College Football: 15 best running backs in 2016
By Brad Weiss
The Clemson University football program was a monster in 2015. The team ran the table during the regular season, going 13-0, while earning the top berth in the College Football Playoff. The Tigers would make it all the way to the National Championship Game, but would eventually lose to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
One of the biggest reasons for their 14-1 record was the play of their running back, who teamed with quarterback Deshaun Watson to form one of the better 1-2 punches in college football. Wayne Gallman, who played well as a freshman in 2014, burst onto the scene in 2015, becoming one of the best backs in the game.
A physical runner, Gallman would rewrite the Clemson record book during the 2015 season. The sophomore set the Clemson single-season rushing record, as he racked up 1,527 yards. He also set the record for most all-purpose yards in a season, as his total of 1,740 are now the new standard.
Gallman would go on to be named First-Team All-ACC, as he and his Clemson teammates formed the best team in school history.
Now a junior, Gallman could be spending his last season in Death Valley. He is a preseason Third-Team All-American, and is listed on the Doak Walker and Maxwell Award Watch List. The Tigers are ranked second in the preseason AP Poll, and Gallman is a big reason why.
If Gallman and Watson play the way they did in 2015, perhaps the Clemson Tigers will get another shot at the Alabama Crimson Tide for the National Championship. Regardless of what happens, Gallman is now another name on the long list of great backs to play for the Tigers.
Next: 7. Royce Freeman, University of Oregon