College football’s 20 best running backs of 2026
Ohio State running back Bo Jackson carries the ball against Indiana during the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday December 6, 2025 at Lucas Oil Stadium. (Lynn Harrington/stayaliveinpower5)
They come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are fast, while others are powerful, but what they all have in common is a nose for the endzone. Being a successful rusher comes down to vision, quickness, durability, solid blocking and fumbles are not an option.
Several of these backs get stronger with every carry, and become dangerous out of the backfield by creating mismatches out in space. Regardless, it all comes down to keeping the chains moving and the offense rolling.
These 20 individuals have displayed those qualities, and look to build on their success this fall. Make no mistakes, one of these backs will be taking home the Doak hardware in December.
20. Lucky Sutton, San Diego State: The Californian is coming off a stellar campaign, and is arguably the best returning rusher out of the Group of Five. Sutton is a big bruiser, who uses his 6-foot-1, 225-pound frame to bulldoze over defenders. He averaged 99.8 rush yards per game, which ranked 14th in the FBS. Sutton also finished 13th nationally in rushing yards, and capped off the year with first-team, All-Mountain West honors. Not to mention he eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in six games. The former four-star prospect rushed for a season-high, 158 yards, and a touchdown in the victory over Wyoming. Sutton even posted 150 yards on the ground in the win over Boise State.
19. Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn: The former four-star prospect started 11 games for the Tigers in 2025. Cobb finished strong down the stretch, and capped off the year with third-team, All-SEC honors. He averaged 80.8 rushing yards a game, which ranked 41st in the FBS. Cobb finished 45th nationally in yards per carry. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in five contests, including three in SEC play. Cobb rushed for a season-high, 153 yards in the win at Arkansas. The Alabama native rushed for 121 yards, and two touchdowns in the victory over Ball State. Cobb posted 119 yards on the ground, and a score at South Alabama. Now he’s due for a 1,000-yard campaign this fall.
18. Carson Hansen, Penn State: The Minnesota native is a workhorse, and one of the most physical rushers in the country. Hansen uses his 6-foot-2, 220-pound frame as a battering ram on would-be tacklers. Although Hansen split carries with Abu Sama over the past two seasons at Iowa State, he posted 1,704 yards on the ground, and 19 touchdowns during that span. The former three-star prospect averaged 86.5 rush yards per game last year, which ranked 28th nationally. Hansen even capped off the year with second-team, All-Big 12 honors. After all, he eclipsed the century mark in rushing in six games, including five in conference play. Hansen is a nice replacement for Kaytron Allen, and Nicholas Singleton.
17. Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech: The former four-star prospect displayed his explosiveness at Michigan last season. Although Haynes only played in seven games, and had to split carries with Jordan Marshall, he still generated 857 yards on the ground and 10 touchdowns. The Georgia native averaged a jaw-dropping, 7.1 yards per carry. Not to mention Haynes eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in each of the Wolverines’ first five games, including two in Big Ten play. He rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the win at Michigan State. His 159 rush yards, and three touchdowns against New Mexico were season-highs. Haynes even earned third-team, All-Big Ten honors.
16. Wayne Knight, UCLA: For a player with no stars behind his name out of high school, he’s blossoming into one of the nation’s most productive rushers. Knight finished third in the FBS in all-purpose yards at James Madison last season, and earned first-team, All-Sun Belt honors. He finished fifth in the country in yards per carry. Not to mention Knight averaged 98.1 rush yards per game, which ranked 15th in the country. Knight even displayed soft hands, and caught 40 balls out of the backfield. The Delaware native eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in five games. His 212 yards on the ground against Troy were a season-high. Knight rushed for 151 yards against Georgia Southern, and 110 at Oregon.
15. Evan Dickens, Boston College: The former three-star prospect is coming off a stellar campaign at Liberty. Dickens averaged a jaw-dropping, 121.7 rushing yards per game, which ranked third in the FBS. He tied for sixth in the country, with 16 rushing touchdowns. The Georgia native finished seventh nationally in all-purpose yards, eighth in scoring and 24th in yards per carry. Dickens ended his 1,000-yard season with second-team, All-CUSA honors. The 5-foot-10, 190-pounder rushed for 267 yards against Kennesaw State, which was a season-high, and the third-most in a single game for the Flames. Dickens also eclipsed the 200-yard rushing mark against Louisiana Tech, and Delaware.
14. Nate Sheppard, Duke: The former three-star prospect made a tremendous impact for the Blue Devils as a true freshman last season. Sheppard rushed over a 1,000 yards, caught 37 passes out of the backfield, and scored 11 total touchdowns. He ranked 37th nationally in yards per carry. Sheppard earned second-team, All-ACC honors for his heroics. The Louisiana native rushed for 168 yards, and two touchdowns in the win at Syracuse. Sheppard generated 100 yards on the ground, and two touchdowns against Connecticut. Not to mention he posted two rushing scores against Wake Forest, California and Syracuse. His 170 rushing yards in bowl victory over Arizona State were a season-high.
13. Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech: The former three-star prospect put together a 1,000-yard campaign for the Big 12 Champs last season, and scored 16 total touchdowns. Dickey led the conference, and tied for 20th nationally in rushing touchdowns. He ranked third in the league, and 25th in the FBS in rushing yards. Dickey also caught 25 balls out of the backfield. The Texas native capped off the year with second-team, All-Big 12 honors for his success. After all, he rushed for 121 yards, and a touchdown in the victory over BYU. His 263 yards on the ground, and two scores against Kansas were season-highs. Dickey even hauled in a touchdown pass in road wins over West Virginia, and Houston.
12. Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State: The Oklahoma native set a single-season, record at North Texas, with 25 rushing touchdowns in 2025. Hawkins led the entire FBS in scoring, and touchdowns on the ground. He finished fourth nationally in all-purpose yards. Hawkins averaged 110.3 rushing yards per game, which was sixth-best in the country. Not to mention he ranked 15th in yards per carry. Hawkins also capped off his amazing campaign with first-team, All-AAC honors, and was named the league’s Rookie of the Year. Hawkins eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards six times. The six-foot, 200-pounder rushed for five scores at UAB, and four apiece against Army, Navy and Temple.
11. Hollywood Smothers, Texas: The North Carolina native is coming off a stellar campaign at NC State. Smothers did some damage in the ACC, and ranked second in the conference, and 23rd nationally in yards per carry. He also caught 37 balls out of the backfield. Smothers rushed for a jaw-dropping, 693 yards through the Wolfpack’s first six games. The former three-star prospect rushed for a season-high, 164 yards in the victory at Wake Forest. Smothers generated 140 yards on the ground, and two touchdowns in the win over Virginia. Not to mention he rushed for 123 yards apiece against Duke and Campbell. Smothers even capped off the year with first-team, All-ACC honors for his heroics.
10. Jordan Marshall, Michigan: The former four-star prospect split carries with Justice Haynes last season, but still finished strong down the stretch for the Wolverines. Marshall rushed for a jaw-dropping, 631 yards, and seven touchdowns over the final five games of the regular season. He ranked second in the Big Ten, and 14th in the FBS in yards per carry. Marshall also earned second-team, All-Big Ten honors for his heroics. His 185 yards on the ground, and three touchdowns in the win over Purdue were season-highs. Not to mention Marshall had 142 rush yards, and two scores at Northwestern. The Ohio native generated 133 rush yards against Washington, and 110 at Michigan State.
9. Raleek Brown, Texas: The Californian is coming off an impressive season at Arizona State, and did a great job filling Cam Skattebo’s shoes. Brown led the Big 12, and finished 12th nationally in all-purpose yards. He averaged 95.1 rushing yards per game, which ranked second in the league, and 18th in the FBS. Not to mention he finished 17th in the country in yards per carry. Brown even capped off the year with first-team, All-Big 12 honors. The former four-star prospect rushed for 110 yards at Mississippi State. Brown posted 144 yards on the ground, and a score in the win over Texas State. The 5-f00t-9, 195-pounder scored two total touchdowns, and rushed for a season-high, 255 yards at Colorado.
8. Cam Cook, West Virginia: The Texas native put together a stellar campaign at Jacksonville State last year. Cook’s 1,659 rushing yards were the second-most in a single season for the Gamecocks. He led the entire FBS in rushing yards per game. Cook ranked second in the country in all-purpose yards. The former four-star prospect tied for 6th nationally, with 16 rushing scores. Not to mention he finished 21st in yards per carry. Cook earned first-team, All-CUSA honors, and was named the league’s MVP and Newcomer of the Year. On top of that he also was also a third-team, AP All-American. Cook’s 218 yards on the ground in the road victory over Sam Houston were a season-high.
7. Bo Jackson, Ohio State: The former four-star prospect made an immediate impact for the Buckeyes as a true freshman last season. Not only did Jackson put together a 1,000-yard campaign, but he also capped off the year with second-team, All-Big Ten honors. After all, he ranked fourth in the conference, and 18th nationally in yards per carry. Jackson finished 36th nationally in rushing yards per game. The Cleveland native eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards in six contests, including four in Big Ten play. Jackson posted 105 yards on the ground against Penn State. His 117 rushing yards in the victory at Michigan were a season-high. Brown even caught a touchdown in road win at Illinois.
6. Jadan Baugh, Florida: The Georgia native made some noise in the SEC last year. Baugh is a load to bring down for defenders, considering he stands six-foot, and weighs 228 pounds. He posted a 1,000-yard campaign, caught 33 passes out of the backfield with his soft hands, and earned second-team, All-SEC honors. After all, Baugh ranked second in the conference, and 10th in the FBS in all-purpose yards. The former three-star prospect finished third in the league, and 16th nationally in rushing yards per game. Baugh rushed for 150 yards, and a touchdown in the victory over Mississippi State. His 266 yards on the ground, and two scores in the win over Florida State were season-highs.
5. Antwan Raymond, Rutgers: The Canadian made some noise in the Big Ten last season, and established himself as a force to be reckoned with. Raymond averaged 103.4 rushing yards per game, which ranked third in the Big Ten, and 10th in the FBS. He finished 11th nationally in all-purpose yards. Not to mention Raymond tied for 25th in the country in rushing touchdowns. The former three-star prospect ended the year with second-team, All-Big Ten honors. After all, Raymond eclipsed the century mark in rushing yards four times in Big Ten play. He rushed for 189 yards, and scored two touchdowns against Penn State. His 41 carries, and 240 yards on the ground at Maryland were both season-highs.
4. DeSean Bishop, Tennessee: The hometown kid displayed a strong nose for the endzone in 2025. Not only did Bishop generate a 1,000-yard campaign, but he also capped off the year with second-team, All-SEC honors. He finished second in the SEC, and tied for sixth in the FBS, with 16 touchdowns on the ground. Bishop ranked third in the league, and 19th nationally in yards per carry. The former three-star prospect finished strong down the stretch, and rushed for 306 yards, and six touchdowns over the Vols’ final three games. Not to mention Bishop recorded six games with at least two rushing scores, including four in SEC play. His 146 rushing yards in the victory over Arkansas were a season-high.
3. LJ Martin, BYU: The Texas native put together a monster campaign last season, and left tire tracks all across the Big 12. Martin isn’t the most explosive rusher, but he’s a workhorse, who uses his 6-foot-2, 225-pound frame to bulldoze would-be tacklers. He even averaged 100.4 rushing yards per game, which led the Big 12, and ranked 12 nationally. Martin finished second in the league, and 13th in the FBS in all-purpose yards. Not to mention he ranked fourth on the Cougars in receptions, and earned first-team, All-Big 12 honors. Martin is as physical, and productive as they come. Which is why he has rushed for a jaw-dropping, 2,023 yards, and 19 touchdowns over the past two seasons with BYU.
2. Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss: The Dallas native posted a memorable campaign, and was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award in 2025. Lacy set a single-season record for the Rebels, with 25 rushing touchdowns. He even tied a single-season, school record for rushing yards. Lacy earned first-team, All-SEC, and second-team, AP All-America honors for his heroics. After all, he ranked second nationally in touchdowns on the ground, third in rushing yards and fourth in scoring. The former three-star prospect finished 14th in the FBS in all-purpose yards. Lacy rushed for three touchdowns apiece against Georgia State, The Citadel and Florida. His 224 rushing yards against the Gators were a season-high.
1. Ahmad Hardy, Missouri: The former three-star prospect took the SEC by storm last year, and established himself as one of the best rushers in the country. Hardy was one of three finalists for the Doak Walker Award, and set a single-season, school record with 1,649 yards on the ground. He even capped off the year with first-team, AP All-America, and SEC honors. Hardy averaged a jaw-dropping, 126.8 rushing yards per game, which ranked first in the SEC, and second in the FBS. The 20-year old led the conference, and finished sixth nationally in all-purpose yards. Hardy led the league in yards per carry too. His 300 rushing yards at Missouri were a season-high, and he posted 250 against Louisiana.
Honorable Mention
Kamari Moulton, Iowa: The Florida native didn’t make Hawkeye fans forget about Kaleb Johnson, but still put together a promising campaign. Although Moulton rushed for 878 yards, and five touchdowns last season, he shared carries with the quarterback.
Joe Jackson, Kansas State: The former three-star prospect finished strong down the stretch for the Wildcats last season, and rushed for 435 yards, and six touchdowns over the final two games. Jackson also earned third-team, All-Big 12 honors for his heroics.
Dylan Riley, Boise State: The Californian put together a 1,000-yard campaign with the Broncos last year. Riley capped off the season with second-team, All-Mountain West honors. He rushed for a season-high, 201 yards, and scored two touchdowns against UNLV.
Jordon Davison, Oregon: Although he had to split carries with Noah Whittington last season, the true freshman still ended up with 667 yards on the ground, and 15 touchdowns. Davison rushed for at least one touchdown in 10 of the Ducks’ games.
