1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

• 5095/200 lbs Super Sophomore
• 4 star (0.9652) from Dalton High (Dalton, GA)
• NFS Top 25.
• Jahmyr Gibbs is an explosive, young, exciting running back who transferred in from Georgia Tech. A silky smooth runner who was used effectively on kick returns as well. His statistics at Georgia Tech were mostly underwhelming, but I believe that was due to the rotational backfield that Gibbs played in and the quarterback that he played with who was much like a young Robert Griffin III. 

Pros

• Excellent speed. Very quick and fast. Has the speed to turn the corner. I would estimate his forty times is around 4.35. 
• Very strong contact balance. Shreds tacklers and stays upright very well. Won’t be brought down by an arm tackle. 
• Good receiver out of the backfield. Made some ridiculous circus catches at Georgia Tech. Very strong hands. 
• Reads defenders very well and knows how to make them miss in a variety of ways. 
• Incredibly explosive runner. Accelerates seamlessly.

Cons

• Struggles to read his blocks effectively. Oftentimes tried to do too much on his own and relied on his athletic ability. When being patient in the hole between the tackles, Gibbs is most easily contained. 
• Doesn’t have a lot of power in pass protection, mostly due to his size. Really struggles to do much good in 1v1 situations. His technique isn’t good and Gibbs lacks the confidence to take people on. 

2. Zach Evans, Ole Miss

• 5016/215 lbs Super Sophomore
• 5 star (0.9925) from North Shore High (Houston, TX)
• Zach Evans is a wildcard in this upcoming class. In terms of talent, he looks like a sure-fire first-round pick. His nimbleness and pure natural athletic ability make it so clear why he was the unanimous best running back in his recruiting class. That being said, his maturity and the way he has handled his college career up to this point have left many people scratching their heads. The only real complaint that I have with his game from 2021 was the fact that he would get tired at the end of games and not run as hard. 

Pros

• Excellent speed. Could run faster than a 4.40 forty, but he should be in the 4.38 to 4.43 range. 
• Very shifty. Looses almost no speed when he goes through a juke. 
• Has some ridiculously smooth explosion that flashes on tape during his big runs. 
• A master of reading blocks quickly and hitting the hole with decisiveness and explosion.
• Solid runner in space – difficult to predict his next move. Spins and dekes his way into good positioning to fall forward if he can’t break the tackle. 
• Ran routes from both the backfield and occasionally the slot. Has good route-running ability. Does a good job working free through sticky situations. 
• Very strong pass blocker. Strong, technical blocker in general. Very quick to get into position to pass protect. Shows excellent understanding and reads while in pass protection. 

Cons

• A little loose with his body control, but not in a way that seems to hinder him. 
• Doesn’t catch too well through contact. Does suffer from concentration drops at times, looking upfield to make a play before securing the catch. 
• Maturity concerns after dropping out of Georgia after Signing Day, transferring to TCU, and then transferring again to Ole Miss.

3. Blake Corum, Michigan

• 5067/200 lbs Super Sophomore
• 4 star (0.9419) from St. Francis Academy (Marshall, VA)
• I went into Blake Corum’s film with low expectations and was blown away by the capability that Corum put on display. Not only did I find that he is an outstanding natural athlete, but he is capable in all three facets of the game that the league asks of the running back position. He’s an electric player and an exciting prospect for the next level.

Pros

• Excellent athlete. Pops on tape immediately. Speed is another level. Should run in the 4.3’s. 
• Acceleration is seamless. Very explosive runner. 
• Reads creases well, overall has a solid understanding of the blocking scheme.
• Corum really is a good runner between the tackles. Will break first contact often, and falls forward through some sort of crease. Keeps his legs churning and shrugging forward toward daylight. 
• Good receiver across the field. Was lined up all across the Michigan offense. Has a lot of capability with his route running – an excellent and disciplined athlete. 
• Shows some real strength and willingness to pass protect. Despite his size, he can plug a gap very well. Very quick and smart to follow his reads and pick up his assignment without a hitch. Excellent in this regard. Shows solid bend to handle some power coming down too. 

Cons

• Size is not ideal for the next level, durability will be a concern.
• Lack of playing time and repetitions – shared a backfield with players like Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins and was limited in playing time.

4. Bijan Robinson, Texas

• 5116/214 lbs Super Sophomore
• 5 star (0.9928) from Salpointe Catholic High (Tucson, AZ)
• Bijan Robinson enters the 2022 season with huge expectations. His great uncle, Paul Robinson, was a star running back for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Houston Oilers in the late 1960s through the early 1970s. His father was a track and field star at Northern Arizona. 

Pros

• Very natural athlete, moves extremely well and is very smooth. Speed is very good and he has the ability to outrun secondaries. Ridiculously shifty. Very smooth athlete. 
• Runs with a low center of gravity and generates a lot of power. 
• Very explosive. Comes off of the cut with insane burst. Accelerates well. 
• Almost unstoppable in the open field. Consistently finds a way to fall forward. 
• Solid receiver both out of the backfield and as a receiver. Natural receiver – has good hands. Good route runner. Was seldom used out wide as a receiver from both the boundary and the slot – and was an active part of the read progression. 

Cons

• Has decent patience. Does want to plant his foot in the ground and go too soon.
• Good runner between the tackles but doesn’t create too many opportunities there without space.
• Doesn’t offer much power in pass protection but he’s intense. Lacks a lot of technique. Not great at working off of the play action to position himself to be effective in pass blocking. Doesn’t accurately read blitz pickups.  

5. Tank Bigsby, Auburn

• 5115/208 lbs Super Sophomore
• 4 star (0.9814) from Callaway High (Hogansville, GA)
• Tank Bigsby is an emotional leader on the Auburn offense, which says a lot about the type of player and person that he is. He wants the rock on every single play and has the intensity to score a touchdown every single play. His mentality is extremely professional and Bigsby will be a valuable piece on an NFL team who can not just create big-play opportunities but handle a large workload.

Pros

• Very athletic and quick. Excellent athlete. Solid speed. Could be top ten in speed in this class – looks to be in the 4.42-4.45 range. 
•  Very capable of bouncing plays outside of the scheduled run lane, and did so with great success at Auburn. Very solid body control. Does a great job of utilizing every bit of himself as a runner. 
• Solid runner between the tackles who consistently falls forward. 
• Such a nasty run style. Doesn’t look like a power back but can deliver a real punch at the point of contact. Plays bigger and stronger than he actually is. Can absorb a lot of punishment. 
• Accelerates so well, especially once he turns the corner. Great explosion. Sudden and devastating when he sees a crease. 
• Very difficult to bring down in space. Works to the perimeter well. 
• Shows the ability to be a capable receiver out of the backfield. 
• Very quick to pick up pass protection assignments, especially off of the play action. 

Cons

• Average route runner, even for running backs. Despite his usage across the formation, he won’t wow you with any nifty footwork. 
• Does not offer a lot of power or technique as a pass protector. 

6. Zach Charbonnet, UCLA

• 6005/220 lbs Super Junior
• 4 star (0.9760) from Oaks Christian High (Camarillo, CA)
• NFS Top 25. 2023 Senior Bowl Watchlist & Shrine Bowl 1000.
• A transfer from Michigan, Zach Charbonnet enters the UCLA stable of running backs anticipated to be one of the top transfer players into the PAC-12 in 2021. Took the starting job during the season at UCLA after playing extremely well in the rotation. Can enter the NFL as one of the strongest runners in the league.

Pros

• Offers some nice speed. His version of speed is more of intensity mixed with his quickness.
• Changes direction well, especially for his size. Doesn’t lose speed on his little adjustments.  Stays upright very well. 
• Brute strength is evident. Fun running back. Has the ability to push the pile and it can take several defenders to stop him. 
• Very explosive running back. Great burst.  See’s the crease and explodes through it smoothly. Accelerates like a speed back, and is at full speed very quickly. 
• Incredible contact balance in power situations. Has the ability to play some bully ball. Stays upright and balanced extremely well. An absolute mismatch in space. 
• Good hands and can be an effective receiver out of the backfield. Extremely capable of handling a large workload as a receiver.

Cons

• When he has to make a major cut, it’s not very smooth. 
• Very strong runner. Runs a little high but he’s bigger and very physical with his run style. 
• Vision sometimes is lacking, especially when reading defenders. He will miss big holes at times that leaves you scratching your head. 
• Can suffer drops if the ball is not thrown properly (too much head from a short difference).
• Route running is very average. Wasn’t asked to run a lot of different routes, mostly drifted to space and got the football. Mostly effective in screens and other routes to the flats. 
• Was asked to check from time to time but largely did not perform pass protection duties in the UCLA offense.  

7. Kenny McIntosh, Georgia

• 6002/210 lbs Super Junior
• 4 star (0.9233) from University School (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• NFS Top 25. 2023 Senior Bowl Watchlist & Shrine Bowl 1000.
• Kenny McIntosh is the younger brother of college players RJ and Deon McIntosh. RJ has bounced around the NFL for several years. McIntosh is a very natural athlete who best works in space. His athletic profile and play style is very similar to Kenyan Drake, who has made a living as an outside runner in the NFL for the majority of the last decade. 

Pros

• Very solid speed, and should be a sub-4.4 player. 
• Excellent body control. Moves effortlessly as an athlete. So smooth and his transition is seamless and almost unnoticeable. 
• Very explosive athlete. Accelerates seamlessly and without any real issue. 
• So hard to bring down in space. Fights hard for every yard and does a great job keeping his feet. 
• Solid receiver. McIntosh was used from the slot and as a boundary receiver while at Georgia in a variety of ways. 
• Has some power as a pass blocker. Picks up safety blitzes and other specialty blitzes with ease. 

Cons

• Doesn’t have a lot of strength in his game despite being larger in stature. 
• Makes some questionable decisions with the ball in his hands. Vision is very suspect.
• You just don’t see the consistent running between the tackles that you want to see from McIntosh.  

8. Sean Tucker, Syracuse

• 5086/208 lbs Super Sophomore
• 3 star (0.8593) from Calvert Hall (Towson, MD)
• Syracuse has an offensive player that they have come to lean on as a stronghold and cornerstone, and that player is Sean Tucker. His strong running style fits the unique set run sets that Dino Babers and his staff run in New York. He may be among the best in this class as a pure running back, but has some work to do with the other parts of the game.

Pros

• Really has some solid body control. Has a lot of subtle adjustments that he makes really well.  Can work the sideline tightrope. Changes direction well. Has a nifty cutback. Showed solid cutback ability away from the play. 
• Runs with good power. Rarely goes down on first contact. Excellent second-effort work. 
• Relatively explosive athlete. Hits the hole with some force when he has a crease. 
• Very solid patience. Reads blocks very well. Excellent vision with reading blocks and following his teammates. Has some manipulative moves to put on defenders. Will use his lack of size to dance behind blockers and lose the defender behind the blocker. 
• Good hands, nothing special but he can be utilized as a receiver out of the backfield. 

Cons

• Doesn’t seem to be a real speed threat. Is certainly quick, has good quick feet. Looks to be in the 4.50 range. He’s not going to outrun a secondary down the field when he breaks a big run. 
• Acceleration is a little bit slow for the position, but adequate for the NFL level. 
• Capable route runner. Was split out side in the spread scheme that Syracuse ran often, but didn’t appear to be a part of the read progression. He’s got to be careful not to draw blocking downfield penalties. Has good feet through cuts, but could condense it by a step or two. 
• Not a powerful pass protector at all. Watched defenders work through him like melted butter. Very willing regardless, just needs some coaching to better handle defenders. 

9. Mo Ibrahim, Minnesota

• 5091/210 lbs Super Redshirt Junior (*medical redshirt)
• 3 star (0.8395) from Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, MD)
• 2023 Senior Bowl Watchlist & Shrine Bowl 1000
• Before Mo Ibrahim tore his ACL in the season opener last year against Ohio State, he was considered one of the top running backs in the country. Not much has changed, but now all eyes will be on his knee to make sure he will be durable enough for the next level.

Pros

• Very explosive jump cut. Wow. Changes direction with ease and grace. Smooth athlete.
• Has the ability to run with power well due to his low center of gravity. 
• So explosive. Pops immediately on tape. His first step is wild. Has the explosion to be nasty with a variety of moves. Accelerates extremely well, love what he brings to the game.  
• Reads his blocks extremely well. Works through the line well too. 
• Does a great job between the tackles with a low center of gravity. Consistently falls forward. Creates difficult tackle angles and has a low center of gravity to break tackles when needed. 
• Has limited power but has technique with blocking. Was sometimes utilized as a lead blocker in run patterns. Good quickness. Get’s into position quickly. Does not give up, even when he’s beaten. 

Cons

• Does not have top-level speed at the position, but is fast enough to be very effective in the open field.
• History of injuries as he enters his sixth season of college football (with one more remaining season of eligibility). 
• Went from a starter in 2018 to a backup in 2019 to Rodney Smith.

10. Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State

• 5056/173 lbs Super Sophomore
• 3 star (0.8464) from Cedar Ridge (Round Rock, TX)
• Deuce Vaughn could be interpreted as a clone of Darren Sproles. The two share the same alma mater, remarkably similar sizes and builds, and have a knack for both speed and catching the football. Was used both as a running back and a slot weapon – oftentimes sent in motion.  He scored 22 touchdowns as a sophomore. 

Pros

• Good speed, but not groundbreaking. Won’t outrun a lot of secondaries. Will, however, surprise you with his quickness. Should probably run in the 4.52-4.57 range.
• Has solid body control. Has an unlimited arsenal of moves and subtleties to make defenders miss. 
• Extremely explosive runner. Has a great hop. Acceleration is smooth and seamless. 
• Reads his blocks extremely well. Very patient runner who waits for space and explodes through the crease. Manipulates defenders extremely well. 
• Excellent receiver. Secures the ball well, and has soft hands. Large catch radius. Extremely reliable receiver. Shows the ability to hold onto the ball through big contact. Makes catches routinely in traffic. 
• Smooth, swift route runner. Understands how to work open. Crisp routes that show lots of understanding and technique. 

Cons

• Size is a huge detriment. Many teams will pass on him simply because of that. A team will have to believe and buy into his playmaking ability.
• Not a guy who will consistently run between the tackles and make big plays that way. 
• Almost no power in pass protection, simply doesn’t have the frame to hold up. Has some technique to make up for it and made some impressive blocks in pass protection throughout his career. Quickly positions but is more of a player who just gets in the way. 

11. Devon Achane, Texas A&M

• 5085/185 lbs Super Sophomore
• 4 star (0.9373) from Fort Bend Marshall (Missouri City, TX)
• Devon Achane is not your typical running back prospect.

Pros

• Very good speed. Should be sub 4.4. 
• Subtle change of direction is good. Shows some promising ability on the cutback. 
• Good body control. Shows a wide variety of moves and makes people miss. Has a natural way of avoiding big contact. 
• Fairly explosive athlete. Doesn’t seem to stop accelerating. Has several gears he can kick into in space. 
• Finds creases and “tunnels” to run through. Contact balance between the tackles is impressive. 
• Capable receiver out of the backfield and shows good hands. Was utilized as a receiver very often. Good, not great, route runner. Ran a lot of routes from the backfield at Texas A&M. 
• Has some good technique that translates to power from that spot. Impressive in pass protection when he was asked to do it. Very decent chip blocker. Checks effectively. 

Cons

• Doesn’t see defenders too well at times. 
• Overall a very good prospect who doesn’t really have a special ability.
• Enters 2022 with just 1 career start. Has been a part of a rotation his entire college career.

12. Camerun Peoples, Appalachian State

• 6012/220 lbs Redshirt Super Junior
• 2 star (73) from Clay Central (Lineville, AL)
• Camerun Peoples is a poor mans Najee Harris – his size and running style is very similar to the Pittsburgh Steelers running back. I don’t think he is as versatile, hence the poor man’s comparison. Peoples was unstoppable through the early portion of the season, scoring 13 touchdowns through the first seven games of the season. He ended up surrendering a lot of playing time to his teammate, Nerlens Noel, who settled into more of a starting role over him in 2021. 

Pros

• Solid speed, especially for his bigger frame. 
• Runs with high knees and is difficult to get ahold of. Lowers the pad level well in short yardage situations. Runs too upright to be as effective. 
• Very explosive through the hole. Accelerates extremely well. 
• Reads his blocks well, isn’t caught behind the line much at all. 
• Will not be brought down by an arm tackle. Fights through traffic well. So good at falling forward despite contact from several points. 
• Very solid power in pass protection assignments. Bigger body helps tremendously with this. Positions quickly and well. Shows good anchor. Will simply not see assignments come up at times. Struggles to get into position off of a play action. 

Cons

• Not much of a change of direction running back. He is much better suited for the downhill run. Doesn’t show a lot of lateral run ability. 
• Runs too upright to be as effective. 
• Not a lot of contact balance in space. Struggles to get through being tripped up by defenders going low. 
• Not a receiver. Was very rarely asked to run routes or be in a progression at Appalachian State. 

13. SaRoderick Thompson, Texas Tech

• 5116/215 lbs Super Redshirt Junior
• 3 star (0.8194) from Ranchview (Carrollton, TX)
• The production hasn’t been there for SaRodorick Thompson because he has been asked to share the backfield with other running backs while at Texas Tech. The Red Raiders ran a heavy RPO offense in 2021 which didn’t quite suit to Thompson’s playing style, until Matt Wells was fired. 

Pros

• Good run power for goal-line situations. 
• Reads his blocks pretty well for the most part. Works well to space. 
• Good hands. Capable receiver out of the backfield. 
• Very decent quickness to set in pass protection, especially off of the play action. 
• A lot of the deficiencies in his game appear to have been created by bad coaching points and lack of proper scheme utilization.

Cons

• Doesn’t have a lot of top-end speed. Will be quick enough but won’t outrun a secondary for a touchdown. Fast/quick enough to get a good gash. 
• Balance is a little bit of an issue. 
• Average understanding of how defenders attack him. 
• Not special as a route runner. Can run the basic routes out of the backfield. 
• Doesn’t offer a lot of power as a pass protector. Tries to meet force with force – no technique. Not a great check or chip blocker. 

14. Eric Gray, Oklahoma

• 5091/206 lbs Super Junior
• 4 star (0.9244) from Lausanne Collegiate (Memphis, TN)
• A transfer from Tennessee, Eric Gray was inserted into Lincoln Riley’s offense last season as a third-down back behind Kennedy Brooks, who left offseason for the NFL. Gray will be limited to a rotation at the next level and isn’t built to handle a heavy workload, especially at the NFL level. All things considered, a creative offensive coordinator can have fun scheming Gray into his system.

Pros

• Excellent quickness and speed. 
• Change of direction is pretty solid. Quick through his fakes and manipulation. Has a little arsenal of moves to make defenders miss and get the proper angle to fall forward. 
• Gray reads his blocks well and finds space with ease. Uses his blocks extremely well. Gray shows the ability to manipulate defenders with his movement. Well-timed cuts pick up additional yardage while forcing defenders to miss. 
• Very decent hands. More than capable receiver out of the backfield. 
• Very solid route runner. Clean and immediate cuts. Runs routes like a wide receiver. Would flex out wide as a wide receiver within the Oklahoma scheme. 

Cons

• Could show some better contact balance in space. Not one of his best traits. 
• Doesn’t have the size or the power to hold up well in pass protection. Commits to his stance much too early to be a very effective pass blocker. Needs to lure the defender in better. I think he does it because of his lack of size/strength. 
• Not nearly effective enough with his chip. 

15. Tiyon Evans, Louisville

• 5112/220 lbs Super Junior
• 4-star JUCO (0.8919) from Hutchinson Community College
• 3-star (89) from Hartsville (Hartsville, SC)
• An electric JUCO product who transferred to Louisville after an outstanding season at Tennessee, Evans flashed game-breaking ability as a spread-style running back. He can develop into a capable pass protector but doesn’t appear to be much of a receiver. Evans projects forward as a

Pros

• Top-notch athlete. Excellent speed. Very quick and effortless runner. 
• Outstanding body control. Has several different moves that effectively make people miss and help him gain additional yardage. 
• Very explosive athlete. Moving looks too easy to him. Runs hard. 
• Excellent contact balance in space. 

Cons

• Limited contact balance between the tackles, tends to put his head down and pick up what he can. 
• Not much of a receiver and wasn’t utilized in the Tennessee system as one.
• Offers some power to his contact. Not particularly nuanced as a blocker but he’s more than capable of giving his quarterback time.