Tag: Top Running Backs

Top 10 Big 12 rushers based on their PFF run grades

A look at the top 10 running backs in 2022 for the Big 12 Conference. Kansas State, Texas, and Texas Tech claim six of the 10 best runners.

When it came to running the football, the Big 12 Conference had plenty of top-tier runners led by [autotag]Bijan Robinson[/autotag] of Texas.

Alongside [autotag]Roschon Johnson[/autotag], the Longhorns had one of the best one-two punches in the Big 12 and in FBS. We will likely see a different duo wearing the burnt orange in 2023 with Johnson and Robinson likely going to the NFL next season. Robinson is viewed as the No. 1 running back in the NFL draft and has first-round aspirations.

Kansas State and Texas Tech also had a formidable duo in the backfield this past season. With the regular season firmly behind us, Longhorns Wire breaks down the top 10 running backs in the conference based on their grades from PFF (subscription required).

Pro Football Focus ranks the top 10 running backs in the country

A couple Big 12 Conference stars top the list.

The running back position is stacked with superstar players with tons of talent all across the country this season.

Multiple running backs are receiving favorable Heisman Trophy odds ahead of the 2022 season. Plenty of NFL scouts are already gushing over the group of prospects eligible for the upcoming draft.

Pro Football Focus released its list of the top running backs in the nation entering the 2022 season.

Texas superstar Bijan Robinson checks in at No. 2 on the list. Robinson is one of the most complete running backs in college football. He totaled 1,127 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in just 10 games last season, while adding an additional 295 yards and four scores through the air.

Kansas State’s Deuce Vaughn tops the list after earning All-American honors in his first two seasons with the Wildcats. Vaughn is a threat to score every time he touches the ball.

Here a full look at PFF’s top 10 running backs in college football heading into the new season.

MJD slots Leonard Fournette at No. 13 spot of RB rankings

Leonard Fournette landed outside of the top-10 of NFL.com’s RB rankings, however, his new coordinator could make him a top-10 backs again.

Love him or not, it appears Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette will be the team’s No. 1 running back heading into 2020 and they need him to come up big. As a former top-4 selection, the Jags clearly felt he’d be a primary weapon for the team, and with jobs potentially on the line they need him to play like an elite draft selection more than ever.

Someone who would know about the pressure that comes with being a running back for a smash-mouth team is Jags great Maurice Jones-Drew, who now is an NFL.com analyst. The former Jags pro bowler recently put together a list ranking each NFL’s team’s No. 1 running backs. Unfortunately, Fournette didn’t crack the top-10, but he did land within the top-13.

13. Leonard Fournette, Jacksonville Jaguars

2019 stats: 15 games | 265 att | 1,152 rush yds | 4.3 ypc | 3 rush TDs | 76 rec | 522 rec yds | 0 rec TDs

Fournette bounced back last season after a down 2018, but he wasn’t used much in the red zone. With the addition of offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, I expect Fournette, whose fifth-year option wasn’t picked up, to get plenty of touches in an effort to protect QB Gardner Minshew and help set up big-play opportunities off play-action. One thing I know for sure is that it’s imperative that the Jags get their bell cow going if they want to have any type of success this season.

It appears Fournette’s lack of trips to the end-zone hurt him here, but had that not been an issue, he definitely would’ve cracked the top-10.

With Jay Gruden as the Jags new coordinator, it’s possible Fournette could get about the same amount of carries he did in 2019 (265), as Gruden has had several rushers accumulate 250-plus carries like Adrian Peterson, Cedric Benson, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and Alfred Morris. However, it’s worth noting the Jags have several new offensive pass-catchers, too, who could collectively take carries from Fournette. Still, fans should like Fournette’s chances to get over 1,000 yards and double his touchdown total of three from 2019.

As pointed out by Jones-Drew, Fournette will also be motivated by his fifth-year option being declined, and when adding in the fact that other teams will be evaluating him as a pending free-agent, fans shouldn’t discount him. Of course, that would improve the offense in general and possibly make them a top-10 rushing unit again.