• The 2025 running back class looks special: Ollie Gordon II, Quinshon Judkins and Omarion Hampton all rank higher than any back from the 2024 NFL Draft.
• Another Texas running back to keep an eye on: The Longhorns could have the No. 1 running back prospect in the 2023 draft (Bijan Robinson), 2024 draft (Jonathon Brooks) and 2026 draft (CJ Baxter).
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The NFL is unique to other sports leagues in that players cannot enter it until they are three years removed from high school.
What if that rule changed and players could enter the draft after playing just one year of college football? Here’s how the top-10 running back prospects would shake out for the 2024 NFL Draft if everybody in college football was eligible to be selected.
(Please note: Only players eligible for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 NFL Drafts were considered. Incoming true freshmen were not eligible.)
Click below to view our other all-eligible prospect rankings
1. Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, 2025
The reigning Doak Walker Award winner led the nation this past season with 1,732 rushing yards while placing second in rushing touchdowns (21) and yards after contact (1,056). The sophomore did all of that while only receiving 19 total carries over the first three games, averaging nearly 150 yards over the final 11 contests. Oklahoma State also finished just 103rd in team run-blocking grade (55.3), making his dominance even more impressive. Gordon was also relied on heavily in the Cowboys’ passing game, as his 330 receiving yards were the third-most by a Power Five running back in 2023.
While his long speed is only slightly above average and he’s an upright runner at 6-foot-1, Gordon’s elite vision and footwork allow him to gash defenses for big gains.
Ollie Gordon II is a superstar
That jump cut in the hole is ???????? pic.twitter.com/yJXCmegYlS
— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 21, 2023
2. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State, 2025
Judkins has been the most productive back over the last couple of seasons. Since 2022, he leads all Power Five running backs in rushing yards (2,726), yards after contact (1,800) and forced missed tackles (154). Those also happened to be his first two years of college football.
He has fantastic contact balance and explosiveness, which makes it nearly impossible to arm-tackle him. After two dominant years at Ole Miss, Judkins is taking his talents to Columbus to form one-half of the best backfield in America with his teammate further down this list.
The only player with more forced missed tackles than Quinshon Judkins is Bijan Robinson.
Judkins is a true freshman.pic.twitter.com/Ipx09mraHw
— Max Chadwick (@MaxChadwickCFB) November 1, 2022
3. Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, 2025
There are three running backs in the 2025 NFL Draft who’d be the top back in this year’s class. That’s a product of the 2024 class being subpar at the position while next year’s looks absolutely loaded.
Hampton had a massive breakout season as a sophomore, leading the nation with 1,072 yards after contact. Like Gordon, Hampton’s production came behind an offensive line that was outside of the top 100 in PFF run-blocking grade (101st).
Hampton has a great combination of size and speed at 6-foot, 220 pounds who can run in the 4.4’s for the 40-yard dash, according to head coach Mack Brown. In our interview with him, he went on to say, “Our linebackers and defensive backs don’t want to tackle him in practice. It’s a problem.”
Luckily for Brown, UNC’s opposing defenses share that same dilemma.
4. Jonathon Brooks, Texas, 2024
Brooks is the first 2024 prospect on this list and will likely be the second-straight RB1 from Texas, following Bijan Robinson from last year.
In his first year as a starter, Brooks forced a missed tackle on 34% of his attempts, which was a top-10 rate in the country. He has the ideal physical tools for the position but must recover from a torn ACL suffered in November.
Jonathon Brooks 🤘🏽a player to watch in the later rounds due to knee injury for the #DallasCowboys
— Chuy Vasquez (@loslonghorns) March 11, 2024
5. Ashton Jeanty, Boise State, 2025
Jeanty is the only Group of Five player on this list, but it’s well-deserved considering how elite he’s been through his first two seasons of college football. In 2022, he led all FBS true freshmen with an 89.5 PFF grade. Jeanty proceeded to lead all FBS running backs in 2023 with a 94.9 PFF grade and was the most valuable back according to PFF’s wins above average metric. He was the only running back in America with 90-plus grades as a runner and receiver.
Jeanty was third among FBS running backs with 82 forced missed tackles while leading them all with 578 receiving yards. His versatility will be coveted in the NFL, where receiving ability for running backs is prioritized more than ever.
6. Jaylen Wright, Tennessee, 2024
Wright is a top-tier athlete for the position, testing out as a 98th-percentile athlete according to Kent Lee Platte’s relative athletic score. That combination of elite speed and explosiveness allowed him to average 7.4 yards per carry in 2023, second among all running backs in the country. Wright’s 4.3 yards after contact per attempt were also a top-five mark in the nation.
At a position where having standout athletic traits is so critical, Wright should find success at the next level.
Jaylen Wright – this is what 4.38 wheels and explosive athleticism looks like when you can get him to the 2nd level
Legit home run threat pic.twitter.com/NXxrNLSbu5
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) March 10, 2024
7. Jaydn Ott, California, 2025
Similarly to Judkins, Ott dominated his first two seasons of college football. Since 2022, his 1,394 yards after contact and 108 forced missed tackles rank third among returning Power Five running backs while his 2,201 total rushing yards are fourth. He’s also proven to be a capable receiver out of the backfield with 517 receiving yards over the last couple years (sixth among Power Five running backs).
Ott has breakaway speed at 6-foot, 200 pounds which allows him to pull away from defenders once he has a crease.
It’s just the beginning for this freshman. ????
Jaydn Ott’s second 70+ yard TD in @CalFootball’s win over Arizona is this week’s @76 #FanFueledMoment. pic.twitter.com/radUcXSjQl
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) September 29, 2022
8. Blake Corum, Michigan, 2024
Corum had a historic 2022 season prior to his meniscus tear, posting a 96.3 PFF grade that is tied for the highest we’ve ever given out to a Power Five player. While he wasn’t quite as efficient following his injury, there are still a lot of things to like about his game when it comes to his NFL projection. He’s got very good vision and short-area explosiveness with a low center of gravity at 5-foot-8.
BLAKE CORUM COULD NOT BE STOPPED‼️
Michigan takes the lead in OT 👀 #CFBPlayoff pic.twitter.com/FfeVQlHAAQ
— ESPN (@espn) January 2, 2024
9. Trey Benson, Florida State, 2024
Like Wright, Benson is an elite athlete. He tested in the 97th percentile of Kent Lee Platte’s relative athletic score, thanks in large part to his absurd 4.39-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot, 216 pounds. That size and explosiveness allows him to bounce off of would-be tacklers. Since 2022, his 40% missed tackle rate is tied for the best among all running backs in the country.
Benson needs some seasoning so that he doesn’t overly rely on his athletic gifts, but those tools give him a high ceiling for the next level.
10. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State Buckeyes, 2025
Between Judkins and Henderson, Ohio State has far and away the best backfield in college football next season. After an injury-plagued sophomore season, Henderson began to look more like himself as a junior. His 90.0 grade in 2023 was seventh among Power Five running backs. Henderson’s 5.9 yards per attempt were second among Big Ten running backs in 2023.
He still missed three games due to injury as a junior, so the addition of Judkins should hopefully keep Henderson fresh in his senior year as the Buckeyes use more of a committee backfield. He has outstanding speed for the position that can eliminate any angle a defender has on him.
Marv’s injury sucked the energy out of the TD run, but my goodness is TreVeyon Henderson so back. pic.twitter.com/vusBxCbRIi
— Buckeye Fett™ (@BuckeyeFett) September 24, 2023
2026 Prospect to Know: CJ Baxter, Texas Longhorns
That’s right. Texas has another running back who could be taken first in his respective draft. Baxter entered Austin as the No. 1 running back recruit in the country and needed to show why when Brooks went down with his torn ACL.
The true freshman responded with 665 rushing yards and 408 yards after contact, both third among FBS true freshman running backs. Baxter was also third among all freshman backs in the nation with 148 receiving yards. He’s already got good size for the position at 6-foot-1, 218 pounds and could even add more mass to his frame. His plus receiving skills combined with his speed at that size make him an intriguing prospect two years from now. Expect a big jump as a sophomore now that he’s the lead back.
True freshman 5⭐️ RB CJ Baxter, the No. 1 RB in the Class of 2023, with a 54-yard touchdown run to give Texas a 17-0 lead over Kansas State 🌬️ pic.twitter.com/aeOUZsYz1q
— 247Sports (@247Sports) November 4, 2023
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