Fansided

College football rankings: Top 10 running backs of 2021

By Cody Williams

AMES, IA - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Breece Hall #28 of the Iowa State Cyclones scores a touchdown in the first half half of the play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 12, 2020 in Ames, Iowa. The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin"u2019 Cajuns won 31-14 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images)
AMES, IA - SEPTEMBER 12: Running back Breece Hall #28 of the Iowa State Cyclones scores a touchdown in the first half half of the play at Jack Trice Stadium on September 12, 2020 in Ames, Iowa. The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin"u2019 Cajuns won 31-14 over the Iowa State Cyclones. (Photo by David K Purdy/Getty Images) /
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Kevin Harris, South Carolina Gamecocks
Kevin Harris, South Carolina Gamecocks. (Mandatory Credit: Arden Barnes-USA TODAY Sports) /

7. Kevin Harris, South Carolina

Will Muschamp’s final season with the Gamecocks, on the whole, was one that fans in Columbia would like to forget about. However, if fans are looking for a clear bright spot to hang their hats on, they need not look further than running back Kevin Harris who, thankfully, is returning to South Carolina for his junior season and the first under new head coach Shane Beamer.

Harris was a monster on the ground last season after flashing in limited work as a freshman (averaging 8.5 yards per carry on 21 totes that year). The then-sophomore rushed 185 times over 10 games and put up 1,138 yards, good for 6.2 yards per carry. He also found the end zone an impressive 15 times on the year and added 159 receiving yards and another score for good measure.

From what we saw a year ago, Harris looks like the complete package out of the backfield. He’s a ton of bricks to try and get to the turf whenever he gets moving but he impressed many people with some newfound speed as well in the 2020 season, which only adds to how dangerous he can be.

All told, South Carolina isn’t particularly rich in talent as Beamer arrives in Columbia but that only likely means that Harris is going to be featured even more heavily. He is going to be the calling card of the offense and, even if defenses know that coming into games, they’re still going to have a tough time slowing him down.