After one of the greatest running back seasons we’ve ever seen, Ashton Jeanty is off to the NFL. However, the next group of top-tier playmakers is ready to take on the mantle in the upcoming season. Who should you be watching out for this fall? Using the PFSN College RB+ metric, we’ve ranked the top 25 returning college football running backs for the 2025 campaign.
PFSN’s College RB+ assigns a letter grade to an individual running back’s performance. While the grade depends largely on rushing explosiveness and efficiency, we also weigh receiving and pass blocking efficiency. In addition, running backs that take a higher share of their team’s carries will get a boost compared to those who shine in a more divided backfield committee.
Each player’s game and season grades are also adjusted for opponent strength. Past seasons use end-of-season SOS, but this means that in-season grades can and will fluctuate as we learn more about the true performance level of each team.
25) Eli Sanders, USC
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 78.18 (C+)
After spending three seasons with the Iowa State Cyclones, Eli Sanders transferred to the New Mexico Lobos. Maximizing his opportunity to lead an exciting Group of Five, he tallied 1,063 rushing yards, averaging 7.2 yards per carry while logging nine touchdowns. Another transfer takes him to the USC Trojans, where he’ll be one of the top college football running backs.
A big-play threat waiting to happen on every carry, Sanders ranked 12th among all eligible running backs last season for boom or bust rate (6.1%). Meanwhile, he finished 2024 with the country’s 11th-best offensive rush EPA (0.21) and 13th-best elusive rate (44.9%). New Mexico had a stellar offensive line, but he was adept at creating yardage after contact.
24) Damien Taylor, Ole Miss
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 78.28 (C+)
While the Troy Trojans had a difficult 2024 campaign, running back Damien Taylor had a standout season in the Sun Belt before entering the transfer portal this offseason. The new Ole Miss Rebel rushed for 1,010 yards at 5.8 yards per carry with eight total touchdowns as the Trojans’ replacement for Kimani Vidal earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors.
Taylor was one of the best at creating yardage for himself among returning college football running backs, averaging 3.98 yards per carry after contact. Although Ole Miss returns Logan Diggs, they have to replace almost their entire rushing production from a top 50 unit last year, giving Taylor the opportunity to prove himself on the biggest stage of them all.
23) Anthony Hankerson, Oregon State
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 78.71 (C+)
Although the Oregon State Beavers were active in the transfer portal quarterback market, bringing in Maalik Murphy from the Duke Blue Devils, their offense will likely once again run through talented rusher Anthony Hankerson, one of the top returning college football running backs for the 2025 season.
Hankerson tallied 1,082 yards and 15 touchdowns last fall, good enough for 37th and 18th nationally. He scored a touchdown every 15.47 carries and converted over 50% of his third-down attempts. A big play threat, he set a career-high 83-yard touchdown run that was good enough for 20th in the country.
While he’s adept at finding a crease and maximizing it, Hankerson is also unafraid to simply run through tackles, as evidenced by his 3.06 yards per carry after contact last fall.
22) George Pettaway, James Madison
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 78.79 (C+)
While most Group of Five rushers turned 2024 success into a Power Four position for the upcoming campaign, George Pettaway has stayed true to the James Madison Dukes. As such, he is the highest-graded Group of Five ball-carrier among returning college football running backs and is expected to be a significant part of a College Football Playoff-contending program.
In his first season with the Dukes after transferring from the North Carolina Tar Heels, Pettaway rushed for 980 yards (six yards per carry) and five touchdowns, showcasing his value to the program with another 200 receiving yards and two scores. No back in the country had a better boom or bust rate (12.3%) last fall, while he ranked 11th with a 45.7% elusive rate.
21) Devin Mockobee, Purdue
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 78.95 (C+)
An awful 2024 season for the Purdue Boilermakers hit Devin Mockobee from the national gaze, but he’s a top-tier running back who rushed for 687 yards and four touchdowns last fall. Furthermore, he averaged five yards per carry last fall, with 3.46 yards per rush attempt coming after contact due to some eye-opening elusiveness (37.7% elusive rate).
Meanwhile, the former walk-on running back is a dangerous pass-catching threat who has tallied 68 receptions and 624 receiving yards (with two touchdowns) in his three-year career with the Purdue Boilermakers. Last year, he averaged 1.1 yards per route run while being a top-25 running back in pass blocking usage (6.7 pass block reps per game).
20) CJ Donaldson, Ohio State
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 79.15 (C+)
After three seasons with over 500 rushing yards (despite missed time in 2022) for the West Virginia Mountaineers, CJ Donaldson is on the move for the 2025 campaign. With a substantial hole in their roster, the Ohio State Buckeyes have brought the intriguing juggernaut to Columbus. A 6’2″, 238-pound former tight end, he’s a bruising rusher who is unstoppable with a head of steam.
Although he’s not the most elusive back in the country (34.4% elusive rate), he is surprisingly agile for a man of his size, while his bulky frame and tight end mentality allowed him to add 2.83 yards per play after contact. Unsurprisingly, given his route to college football as a pass catcher, Donaldson is a top 25 rusher for pass success rate (70.8%).
19) Lee Beebe Jr., Indiana
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 79.73 (C+)
After sporadic usage during his first two seasons with the UAB Blazers, Lee Beebe Jr. had an explosive 2024 campaign that secured a 79.73 (C+) PFSN College RB+ grade, placing him among the top 25 returning college football running backs. The 884 rushing yards, 5.3 per carry, seven-touchdown campaign also provided an opportunity with the Indiana Hoosiers.
Beebe did his best work after contact last fall, averaging 3.83 yards per carry after first encountering a defender. The new Hoosier finished 14th among all eligible backs with a 50.9% rush success rate a year ago, and was also impactful in the passing game. However, he faces a battle for game time at Indiana after accounting for over 60% of UAB’s rushing attempts in 2024.
18) Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami (FL)
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 79.98 (C+)
Mark Fletcher Jr. enters the 2025 college football campaign with 1,121 rushing yards (5.2 per carry) and 14 touchdowns from 23 appearances with the Miami Hurricanes. Among this list containing some of the most productive backs of last season, it’s hardly a gaudy figure, with 30 different rushers surpassing his career total in the previous campaign alone.
That’s why using rushing yards as a sole measurement of rushing success is a futile endeavor.
Fletcher’s 0.24 rush EPA per carry was the eighth-best in the country last season, while only one returning college football running back had a better offensive success rate (54.5%) in 2024. His 8.9% boom or bust rate was the fourth-highest last fall and a top-30 marker since 2019.
17) Fluff Bothwell, Mississippi State
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 80.28 (B-)
Fluff Bothwell came up shy of 1,000 yards for the South Alabama Jaguars in the 2024 season, but averaged 7.5 yards per carry while leading the Sun Belt with 13 rushing touchdowns and earning CSN Freshman All-American honors. His freshman success paved the way to the transfer portal, landing with the Mississippi State Bulldogs for the 2025 college football season.
Bothwell’s speed makes him difficult to track down in the open field, contributing to his 7.5 yards per carry. However, his contact balance, which ensures broken tackles are commonplace, led to 4.57 yards per carry after contact in his debut season. That career mark ranks ninth among all college football backs since 2020. His 52.2% rush success was a top 10 mark a year ago.
16) Nate Frazier, Georgia
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 80.45 (B-)
Georgia Bulldogs running back Nate Frazier earned significant praise from former Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, and it’s not hard to understand why. A speedy rusher with the ability to evade attention in the thick of the action, he compiled 2.81 yards per carry after contact last fall, proving his ability to create for himself regardless of offensive line talent.
Meanwhile, his 4.5% boom or bust rate was a top-25 marker. After rushing for 671 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman in the SEC, Frazier has the potential to expand his role this year as the Bulldogs’ lead back. He accounted for 41.3% of the team’s running back carries a year ago, just think what he’ll be able to do if Kirby Smart gives him the bulk of 2025 carries.
15) Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 80.91 (B+)
The return of running back Jamal Haynes for the 2025 college football season is a significant boon for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets program, which is on an upward trajectory under Brent Key. Haynes ran the rock to the tune of 944 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago, averaging 5.6 yards per carry while adding 166 receiving yards and three pass-catching scores.
The latter is the exciting element of Haynes’ profile and contribution to the Yellow Jackets. Last year, the standout back ran a route on 86.7% of Georgia Tech passing plays, ranking third among all eligible backs. He also logged a 55.3% pass success rate. A reliable rusher, he converted on 63.6% of his third-down carries, adding 3.31 yards per carry after contact.
14) Rahsul Faison, South Carolina
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 81.07 (B-)
At the time of writing, it was unclear whether Rahsul Faison would even be classed among returning college football running backs. The former Utah State Aggie has been waiting anxiously for a decision on his eligibility for the 2025 campaign for months. The South Carolina Gamecocks snapped him up out of the transfer portal and are hoping to have him at their disposal.
Faison has never averaged less than 5.6 yards per carry while playing at the FBS level. Last season, he smashed through the 1,000-yard barrier for the first time while scoring eight touchdowns in an All-Mountain West campaign. The 5’11”, 200-pound back, a former JUCO product, leaned on his ability to make a man miss last year, ranking 20th in elusive rate (42.9%).
13) Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 81.09 (B-)
Ahmad Hardy led all freshmen running backs with 1,351 rushing yards for the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks last fall, parlaying that performance into a transfer portal opportunity with the Missouri Tigers. While he’s yet to prove himself at the SEC level, the young rusher has already established himself as one of the top 25 returning college football running backs for the 2025 season.
Hardy boasts impressive speed and agility to evade contact and can shake off the attentions of defenders, and even seeks out contact with a vicious stiff arm used to spurn defensive advances, resulting in 4.25 yards per carry after contact (14th in 2024). He wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game last fall, and improvement there could improve his grade in 2025.
12) Quintrevion Wisner, Texas
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 81.52 (B-)
The Texas Longhorns likely weren’t expecting to lean on Quintrevion Wisner in 2024. However, with CJ Baxter missing the entire season due to injury, the young back took his opportunity and ran with it, literally. The second-year Longhorn led the team with 226 rushing attempts and 1,064 rushing yards, while making significant contributions in the passing game.
Although Baxter is back in 2025, Wisner has positioned himself as one of the top returning college football running backs in the country. He averaged 3.08 yards after contact, proving his success last fall wasn’t solely down to a Texas offensive line with multiple NFL Draft picks. Meanwhile, he registered over 40% success rates for both rush (45.1%) and pass (40.4%).
11) Bryson Washington, Baylor
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 81.70 (B-)
A second-year standout in 2024, Bryson Washington enters the 2025 campaign as one of the top returning college football running backs after a sensational sophomore campaign.
The 6’0″, 203-pound Baylor Bear broke tackles for fun as he powered the program’s offense last fall, tallying 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns at 5.9 yards per carry.
Washington reportedly added muscle this offseason and is over 210 pounds, making him an even more formidable rusher in one-on-one situations. His contact balance and sheer will to keep grinding his legs resulted in an average of 4.11 yards per carry after contact.
Meanwhile, his 4.6% boom or bust rate ranked 21st among all backs last fall. He’s also one of the top receiving backs in the nation, with a 66.7% pass success rate (6th in 2024).
10) LJ Martin, BYU
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 81.74 (B-)
The BYU Cougars are in the midst of a quarterback crisis, but thankfully for Kalani Sitake, the program has one of the top returning college football running backs for the 2025 season. LJ Martin has never been a “workhorse” back, but ran the rock for over 100 carries in each of his two seasons in Provo. He enters 2025 after tallying a career-high 718 yards last fall.
Martin is one of the most slippery backs in the country. His 47.4% elusive rate ranked eighth last season and fifth among returning backs, while he added 3.42 yards after contact. That’s just the start, as he ranked second in the country a year ago in offensive rush success rate (56.9%). I would expect him to be the catalyst for the BYU offense this fall after accounting for less than 50% of the Cougars’ running back carries in 2024.
9) Desmond Reid, Pittsburgh
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 81.79 (B-)
Desmond Reid came up shy of 1,000 rushing yards last fall, but that doesn’t tell the whole story of the Pittsburgh Panthers running back’s impact. He is more than just a running back; he’s an offensive weapon. No returning college football running back had more than Reid’s 154.9 all-purpose yards per game, tallying 1,704 total yards that ranked ninth in the country in 2024.
Reid led all ACC backs and finished second on the Panthers with 579 receiving yards, showcasing reliable pass-catching ability by securing 74.3% of his 70 targets. He averaged 1.95 yards per route run, sixth in the nation a year ago. While his pass-catching prowess boosts his PFSN College RB+ grade, he also had a 42.7% rush success rate and added 2.88 yards after contact.
8) Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 82.76 (B-)
Buried behind a brutal campaign for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons was the emergence of Demond Claiborne as a genuine offensive weapon. The now-fourth-year running back has grown steadily into his role as a leader for the program, and his 1,049 rushing yards, 4.6 yards per carry, and 11 touchdowns in 2024 were all career highs for the former four-star recruit.
Claiborne possesses an alluring blend of burst, vision, and elusiveness, resulting in 3.24 yards per carry after contact last year. In addition to handling a high workload (70.5% of all Wake Forest’s 2024 running back carries), he was a legitimate factor in the passing game with 1.69 yards per route run, 11.0 yards per reception, two scores, and 11.8 protection snaps per game.
7) Isaac Brown, Louisville
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 83.20 (B)
Isaac Brown had a sensational first season with the Louisville Cardinals, rushing for 1,173 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per carry. A combination of some stellar offensive line play and his ability to evade contact ensured that he averaged 3.1 yards per carry before taking a hit. Still, he also added 4.06 yards per carry after contact.
A true pace back, he uses his incredible speed to pull away from defenders once he’s absorbed contact, resulting in plays like a career-long 77-yard rush from last fall and powering a 44.8% elusive rate that ranked 14th in the country last year. Brown’s 49.1% offensive success rate was a top 25 mark, while he also contributed 0.92 yards per route run in the passing game.
6) Makhi Hughes, Oregon
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 83.73 (B)
Makhi Hughes announced his arrival on the college football scene in 2023 with an AAC-leading 1,378-yard campaign. The former Tulane Green Wave rusher followed up with a sensational sophomore campaign that yielded 1,401 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns, doubling his scoring production from his opening campaign. Unsurprisingly, he earned a Power Four shot for 2025.
Hughes transferred to the Oregon Ducks this offseason, but what sort of weapon can fans expect? An electric runner with good long speed and exceptional contact balance, Hughes averaged 3.87 yards per carry after contact in 2024. He benefited from a substantial workload at Tulane, but also had a 43.7% rush success rate and was a dominant factor as a receiving back.
5) Darius Taylor, Minnesota
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 83.74 (B)
In two seasons with the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Darius Taylor has established himself as one of the best college football running backs, regardless of what measure you use. He’s a walking highlight reel, popping off big plays for fun, including an 80-yard rush as part of a 986-yard 2024 campaign.
A cursory glance at per-carry statistics won’t rate him highly, as he only averaged 4.8 yards per pop last fall. However, a staggering 81.5% of that per carry contribution came after contact. Taylor averaged 3.91 yards per carry after contact a year ago, contributing to an average of 3.85 across his career. He has yet to fumble on over 340 carries.
Furthermore, Taylor emerged as a legitimate weapon in the passing game in 2024, snagging 54 receptions for 350 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 1.52 yards per route run with a 54% pass success rate.
4) Kaytron Allen, Penn State
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 84.08 (B)
Welcome to the party, Penn State! The Nittany Lions were delivered some good news as the NFL Draft deadline approached, as both of their dominant running backs opted to return to school for the 2025 campaign. While there is some debate as to who aids the offense the most, Kaytron Allen is the lower-graded of the “Thunder and Lightning” duo heading into the season.
Allen rushed for 1,108 yards a year ago, leaning on a 40.9% elusive rate to power 3.24 yards after contact per carry. He also registered an offensive rush success rate (46.1%) that ranked inside the top 50 running backs in the country. While he is a factor in the passing game, with 422 career receiving yards and four scores, it’s one area that separates him from his teammate.
3) Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 85.74 (B)
If you watched the Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s march to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last fall and didn’t come away with the conclusion that Jeremiyah Love is one of the best running backs in the country, I don’t know what to tell you. He boasts an alluring combination of explosive, home-hitting capability and lower-body strength-fueled contact balance.
Love recorded some of the best yards after contact (4.39 per play), elusive rate (41.7%), and boom or bust rate (3.1%) numbers among all returning college football running backs a year ago. He’s also an adept pass catcher who averaged 1.47 yards per route run while contributing 237 yards and two touchdowns to the Notre Dame offense during the 2024 season.
2) Jonah Coleman, Washington
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 87.84 (B+)
Consistently one of the best running backs in college football, Jonah Coleman has never averaged fewer than five yards per carry in a three-year career spanning two teams (Arizona Wildcats and Washington Huskies) and two conferences (Pac-12 and Big Ten). He enters the 2025 season off the back of a first 1,000+ yard season after setting a career-high 10 touchdowns.
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Coleman ranked 13th among all eligible running backs with 4.34 yards after contact per rush, 16th for boom or bust rate (5.7%), and finished in the top 25 for pass success rate (56%), another testament to his consistent brilliance. Furthermore, he only allowed a 4% pressure rate on 7.8 pass block snaps per game as one of the more highly used protection backs in the country.
1) Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
2024 PFSN College RB+ Grade: 89.25 (B+)
After something of a sophomore slump in 2023, Nicholas Singleton underwent a triumphant return as a key part of a Penn State program that reached the Big Ten Championship Game and the College Football Playoff. The third-year back rushed for a career-high 1,099 yards, tallied 6.4 yards per carry, and picked up 375 yards and five scores as a trustworthy receiving target.
Give Singleton an inch, and with his explosiveness and long speed, he’ll take a mile. He added 3.54 yards after contact per carry in 2024, flashing his elusiveness (48.8% elusive rate) whenever the opportunity presented itself. He ranked eighth in the country for rush success rate (53.4%) and boom or bust rate (7.6%).
Meanwhile, his prowess as a receiver for Drew Allar resulted in a 57.7% pass success rate within the top 20 among eligible college football running backs. Whether on the ground or through the air, Singleton’s contributions as he returns to the Nittany Lions in 2025 help drive expectations of a repeat playoff push for Penn State.
