PFF ranks Top-10 returning running backs in college football

PFF has ranked the top-10 returning running backs in all of college football. This comes shortly after the 2023 NFL Draft, which saw two of the game’s best running backs go in the first round.

Notably, these are projections for how each of these players is going to perform during the 2023 college football season. It’s not a projection for the 2024 NFL Draft and how a running back is being viewed by the NFL isn’t being taken into consideration.

Here are PFF’s 10 best returning running backs for the 2023 season:

1. Blake Corum, Michigan
2. Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
3. Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
4. Bucky Irving, Oregon
5. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin
6. Trey Benson, Florida State
7. Nick Singleton, Penn State
8. Miyan Williams, Ohio State
9. Donovan Edwards, Michigan
10. Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss

Michigan landed two players, Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, in the top 10. Corum is even the first overall player, despite suffering a knee injury toward the end of the 2022 season. However, because of Edwards, the Wolverines aren’t going to need to rely on him next season and will instead try to ride a running back by committee approach to the College Football Playoff.

Overall, the Big Ten is the conference dominating PFF’s list. Half of the players on this list come from the Big Ten from four different teams. The conference with the second most teams on the list is the SEC, which has two running backs on the list.

Interestingly, the Big 12 is the only Power Five conference not to get any running back on the list. However, Texas running back Bijan Robinson was the first running back to go in the NFL Draft and was widely seen as the best running back in college football last season. Someone will have to break out to try and replace his production.

Rounding out the list is the only Group of Five running back that PFF included, Frank Gore Jr. from Southern Miss. The son of longtime NFL running back Frank Gore, he ran for 1,382 yards last season.

There are several running backs who missed this list that will look to make a major impact this season. Will Shipley at Clemson could be a dominant force in the ACC. Notre Dame, meanwhile, has Audric Estime who is looking to have a breakout season.