Top 5 running backs in college football for 2019

After talking about the best quarterbacks in the nation, we now move on to the guys carrying the rock. Especially with running backs, it's easy to get caught up in the numbers and not evaluate them as individual talents.

I tried to rank them without taking their offensive line or system into account. Once again, we are talking about college players, not necessarily draft prospects, and the main criteria I judged them on was the tape they have put out to this point, including the potential I see for them in 2019.

#1 D’Andre Swift, Georgia

After averaging 7.9 yards per touch on right around 100 chances as a freshman, Swift was asked to replace the production of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Because the coaches split carries pretty much 50-50 between him and Elijah Holyfield, Swift only had 163 carries in 2018, but made most of them, averaging 6.4 yards and scoring ten touchdowns and 32 runs of those runs went for 10+ yards, who the former five-star recruit converted 31.0 percent of his carries into first downs or touchdowns.

Additionally, he was one of the most productive pass-catchers out of the backfield with 32 catches for just short of 300 yards and another three trips to the end-zone, as the Bulldog coaches actually split him out in the slot to run routes. Swift can switch up his footwork on the fly, he has very loose hips to make that sharp cut upfield and that special elusiveness to make guys miss with the ball in his hands.

At 5’9”, 215 pounds Swift might not the biggest guy, but he can convert speed into power when he has the opportunity blast through somebody’s chest and he runs through arm-tackles time and time again.

#2 Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

Following the greatest rushing season of any freshman in NCAA history, Taylor only improved on his numbers, recording 2,194 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns on 7.1 YPC last season. He converted 96 carries into first downs or touchdowns in 2018 and led the FBS with 61 rushes of 10+ yards.

While he measures in an inch short of six feet and right around 220 pounds, Taylor is a big dude and his running style is built on explosiveness and power. Once you give him an opening to burst through, he can really load up and bring the thunder on that second level.

Not every defender is ready for that and that is why more than half of his yards came after initial contact. However, for a guy who makes things happen with that first explosion through the line and his power, Taylor has pretty sweet feet to make guys miss in tight spaces and slightly switch up his running tracks.

With an average of 300 carries through his first two years as a Badger, he has been the team’s clear-cut workhorse and big-play machine to rely on, with no signs of slowing down. The reason I have him behind Swift is the fact he only caught eight passes in each of his two years at Madison and while he has cut that number in half last year, he has fumbled the ball 12 times already.

#3 Eno Benjamin, Arizona State

This young man set a new Arizona State record with 1,642 rushing yards a season ago in 13 games. Benjamin recorded 90 first downs and touchdowns combined, with nine games of 100+ yards on the ground even though N’Keal Harry was basically the only other weapon on that offense. He added another 35 catches for 263 yards and scored 18 touchdowns from scrimmage.

Benjamin is a very patient runner who utilizes hesitation steps and pressing one gap to force linebackers to commit. He is special in his ability to start and stop, bounce between gaps and make guys miss with a jump-cut, while he also has that spin move in the open field that can make opponents just look stupid. Those moves led to 77 missed tackles forced and 1030 yards after contact. He will probably not carry the 300 times again, but I could see an increased role in the passing game.

The Sundevil is an extremely tough runner for a 5’10”, 200-pound guy, but my one critique of him is the fact that he can be caught dancing around instead of just trying to get back to the line of scrimmage at times.

#4 Ke'Shawn Vaughn, Vanderbilt

No running back exploded on the scene quite like this Commodore breakout star. With just over 1000 rushing yards through his first two years at Illinois, expectations were fairly low after sitting out a year. However, over his last five games of 2018, Vaughn carried the ball 85 times for 749 yards and seven TDs, giving him an average of 8.8 yards per rush.

Overall, his number at over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns from scrimmage with 8.3 yards per touch are impressive as well. He had 32 runs of 10+ yards in 2018. What I like to watch most about Vaughn is the way he will attack the line, then cut down his strides as he reads a blocker and all of a sudden turn on the jets again to beat a defender to the edge. So many times you see him bounce outside with one step if there’s a wall in front of him and nobody seems to ever be able to grab him.

The Vandy back can be found dotting the I in heavy sets and run right through traffic as well as lining up next to his QB in shotgun and make things happen after catching a swing route. While they will have a change at quarterback, on that offense is my number two tight end and a dynamic receiver that I like a lot. I will be following closely to see if Vaughn can continue with that late-season success.

#5 Travis Etienne, Clemson

In only his sophomore season, this kid set new Clemson records with 1,658 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns on just over 200 carries, giving him a crazy average of 8.1 yards per attempt. He converted 77 of his 204 carries into first downs or touchdowns in 2018 and averaged a ridiculous 8.1 yards with 24 touchdowns.

Etienne does a nice job hesitating to let the blocking get set up and then exploding through the opening, and you really have to watch out once he clears the first wave of defenders, because he absolutely has the long speed to consistently finish big runs in the opposing end-zone.

The Tiger back has the burst to get the edge on defenses, keeps his legs churning constantly and is just tough to slow down, leading to 52 missed tackles forced and gaining 884 yards after contact. However, he doesn’t really make defenders miss and his hands aren’t very trustworthy, as he only caught 12 passes all of last season.

I felt like I had to put Etienne on here simply because of the stupid numbers he put up last season and the fact he will probably not be too far off in 2019, plus he is a really good pure inside/outside zone and power runner. With that being said, I just don’t think he quite has the individual ability of these other four guys.

Just outside: J.K. Dobbins (Ohio State), A.J. Dillon (Boston College), Trey Sermon and Kennedy Brooks (Oklahoma) and Najee Harris (Alabama)

Edited by Raunak J