Top 5 running backs for the 2024 college football season are generating excitement as fans and analysts analyze the best talents across the nation.
Even though quarterbacks often steal the spotlight, the running back position has produced several remarkable athletes over the past decade.
This year, FOX Sports college football analysts Michael Cohen and RJ Young have each compiled their rankings of the top five running backs ahead of the upcoming season.
Here’s a closer examination:
RJ:
1. Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
2. Jarquez Hunter, Auburn
Hunter’s career average of over 6.0 yards per carry at Auburn indicates that if he were given the same opportunities as Gordon, he could easily match or exceed Gordon’s impressive stats. In a sport where a reliable tailback is a rare find, Auburn boasts a player who can consistently deliver tough yards and make explosive plays in the SEC.
3. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
4. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
5. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Michael:
1. Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
Gordon’s achievements last season include first-team All-America honors and winning the Doak Walker Award after leading the nation with 1,732 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns. He was one of only two non-quarterbacks to rank among the top seven in Heisman Trophy voting, alongside Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. Despite a summer incident involving a DUI arrest that drew negative attention, Gordon aims to improve on his seventh-place Heisman finish in 2024.
2. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
3. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
4. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
Jeanty, a three-star recruit from Texas, initially received scholarship offers from Kansas and California but opted for Boise State. He made an immediate impact, accumulating 976 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns as a freshman, followed by an impressive 1,916 scrimmage yards and 19 touchdowns in 2023. His average of 159.7 scrimmage yards per game led the nation last season, surpassing Oklahoma State’s Gordon by 12 yards per game.
5. Kyle Monangai, Rutgers
