College Football: 15 best running backs in 2016

Here are the top 15 running backs in college football for the 2016 season.

The college football season is right around the corner, as football programs across the country are inching closer to their season opener. Every season, a new crop of superstars are born, as teams come out of nowhere to challenge for a bowl game. The 2016 season will be no different, and the action kicks off on Friday, August 26.

The running back position in college football is viewed a little differently than it is in the NFL. While very few running backs go in the first round of the NFL Draft anymore, in college, having a star tailback can be the reason a team wins the National Championship. Last season, Derrick Henry ran the Alabama Crimson Tide to the championship, while winning the Heisman Trophy along the way.

Of course, not all programs have the luxury of having a running back like Henry on scholarship. However, for these fifteen schools, they know they have instant offense standing in the backfield on every play. Some of these players are shooting for school records in 2016, while others are looking to continue an already stellar collegiate career.

The NFL is the next step for most of these running backs, but for now, they will play for the universities that recruited them out of high school. Playing collegiate football is a gift, and these players have taken that gift to the highest level. Each game means so much in college football, so having playmakers like these 15 running backs in the lineup means everything to their programs.

Here is a look at the top 15 running backs for the 2016 college football season.

Next: 15. Saquon Barkley, Penn State University