Can you smell what The Rock is cooking? Dwayne Johnson returns the XFL to our screens this spring, with a fresh influx of talented playmakers ranging from former college football stars to players with NFL experience. We’ll take a look at the top running backs set to take the field with our XFL RB rankings for 2023.
Top XFL Running Back Rankings in 2023
1) Abram Smith – D.C. Defenders
Former Baylor running back Abram Smith set the college football world alight in 2021, setting a program record with 1,621 rushing yards. The 5’11”, 221-pound RB also set a Bears record with nine 100-yard rushing games. Despite just a brief flirtation with the New Orleans Saints, Smith is one of the top XFL running backs and was the first overall pick in the 2022 XFL Draft.
With his experience at linebacker and imposing frame, Smith is a physical presence with good contact balance who adds pass-protection ability to his talents as a pure runner. Smith’s combination of burst, vision, and change-of-direction ability should ensure his XFL production is reminiscent of his college performances, earning him his place atop our XFL running back rankings.
2) Jah-Maine Martin – Orlando Guardians
Don’t let his final season at the CFB level — and a brief dalliance with the Indianapolis Colts — fool you, Jah-Maine Martin is a certified beast as one of the top XFL RBs. Injury hampered his last hurrah for NC A&T, but Martin is not far removed from a 2019 campaign where he averaged 7.7 yards per carry, rushing for 1,446 yards and 23 total touchdowns.
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Like Smith above him in our XFL running back rankings, the 5’10”, 220-pound rusher has good contact balance and runs with physicality. Martin’s not all violence and no finesse, however. Far from it.
Martin is a shift runner with short area explosion, quick feet, excellent change-of-direction ability, with the patience and vision to allow the play to unfold and take advantage of any hole.
3) Brian Hill – St. Louis Battlehawks
St. Louis Battlehawks running back Brian Hill is one of the most productive rushers on the initial XFL rosters. In just three seasons with Wyoming, he tallied 4,287 rushing yards with 35 total touchdowns while averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Hill also has as much NFL experience as any of the top XFL running backs, with 209 career carries resulting in 982 rushing yards.
As you’d expect from a player who had over 750 college carries, Hill has the physique of a workhouse back. He’s a true north-south rusher who thrives on barrelling through defenders.
Yet, Hill’s more than adept at finding a hole, and once he’s rolling, he possesses decent long speed. For a taller back (6’1″), Hill plays low, and that helps his ability to power through contact.
4) Jacques Patrick – San Antonio Brahmas
Having asserted himself as one of the top XFL running backs the first time around, Jacques Patrick is back to prove he belongs near the top of our XFL RB rankings. The former Florida State standout — who rushed for 1,790 yards and 17 touchdowns with the Seminoles — had the third-most rushing yards in the XFL in 2020 with 254 yards and two touchdowns.
Since then, Patrick has kicked around several NFL teams, a demonstration that he possesses the talent to play professional football. A robust, physical back who measures in at 6’2″ and 234 pounds, Patrick has enough juice to rip off chunk plays when he’s not enforcing his will upon his opponent. He leads a talented and experienced Brahmas backfield.
5) Adrian Killins – Arlington Renegades
Former UCF running back Adrian Killins should be a fantasy football darling for XFL fans as a true dual-threat out of the backfield. During his four-year career with the Knights, Killins rushed for 2,459 yards at 6.0 yards per carry with 25 rushing touchdowns. The Arlington RB also took 70 receptions for 864 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
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Despite his NFL career consisting of one carry for a 12-yard loss, Killins has the skill set to be one of the top XFL running backs. With his eye-popping speed, he’s the epitome of a big-play threat.
Although he’s slight of frame, Killins is a reliable ball carrier. The versatility to be used as a slot receiver or in motion will make him a dangerous asset in this league.
6) Max Borghi – Houston Roughnecks
Former Washington State standout Max Borghi never had a season with less than five yards per carry in college, while being a dynamic receiving threat with over 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Borghi has the vision, speed, burst, and physicality to be one of the top XFL running backs and should see a substantial workload as the RB1 of the Roughnecks’ offense.
7) Kalen Ballage – San Antonio Brahmas
One of the most experienced NFL backs in these XFL RB rankings, Kalen Ballage has over 200 professional carries across four NFL teams. He was also a consistent producer for Arizona State, including a 2016 campaign with over 1,000 total yards and 15 touchdowns. Ballage is a physical runner who can break tackles and poses a threat in the passing game to boot.
8) Brenden Knox – Seattle Sea Dragons
Brenden Knox was the spearhead of Marshall’s offense in 2019, rushing for 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns — with a second double-digit campaign in 2020.
The 5’10”, 215-pound RB has an alluring combination of strength, change-of-direction ability, and vision that allows him to break tackles for fun and rip off big plays despite not being the fastest of backs.
9) Mataeo Durant – St. Louis Battlehawks
While he didn’t catch on in the NFL, the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Mataeo Durant to the largest UDFA contract in franchise history gives you a little glimpse into the value he brings to the XFL.
A 6’1″, 195-pound rusher with 4.38 seconds 40-yard-dash speed, Durant has the vision and acceleration to move smoothly through defenses with no wasted movement.
10) John Lovett – Vegas Vipers
While he’s not even listed as the RB1 for the Vegas Vipers, and doesn’t have the most productive résumé amongst the top XFL running backs, former Baylor and Penn State rusher John Lovett has a nicely rounded game that should make him a three-down contributor. He can run hard between the tackles, showcases route-running ability as a receiver, and can block with the best.
