ESPN: 100 best running backs of the past 60 years

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golfballs

golfballs

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Ranking college football's 100 best running backs of the past 60 years

1. Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State
2. Archie Griffin, Ohio State
3. Herschel Walker, Georgia
4. Ricky Williams, Texas
5. O.J. Simpson, USC
6. Tony Dorsett, Pitt
7. Mike Rozier, Nebraska
8. Bo Jackson, Auburn
9. Earl Campbell, Texas
10. Reggie Bush, USC
11. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin
12. Ron Dayne, Wisconsin
13. Charles White, USC
14. Billy Sims, Oklahoma
15. Christian McCaffrey, Stanford
16. Leroy Keyes, Purdue
17. Rashaan Salaam, Colorado
18. George Rogers, South Carolina
19. Montee Ball, Wisconsin
20. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
21. Eddie George, Ohio State
22. Darren Sproles, Kansas State
23. Thurman Thomas, Oklahoma State
24. Eric Dickerson, SMU
25. Eric Bieniemy, Colorado
26. Floyd Little, Syracuse
27. Mike Garrett, USC
28. Darrin Nelson, Stanford
29. Marshall Faulk, San Diego State
30. LaMichael James, Oregon
31. Marcus Allen, USC
32. Cedric Benson, Texas
33. Derrick Henry, Alabama
34. Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State
35. Darren McFadden, Arkansas
36. Chuck Muncie, Cal
37. Ricky Bell, USC
38. Greg Pruitt, Oklahoma
39. Garrison Hearst, Georgia
40. John Cappelletti, Penn State
41. Troy Davis, Iowa State
42. Steve Slaton, West Virginia
43. Keith Byars, Ohio State
44. Steve Owens, Oklahoma
45. Larry Johnson, Penn State
46. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
47. Mark Ingram, Alabama
48. Willis McGahee, Miami
49. LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU
50. Rashaad Penny, San Diego State
51. Warrick Dunn, Florida State
52. Ed Marinaro, Cornell
53. Trent Richardson, Alabama
54. Rob Lytle, Michigan
55. Ahman Green, Nebraska
56. Joe Washington, Oklahoma
57. Gale Sayers, Kansas
58. Edgerrin James, Miami
59. Jamaal Charles, Texas
60. Mike Alstott, Purdue
61. Donnel Pumphrey, San Diego State
62. DeAngelo Williams, Memphis
63. Royce Freeman, Oregon
64. Mike Hart, Michigan
65. Nick Chubb, Georgia
66. Errict Rhett, Florida
67. Damien Anderson, Northwestern
68. Saquon Barkley, Penn State
69. Lydell Mitchell, Penn State
70. Ki-Jana Carter, Penn State
71. Dalvin Cook, Florida State
72. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State
73. Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona
74. Toby Gerhart, Stanford
75. Leonard Fournette, LSU
76. Najee Harris, Alabama
77. Emmitt Smith, Florida
78. Anthony Thompson, Indiana
79. Anthony Davis, USC
80. Paul Palmer, Temple
81. Darnell Autry, Northwestern
82. Woody Green, Arizona State
83. Terry Miller, Oklahoma State
84. Roosevelt Leaks, Texas
85. Shaun Alexander, Alabama
86. Larry Csonka, Syracuse
87. Kevin Smith, UCF
88. Bryce Love, Stanford
89. J.J. Arrington, Cal
90. Andre Williams, Boston College
91. Mercury Morris, West Texas A&M
92. Jim Grabowski, Illinois
93. Mel Farr, UCLA
94. Mel Renfro, Oregon
95. Travis Etienne, Clemson
96. Donny Anderson, Texas Tech
97. Garrett Wolfe, Northern Illinois
98. Rueben Mayes, Washington State
99. Ronnie Harmon, Iowa
100. Greg Lewis, Washington
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Discuss
 
#4
#4
We really don’t have a running back on this list? Mike Hart? Garett Wolfe? Darnell Autry? Garrison Hearst? But no Chuck Webb, Jamal Lewis, Travis Henry, Travis Stephens… I’m sure you guys could rattle off some more
 
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#8
#8
Just saw this, with all due respect to the dead, but Cedric Benson at #32? Nah
 
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#11
#11
It's all subjective. While Salaam had a phemonenal junior season (6.9 per carry and 24 TD's), he did it for just one year. Many in the top 30 did it over multiple years.

We can argue about the Big Ten, but all of the Wisconsin backs have incredible numbers over multiple years. I think Marshall Faulk is too low. I watched him when I was a kid and thought he was electric in college.

It is hard for me to believe that no UT player is on that list.
 
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#12
#12
RDU VOL#14 said:
Ron Dayne never seemed that good to me. He was like a poor mans Jerome Bettis .
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7100 total rushing yards. Two years with 2,000+. Career average of 5.8 yards per carry. 71 total TD's. He didn't really make it in the pros, and they did have a run heavy offense. But those numbers are elite in college.
 
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#13
#13
VolGee4 said:
7100 total rushing yards. Two years with 2,000+. Career average of 5.8 yards per carry. 71 total TD's. He didn't really make it in the pros, and they did have a run heavy offense. But those numbers are elite in college.
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He was a great college player. I shouldn’t discount that, but I guess I compare him to Bettis bc they were similar big, between the tackles runners .
 
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#15
#15
I think “best” in terms of hardest to replicate. Kind of like performance over replacement player. I think clearly you can plug in a talented RB into that Wisconsin offense and they’ll put up big numbers. When I watched them play I didn’t feel like they were the best running backs I’d ever seen. Just extremely effective in the system.
 
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#16
#16
golfballs said:
I think “best” in terms of hardest to replicate. Kind of like performance over replacement player. I think clearly you can plug in a talented RB into that Wisconsin offense and they’ll put up big numbers. When I watched them play I didn’t feel like they were the best running backs I’d ever seen. Just extremely effective in the system.
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That's fair, but Melvin Gordon averaged 7.8 yards per carry in his career. That's a stat I like to look at it instead of overall yards. I think production has to be part of the equation in college. Taylor and Gordon have turned out to be above average professional players.
 
#19
#19
I despise Notre Dame but How could they not have one RB on this list? George Rogers from USC JR must have been before my time.
 
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#21
#21
They are focusing way too much on raw stats vs overall performance. So in essence, RBs like Jamal Lewis and "Cadillac" Williams get punished for splitting carries with other backs. "Cadillac" Williams never had a 2000 yard season, but he very easily could've if he weren't splitting carries with another all-time RB, Ronnie Brown. I take Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown over Ki-jana Carter any day of the week.

Regardless, Herschel is #1 if we're talking about college. Arguably, the greatest college player of all-time.
 
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#22
#22
DiderotsGhost said:
They are focusing way too much on raw stats vs overall performance. So in essence, RBs like Jamal Lewis and "Cadillac" Williams get punished for splitting carries with other backs. "Cadillac" Williams never had a 2000 yard season, but he very easily could've if he weren't splitting carries with another all-time RB, Ronnie Brown. I take Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown over Ki-jana Carter any day of the week.

Note, by this same terrible standard, Johnny Majors and Jim Brown are excluded. Majors played both RB and QB, but the game was just different back then; you didn't really have 2000 yard backs in that era. It was a more defensive era.

Regardless, Herschel is #1 if we're talking about college. Arguably, the greatest college player of all-time.
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Majors and Jim Brown didn't play in the last 60 years. I have no problem with Sanders as 1, but Walker was great. I think their top 10 is generally fine.
 
#25
#25
05_never_again said:
Every Wisconsin football highlight I've ever seen is one of their RBs taking a handoff, there being a huge hole, and running 70 yards for a TD. I've never been wowed by their backs...it seems like they always have an awesome offensive line.
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This exactly 😂
 
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