2024 Running Back Unit Rankings: Ohio State duo nets top spot but Penn State, Georgia also feature loaded rooms
With spring practice in the books and the second transfer portal window closed, it’s time to kickstart our summer series evaluating 2024 positional unit rankings.
I debuted the series with a look at the 10 best quarterback rooms, and today I take a swing ranking the Top 10 running back units in 2024.
With apologies to Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon, Texas Tech’s Tahj Brooks and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, this is not a listing of the top individual tailbacks.
All three are awesome, but they’re one-man bands. This is a ranking of a team’s entire depth chart. With that said…
The Top 10 running back units in 2024
1. Ohio State
The Buckeyes are all-in on the 2024 season, and no where is that more evident than the team’s decision to pair TreVeyon Henderson with former Ole Miss star Quinshon Judkins. Ohio State has two legitimate 1,000-yard rushers — and if healthy — the duo projects as the best 1-2 punch in the country this fall.
Ohio State’s depth has been sapped a bit with a trio of portal departures (Chip Trayanum, Dallan Hayden and Evan Pryor), but they signed a pair of freshmen (James Peoples, Sam Williams-Dixon) to vie for backup snaps.
2. Penn State
The Nittany Lions tout a two-headed tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen that rival most any duo in the country. The juniors combined for over 1,650 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2023 — which was actually a down year compared to their production as freshmen.
Still, the ‘Lawn Boyz’ should flourish in Andy Kotelnicki’s creative, run-friendly system this fall. They have some added support, too, as freshman Quinton Martin Jr. was a spring star and looks like a viable No. 3 option as a slippery, explosive playmaker.
3. Georgia
In one of the wilder transfer portal moves this offseason, Florida tailback Trevor Etienne switched sides in the border war rivalry, instantly upgrading UGA’s running back room.
In Etienne, the Bulldogs added a versatile playmaker with true three-down skills (7.0 yards per touch in 2023). The junior will be the team’s No. 1 ‘back, but with options like Roderick Robinson and Branson Robinson (coming off a major injury) as well as talented freshmen Nate Frazier (Top 50 prospect nationally) and Chauncey Bowens, this is likely a room that will share a lot of carries for much of the season.
4. UCF
Rarely do running backs suddenly have a breakout season as a senior, but RJ Harvey did just that in 2023, as the former unheralded Virginia transfer had 1,400 yards and 17 total touchdowns for the Knights. Harvey shined in Gus Malzahn’s offense, and was a home-run threat on nearly every possession with 17 runs over 20 yards (second-most nationally).
The sixth-year senior wasn’t a one-man band for UCF, either, as fellow senior Johnny Richardson (6.6 yards per carry, 573 yards) is also back this fall. The Knights added even more firepower to the room with the addition of Cincy transfer Myles Montgomery, who had 428 yards at 6.5 per carry on a terrible offense in 2023, and sixth-year senior Peny Boone, who was the MAC Offensive Player of the Year after going for 1,401 yards and 15 scores for Toledo in 2023.
5. Ole Miss
Credit to Lane Kiffin, as Ole Miss’ head coach didn’t sweat losing Quinshon Judkins to Ohio State, plucking a trio of tailbacks out of the portal this offseason.
Former Notre Dame and LSU transfer Logan Diggs was eying a big role in 2024, but the senior is likely to miss most (or all) of the season with an injury, so the Rebels then added New Mexico standout Jacory Merritt and former Ole Miss tailback Henry Parrish. Merritt had 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, while Parrish led Miami in rushing in 2023. They’ll team up with sixth-year senior Ulysses Bentley IV to form a formidable trio.
6. Alabama
The Crimson Tide’s running back room doesn’t return the production of many of the other units on this list, but what they lack in stats is made up for in raw upside and talent.
Jam Miller and Justice Haynes are two former blue-chip recruits who look to blossom as sophomores in Kalen DeBoer’s offense. Both had monster springs and will be featured heavily in a potential run-first scheme. Richard Young is another former 5-star recruit with lots of potential and freshman Daniel Hill is already a rocked-up 235-pound specimen.
7. Kansas
Why should Penn State’s duo be so excited about Andy Kotelnicki’s offense? Because look what he did at Kansas with Devin Neal and Daniel Hinshaw Jr.
Neal might be the best tailback many college football fans don’t know about, as the senior turned down the NFL for one last go-round in college after rushing for 1,280 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. Hinshaw chipped in nearly 700 yards and eight scores himself, giving the Jayhawks’ the No. 1 duo in the Big 12 this fall.
8. Liberty
The Flames had the No. 1 rushing offense in the country last season, and while much of that can be attributed to the wheels of quarterback Kaidon Salter, their tailbacks were darn good, too.
Jamey Chadwell can churn out prolific tailbacks with the best of them, and his offense produced three non-quarterbacks with over 500 yards last season. Quinton Cooley led the way with 1,400 yards and 16 scores, while Billy Lucas was a quality RB2 with 600 yards and six touchdowns. Liberty also has a pair of talented underclassmen, led by James Jointer Jr.
9. Texas
Like Alabama, Texas’ running back room is all about projection, but the upside with CJ Baxter, a former 5-star recruit, and Jaydon Blue is undeniable. They get to run behind one of the best OLs in the nation, and both flashed as underclassmen in backup roles in 2023.
Baxter rushed for 659 yards and five scores, taking over as RB1 when Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL. He battled several nagging injuries down the stretch but arguably deserved more touches (9 carries for 64 yards, one score) in the Longhorns’ loss to Washington in the CFP Semifinal. Blue averaged 6.1 yards per rush, and Texas will incorporate freshman Jerrick Gibson to the mix this fall, too.
10. Kansas State
The Wildcats snuck into the Top 10 with their recent addition of Colorado speedster Dylan Edwards, who reunites with pee-wee teammate and K-State starting quarterback Avery Johnson.
Edwards struggled to run the ball efficiently behind a bad Buffs OL, but he should have more room to operate for Chris Klieman’s team. The former blue-chip recruit isn’t RB1, though, as DJ Giddens returns after rushing for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Kansas State also signed DeVon Rice out of Las Vegas powerhouse Bishop Gorman.
Just Missed: West Virginia, Oregon, Cal, Oklahoma