touchdown against Arizona. If Oregon keeps using him as its go-to back, Freeman could vault his way up this list by season's end.
10. Nick Chubb, Georgia Bulldogs
There were concerns Georgia's running game would falter during Gurley's absence. Chubb put those worries to rest. He has only two starts to his credit this year, yet he is still tied for 12th nationally in rushing plays of 10 or more yards (15). He is only the third freshman in Georgia history to rush for more than 200 yards in a game. Chubb has the kind of open-field ability that can almost fake a safety out of his cleats, and he could be a contender for best back in the country in future seasons.
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By [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]KC Joyner | ESPN Insider
Over the past few weeks, ESPN Insider has featured the top 10 wide receivers and top 10 quarterbacks in college football.
This third part of the series will review the top 10 running backs in college football. The depth of quality candidates at this position is higher than it has been in a few years, so the competition was quite spirited. The list includes strong representation from the Big Ten, SEC and Pac-12 and varies from speedy breakaway threats to explosive power runners.
Here are the top 10 running backs in college football:
(Note: Unless otherwise noted, all metrics below are from games against Power 5 opponents.)
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Gurley has missed two games due to a suspension, yet he still leads the SEC with 773 rushing yards. He ranks first nationally in rushing plays of 10 or more yards (25) and has more rushing plays of 20 or more yards (8) than any other running back. Gurley does this with a combination of great power, speed and hurdling ability. He might eventually lose this top spot, depending how his situation plays out, but at the moment, Gurley has to be considered the best ball carrier in college football.
Allen has posted 1,043 yards from scrimmage, a mark that easily ranks first among running backs and also tops the scrimmage yardage totals of all skill players. His superior cutback ability is part of why he leads the nation in scrimmage plays of 30 yards or more (9). No player on this list combines pass-catching ability (third in receiving yards by a running back, fourth in running back receptions) and rushing skills (776 yards on the ground, tops among running backs) quite to the extent Allen does.
3. Tevin Coleman, Indiana Hoosiers
No Indiana player has ever won the Heisman Trophy. Playing for a Hoosiers squad that might be hard-pressed to end the season with a winning record will almost certainly keep Coleman from becoming the first to do so, but his candidacy certainly has its share of awe-inspiring numbers. He has the type of speed that destroys pursuit angles, and that has led to his total of seven scrimmage plays of 40 or more yards, best in the nation. Coleman is currently averaging an incredible 8.4 yards per play from scrimmage, a mark that leads the nation among running backs with at least 50 scrimmage plays against Power 5 teams. If Coleman keeps up his current pace of 190.3 yards from scrimmage per game (a mark that includes contests against non-Power 5 teams), he will end the regular season with 2,284 scrimmage yards, which would rank in the top 10 in college football history.
Gordon is continuing the trend of dominant Wisconsin power backs. He ranks second nationally in yards per play from scrimmage (8.1) against Power 5 teams (50 plays minimum) and is tied for second in rush plays of 40 or more yards (4). Gordon eclipsed 1,000 yards on the season in Wisconsin's sixth game, a win over Illinois, and set a school record for the fewest games to that milestone. Also, he displayed great balance on this 46-yard run.
Dak Prescott is the name that comes to most people's minds when they talk about the Bulldogs, but don't forget about Robinson's contributions to this offense. Robinson ranks second in the SEC in rushing yards per game (133.7), behind only Gurley at 175, and yards per carry (7.7), again behind only Gurley at 7.9. He has scored on 9.6 percent of his carries, a mark that ranks second among SEC running backs, and he has quite a burst for a 5-foot-9, 215-pound fireplug.
6. Paul Perkins, UCLA Bruins
Perkins hadn't even locked down the top running back spot on his team coming into the season, but through the first eight weeks, he has has proven himself to be one of the top backs in the country. He currently ranks fifth among running backs in yards per rush (6.7) and percentage of rushing plays with 5 or more yards (47.7 percent) against Power 5 teams (50 rush minimum). Perkins' big-play ability is evident in his No. 2 ranking in rushing plays of 10 or more yards (23). Great vision is another of his traits. That was on display when he did a superb job reading the defense and using blocks on a 49-yard screen pass that went for a touchdown against California.
Abdullah has plenty of breakaway ability (20 rushes of 10 or more yards, good for fourth nationally), but where he really stands out is his ability as a short-yardage specialist (11 rushing touchdowns, first in the nation). Abdullah is the only active FBS player with 20 or more career 100-yard rushing games. As great as these figures are, what might be the most amazing arrow in his statistical arsenal is Abdullah is the only running back in Nebraska history to post three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. When considering the extraordinary history of elite Cornhusker ball carriers (Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier, Eric Crouch), it speaks volumes for how illustrious Abdullah's Nebraska career has been.
Johnson is one of the most consistent backs in college football. Among backs with at least 50 carries, he ranks fourth nationally in percentage of rushes that gain 5 or more yards (48.1 percent). His seven games with 90 or more rushing yards is tied for first nationally, and his six games with a rushing touchdown ties for second nationally. Johnson has the power to hit a play between the tackles, but he also has a great ability to bounce a rush outside.
Freeman is a true freshman on whom Oregon's offense has been leaning more often -- with great success. He ranks 11th nationally in rushing yards per game against Power 5 teams in October (125) and is tied for first in rushing touchdowns in that time frame (6). Freeman also has accurate passing skills, which were on display on a trick-play, throwback pass to Marcus Mariota that led to a 26-yard touchdown against Arizona. If Oregon keeps using him as its go-to back, Freeman could vault his way up this list by season's end.
There were concerns Georgia's running game would falter during Gurley's absence. Chubb put those worries to rest. He has only two starts to his credit this year, yet he is still tied for 12th nationally in rushing plays of 10 or more yards (15). He is only the third freshman in Georgia history to rush for more than 200 yards in a game. Chubb has the kind of open-field ability that can almost fake a safety out of his cleats, and he could be a contender for best back in the country in future seasons.
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