The college football scene has experienced something similar to the NFL in terms of the perceptual devaluing of running backs. Ashton Jeanty had one of the most productive rushing seasons of all time with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns for Boise State, the best college running back season since Barry Sanders’ legendary 1988 season for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Cam Skattebo and Omarion Hampton should not be overlooked, as they also had incredibly productive seasons for Arizona State and North Carolina, respectively.
Now that those players are gone for the NFL, though, the 2025 season is particularly unique as many of the top consensus running backs are transfers, testing their abilities against new competition. Can they continue to be productive? How does this running back class stack up overall?
Here are the top 10 running backs entering the 2025 college football season.
10. Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have one of the most consistent running backs in junior running back Jamal Haynes. His 2023 and 2024 seasons in terms of production are eerily similar. In 2023, he ran for 1,061 yards and seven touchdowns. In 2024, he ran for 944 yards and nine touchdowns. The Third-Team All-ACC running back had his best game against the North Carolina Tar Heels. He had 170 rushing yards, two touchdowns, averaging 8.9 yards per carry on that day.
Haynes is incredibly elusive as a running back, and many opposing defenders find it nearly impossible to put a hand on him. Through his two seasons of play, he ranks first among all Power Four running backs in yards before contact, totalling 856 yards. He also ranks fourth in those two seasons in yards after contact among returning Power Four running backs, with 1,145 yards. His production may not be the most impressive on the list, but his quickness is a real problem for the ACC.
9. Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma Sooners
Former California Golden Bear running back Jaydn Ott was one of the most notable names to enter the transfer portal. He decided to join the Oklahoma Sooners in his fourth season of college football, coming off a massively disappointing season in terms of production. However, it’s important to note that Ott was dealing with an ankle injury throughout the entire season, which he had sustained in the season opener against UC Davis. Before the injury, Ott was one of the most electric running backs in all of college football.
In his 2023 season, he ran for 1,311 yards and 12 touchdowns. In five of those games, he ran for over 150 yards. His production did not go unrecognized, as he was selected to the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2023. Joining Ott on the Oklahoma Sooners this season is dual-threat quarterback John Mateer, who ran for over 800 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024. If Ott returns to form and Mateer continues to dominate on the ground, the Sooners may have one of the most dominant rushing attacks in all of college football.
8. Ahmad Hardy, Missouri Tigers
Ahmad Hardy may be the hidden gem of this entire running back class. In his freshman campaign, he was utterly dominant in the Sun Belt Conference. For Louisiana-Monroe, he ran for over 1,300 yards and had 13 touchdowns, which ranked first among all Sun Belt running backs. Additionally, he had eight games of over 100 rushing yards, one of which he ran for 207 yards against the Marshall Thundering Herd.
For his second season, he decided to take his talents to the Missouri Tigers. However, this is a major step in terms of the strength of competition. Even though he was named the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and earned First-Team All-Sun Belt honors, that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his struggles. His productivity notably dropped against tougher competition. This was never clearer than in his game against Texas, where he managed to get only 30 rushing yards on 10 carries. Hopefully, this doesn’t become a pattern for Hardy, as he will be playing in arguably the best conference in college football, the SEC.
7. Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh Panthers
The most unique running back on this list by far is Pittsburgh Panther Desmond Reid. He is undoubtedly the smallest running back on this list, standing at 5-foot-8, and 175 pounds, which some teams may consider a huge liability. He also has a one-of-a-kind skill set on this list, reminiscent of Alvin Kamara, as his strength may not actually be running the ball, but rather his ability to catch it.
His rushing production isn’t the most impressive on this list, with just 968 yards and five touchdowns in 2024. However, when combined with his 580 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns, his overall production from the line of scrimmage is one of the most impressive among all running backs. He’s the only running back with multiple games with over 100 rushing yards and multiple games with over 100 receiving yards, earning him a spot on the All-ACC First-Team. While his size and rushing efficiency are serious concerns, there’s no denying that Reid is one of the most entertaining running backs to watch.
6. Jonah Coleman, Washington Huskies
Jonah Coleman of the Washington Huskies is a true bowling ball of a running back, standing at 5-foot-9 and weighing 229 pounds. He possesses some serious power in his lower body, impressive leg drive, and is certainly not afraid to stiff-arm opposing defenders. He’s a former teammate of Carolina Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan on the 2023 Arizona Wildcats team. However, Coleman decided it was best to transfer to the University of Washington for the 2024 season.
While he was a solid back beforehand, averaging 5.8 yards per carry throughout his college career, he truly found his place with the Huskies and had a breakout season. He ran for 1,060 yards and 10 touchdowns and earned Third-Team All-Big Ten honors. Coleman is one of my personal favorites on this list, as he’s shown tremendous tenacity in his play. Considering there are some serious questions for their quarterback position, the Washington Huskies may look to Coleman as the driving force of their offense.
5. Makhi Hughes, Oregon Ducks
If we’re talking about the most consistently productive running back in all of college football, look no further than former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes. He is the only running back on this list to rank in the top 10 in terms of rushing yards in the last two seasons. He ran for a combined 2,776 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024, winning the 2023 AAC Rookie of the Year, and was awarded First-Team All-AAC in both years. The Tulane Green Wave have truly let go of an absolute stud of a running back.
What’s even more impressive is that there are almost no dips in his production. Last season, in 50% of his games, he had over 100 rushing yards, with defenses scrambling to take him down. The cherry on top of his legendary 2024 season is that 1,018 of his rushing yards came after contact, ranking first among all returning running backs. He decided to transfer to the Oregon Ducks and test his skills against the Big Ten. If I'm being completely honest, I think out of all the transferring running backs on this list, I envision him having the fewest number of problems adapting to the tougher competition.
4. Kaytron Allen, Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions have a running back tandem reminiscent of the duo for the Detroit Lions. The Lions duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery have gone by many nicknames, including “Thunder and Lightning” and “Sonic and Knuckles.” In this case, the direct comparison to David Montgomery, the “thunder” or “knuckles” from the Penn State duo, is running back Kaytron Allen. He is a physically imposing running back, standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 217 pounds. He is similar to a battering ram, charging into gaps with his head down and running through contact.
Allen is incredibly consistent, rushing for over 800 yards in each of his three seasons, but his name was truly made this season. He ran for over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns, and was incredibly impactful in the College Football Playoff. In the Nittany Lions’ three playoff games, he averaged over 110 yards running the ball per game. If there is one glaring issue, it’s his rushing efficiency, as he only averaged 5.0 yards per carry in 2024. If he were a slightly more dynamic athlete and weren't in the backfield with a more talented running back, there’s a chance he could be ranked higher.
3. Isaac Brown, Louisville Cardinals
Isaac Brown is a running back who burst onto the scene for the Louisville Cardinals in his freshman season. He did not waste any time, winning the ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year, the ACC Rookie of the Year, and was named to the All-ACC Second Team. It was hard for him not to be heavily awarded in his freshman year, as he ran for 1,168 yards, 11 touchdowns while averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Additionally, he had two monster games against Clemson and Kentucky, rushing for over 150 yards in each of those games.
The freshman phenom isn’t without faults. He’s a little undersized for the position, standing at 5-foot-9 and weighing 190 pounds. He can also be a tad streaky as a player, with most of his production being dependent on a few standout games. However, he has game-breaking speed and can easily build upon what he’s already accomplished. Former USC quarterback Miller Moss will be joining the Cardinals this season. There’s a chance that the veteran play caller can unlock another dimension in the back's receiving game, unleashing Brown's full potential.
2. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State Nittany Lions
The “lightning” to Kaytron Allen’s “thunder” is Penn State Nittany Lion Nicholas Singleton. Nicholas is arguably one of the most impressive athletes in college football. He may be the pound-for-pound fastest player on this list. Given that he is 6-foot and 224 pounds, his speed is unreal and is comparable to many of the smaller and lighter running backs in these rankings. This should come as no surprise, as the former five-star recruit also competed in shot put, long jump, and track. His background has translated to repeat explosive plays and home-run speed.
He has also been a very consistent player, averaging roughly 1,000 rushing yards and just over ten touchdowns per season in his last three years. It’s incredibly difficult to stand out in as loaded a backfield as Penn State’s, with another top-five running back. However, he's managed to find a way. Perhaps we won’t ever see how productive he could truly be. In spite of this, his impact will still be felt and will be needed as Penn State attempts to win a national championship.
1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The consensus number one running back in the next season of college football is Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love. Love had a breakout season last year and helped establish the Fighting Irish as a hard-nosed, punch-you-in-the-mouth type of team with their run game. He’s already off to a tremendous start in his second season, running for 1,124 yards and 17 touchdowns. To add to his tremendous sophomore year, he helped carry Notre Dame’s offense to the National Championship Game against Ohio State.
Love has rare home-run speed, especially for his size at 6-foot, 214 pounds. He’s a consistent big-play creator and can make something out of nothing, with 711 of his rushing yards coming after contact. His athleticism already has NFL scouts salivating at the potential of drafting him in the 2026 NFL Draft. If he wants to guarantee his spot as a first-round pick next year, he certainly will have to continue this trend of utter dominance.