When players hold steady spots on this list, we are learning who the backs are who can be relied on to deliver week in and week out and potentially look out for on Sundays. This list factors in their stats, how they move on the field, and how they perform relative to the quality of the defense they are up against.
We have some new names in our top 25 and movers on the list, but we still have the same back holding down the top spot, and looking like a frontrunner for the Doak Walker Award, for the nation’s best running back.
25) Dylan Riley, Boise State Broncos
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 80.18 (B-)
Filling the shoes of Ashton Jeanty has to be tough and come with pressure, but you would never know it with how Dylan Riley has begun his season. He is averaging a strong 9.8 yards per carry and has become a dynamic asset in this Boise State offense.
The Broncos welcome a sneaky Appalachian State team to the blue turf and will look to keep building their momentum, and Dylan Riley will be a massive part of the game plan to come away victorious here.
24) Nick Singleton, Penn State Nittany Lions
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 80.8 (B-)
Nick Singleton and No. 3 Penn State played Villanova in their final tune-up game before going on a bye for Week 4. He already has two 1,000-yard seasons, each with 12 touchdowns, and last season, he had 41 receptions for 375 yards and five touchdowns.
In what may be the marquee matchup of Saturday night, Singleton has a huge opportunity to do his thing against an extremely tough conference foe in the form of the No. 6 Oregon Ducks this Saturday night.
23) Dontae McMillan, Eastern Michigan
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 80.92 (B-)
Dontae McMillan has been improving with each passing week and had 126 yards on 19 carries in the Eagles’ first win of the year, over Louisiana-Lafayette.
The veteran back is in his third year at his second school, and we think he looks better than ever. Look for him to continue his best year of his collegiate career next year against Central Michigan.
22) Robert Henry Jr., UTSA
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 81.28 (B-)
Robert Henry Jr. continues to fill out the stat sheet as an integral part of the Roadrunners’ offense. He matched last week’s performance and ran for 144 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, adding 76 yards and a touchdown in the air.
They needed every bit of his production, as they came away victorious 17-16. He is only this low because of his level of competition after week 1, but he looks like one of the nation’s best backs.
21) Cam Cook, Jacksonville State
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 81.96 (B-)
A TCU transfer, Cam Cook has lit the world on fire since he arrived at Jacksonville State. He had another monster game in the Gamecocks’ 45-10 win over Murray State with 147 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries.
He also tied his season-high of 6.7 yards per carry in this game. At this point, this has become an expectation for Cook for each game this year, and next up on the schedule is a road game at Southern Miss.
20) Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 82 (B-)
Make it seven touchdowns in four games for Kewan Lacy now, as Ole Miss dismantled a solid Tulane team 45-10. Lacy has been the clear lead back for the Rebels and has been excellent with 4.5 yards per carry, even with decently strong competition to this point.
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With that being said, a good opportunity to climb this list and get some attention is on the schedule with No. 4 LSU coming to Oxford this weekend.
19) Ismail Mahdi, Arizona
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 82.03 (B-)
Moving up five spots on our list while idle, Ismail Madhi has had an extra week to prepare for the stout front of the No. 14 Iowa State Cyclones, and I think he will be up to the task.
After very minimal usage in two blowout wins to start the year, Madhi was strong with 189 yards on 22 carries. He helped Arizona get a confidence-boosting win against Kansas State, which will help them feel good as they begin the gauntlet that is Big 12 play.
18) Hollywood Smothers, NC State
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 82.09 (B-)
Hollywood Smothers returns to our list once again. Despite the 45-33 loss at Duke over the weekend, he had a great game, running for 123 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. He also caught five passes for 41 yards.
Smothers continues to be a bright spot for the Wolfpack, showing that he is among the most elusive backs in the country. NC State should be able to bounce back nicely against a struggling Virginia Tech side that comes to Raleigh, and Smothers should be among the reasons that they come away victorious.
17) Kaytron Allen, Penn State
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 82.43 (B-)
It must be nice to be Penn State, with two top-25 running backs and the third-ranked team overall. Coming off a bye, Kaytron Allen and Penn State have their first Big Ten game against Oregon, which is also a clash of titans, with both teams in the top-six rankings in the nation.
Allen has a touchdown in the first three games and averages a strong eight yards per carry on the young season, and will look to keep that going heading into the tough time of the season, as he has been steady at five yards per carry over his first three seasons.
16) Seth McGowan, Kentucky
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 82.52 (B-)
Even after a bye week, I am still surprised how he could increase his touchdown total in each of the first three weeks. Seth McGowan did that and leads the Wildcats into a challenging road game at South Carolina, where both teams will be looking to prove something to the rest of the SEC.
While I don’t expect him to score four touchdowns this weekend, his nose for the end zone will be a key factor in keeping Kentucky close in this one.
15) Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 83.06 (B)
Another back who is coming off a bye week, Le’Veon Moss, should have Texas A&M fans excited for what he can do in his senior season here. He came up huge for the No. 9 Aggies against Notre Dame in Week 3, with three touchdowns in an impressive road win.
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He has been exceptionally reliable in short-yardage situations for Texas A&M, and keeping the chains moving is essential for the success of any offense. He’ll have a shot to shine in College Station when the Aggies host Auburn.
14) Star Thomas, Tennessee
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 83.76 (B)
Last week was another low-usage game for Star Thomas, but this was a little more understandable as they bludgeoned the Blazers of UAB 56-24. He ran for 51 yards and a touchdown on nine carries, and caught a 17-yard touchdown as well.
Look for 4-0 Mississippi State to feel good heading into this home matchup, but for the No. 15 Vols to look at this as a chance to kick-start their SEC success for the season and go on a run.
13) Justice Haynes, Michigan
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 84.18 (B)
Justice Haynes was essential for the No. 19 Wolverines’ 30-27 road win over Nebraska. He ran for 149 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries.
So far in the young season, Haynes is the current Big Ten leader in rushing yards and yards per carry, highlighting what we already knew was an impressive season so far. He has six touchdowns in four games and will look to continue this momentum after the bye week when Wisconsin comes to Ann Arbor.
12) Jeremiah Cobb, Auburn
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 84.31 (B)
The Auburn offensive line had a terrible day in the team’s last matchup against No. 7 Oklahoma in Norman. This is why Cobb could only get six carries, and he led the team in rushing with those carries, running for 61 yards.
This was an extremely uncharacteristic performance, and I think it will be an outlier when the season is over. His 10.2 yards per carry was nice and something to build on as the Tigers head to College Station to take on Texas A&M.
11) Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 84.55 (B)
Mike Washington has been productive in two tough losses for the Razorbacks in back-to-back weeks. He seems to be finding his way in this offense and has taken a step forward in his development. He ran for 70 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and seems to have a solid grip on the lead role for Arkansas.
They are facing off with Notre Dame this week, a match Arkansas could really use to boost its confidence before the SEC season gets underway.
10) Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 84.57 (B)
Ahmad Hardy was impressive once again for No. 20 Missouri, with 138 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in a nice 29-20 win over South Carolina. He has looked strong week after week and has really excelled after contact, which should translate nicely to the next level when the sophomore is drafted.
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Hardy is a huge reason the Tigers have gotten off to a 4-0 start. He is the SEC leader in rushing by a wide margin, with 600 yards on the young season.
I don’t expect him to play too much this week vs. 0-3 UMass, but in his few carries, he should explode to continue his streak of 100-yard games to start the year.
9) Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 84.68 (B)
In what has been a season that has left much to be desired for Notre Dame, Jeremiyah Love has been far from a disappointment. Coming off of a 19-touchdown season a year ago, it was clear that he would be heavily utilized again this season, and he may be the key piece to turn this season back around.
Not only that, but this season, he has improved with each passing gameday. Against Purdue last week, he ran for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries as the Irish took their frustration out on in-state rival Purdue in their 56-30 victory.
Look for him to build on this and for Notre Dame to try to get back on track with a nice win against SEC squad Arkansas.
8) Antwan Raymond, Rutgers
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 85.72 (B)
Coming into Week 4, we felt like Antwan Raymond could keep the momentum up that he had, albeit against lesser opponents; we wanted to see it in action in the Big Ten.
While Iowa came away victorious in this one, Raymond’s performance was encouraging nonetheless. It marked his third-straight game with two touchdowns. He rushed for 62 yards on 18 carries to go along with the scores.
He looks like he has taken a step forward from last year and will look to get back closer to his 5.1 yards per carry average as the Scarlet Knights travel to Minnesota to take on the Golden Gophers this weekend.
7) Jadan Baugh, Florida
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 85.9 (B)
Another game of underutilization of Jadan Baugh, another loss for the Gators. Their schedule has been extremely tough so far, but the Gators have had HC Billy Napier under fire now for the offense’s lack of punch, and if a new coach did come in, Baugh’s usage could skyrocket and have him approach higher heights on this list in that case.
Even if Napier does stay around, which seems likely, I would think that greener pastures are ahead for this Florida offense, and with that, Baugh should be able to improve on this already impressive placement.
6) LJ Martin, BYU
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 85.95 (B)
Coming off a bye week, No. 25 BYU had one more tune-up scheduled against a respectable opponent, in the form of East Carolina, before their Big 12 campaign kicked off.
LJ Martin showed no rust and looks ready to keep a strong spot on this list as the focal point of the Cougars’ offense. He ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries as BYU handled the Pirates 34-13.
He continues to be impressive and has taken a step forward again after increasing his yards per carry and touchdowns from his freshman to his sophomore seasons.
5) Waymond Jordan, USC
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 86 (B)
Going from not receiving a single Division I offer out of high school and starting his career at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, to a top-five running back in Division I in two seasons is a pretty incredible feat, and “Waymo” did just that. He has worked for everything he has gotten and has impressed me with the way he has burst onto the scene.
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In a statement win over Michigan State last weekend, Jordan ran for 157 yards on 18 carries, good for 8.7 yards per carry, in their second Big Ten game, and victory, of the year.
This was his first game without a touchdown on the season, but the Trojans are far from worried about his output. He will look to keep it going against No. 23 Illinois on the road as No. 21 USC looks like a legitimate threat.
4) Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami (FL)
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 86.86 (B)
It is clear that Mark Fletcher Jr. has earned the trust of HC Mario Cristobal, and he has really shone in the early goings for this impressive No. 2 Miami team.
He stayed hot against Florida, another in-state rival, Florida, with 116 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Miami has climbed all the way to No. 2 in the rankings, and Fletcher Jr. will be a key to seeing just how far this Hurricanes team can go.
Things don’t get easier for him next week with a date this weekend in Tallahassee for a clash with No. 8 Florida State, giving Fletcher yet another chance to shine against a quality opponent, and I expect him to do just that.
3) Adam Randall, Clemson
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 89.68 (B+)
While Clemson has a lot of questions to answer, and a lot to clean up, they haven’t had any issues running the ball, as Adam Randall has been nothing short of great for them.
Swinney says Adam Randall’s heart and toughness have been a bright spot for Clemson
Let us know what you think about Randall’s play this season. 👇 pic.twitter.com/Mv6Oo5c0oC
— Clemson Sports (@ClemsonSports) September 14, 2025
He ran for 130 yards on 16 carries and caught a touchdown in Clemson’s loss at home to Syracuse last week.
It is very unlike Clemson to have one of the nation’s best backs and not be able to scheme around that to maximize its impact on the game. Randall will look to be a huge part of the offense again as the Tigers travel to Chapel Hill to take on Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels of North Carolina.
2) Fluff Bothwell, Mississippi State
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 90.92 (A-)
When Fluff Bothwell transferred to Mississippi State from South Alabama, nobody could’ve expected him to hit the ground running quite like this. In their last game against Northern Illinois, Bothwell ran for 101 yards on 17 carries, a season high.
The Bulldogs advanced to 4-0, and after having limited usage to begin the season, it appears that he is starting to get an extended look as the lead back.
Look for him to be up to the task as No. 15 Tennessee comes to town this weekend, as he was efficient in their win over 12th-ranked Arizona Stat. But for this game, he will feature more and could get some more recognition for how he handles it.
1) Jonah Coleman, Washington
PFSN College RBi Season Grade: 92.7 (A-)
To the surprise of nobody, Jonah Coleman holds his top spot on our list for another week. After running for 288 yards and seven touchdowns in his first two games, he followed that up with 59 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground.
He also had his best receiving performance with six catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. He is the nation’s top back by a decent margin and will get the ultimate test with No. 1 Ohio State coming to Seattle to try and stop him.
College Football RB Rankings | Best of the Rest
26) NaQuari Rogers, Utah (80.11, B-)
27) Bryson Washington, Baylor (79.92, C+)
28) Raleek Brown, Arizona State (79.62, C+)
29) Rashod Dubinion, Appalachian State (79.58, C+)
30) Jo Silver, Delaware (79.46, C+)
31) Jamal Haynes, Georgia Tech (79.29, C+)
32) Emmett Johnson, Nebraska (79.26, C+)
33) TJ Harden, SMU (79.17, C+)
34) Jamal Roberts, Missouri (78.87, C+)
35) Devin Mockobee, Purdue (78.71, C+)
36) Lincoln Pare, Texas State (77.48, C+)
37) Jai’Den Thomas, UNLV (77.33, C+)
38) Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech (77.25, C+)
39) Miles Davis, Utah State (77.03, C+)
40) Micah Ford, Stanford (76.61, C)
41) Carson Hansen, Iowa State (76.25, C)
42) Yasin Willis, Syracuse (76.12, C)
43) CharMar Brown, Miami (FL) (75.78, C)
44) Alex Tecza, Navy (75.66, C)
45) Tory Blaylock, Oklahoma (75.58, C)
46) Lucky Sutton, San Diego State (75.43, C)
47) Kejon Owens, FIU (75.39, C)
48) Gemari Sands, Florida Atlantic (75.19, C)
49) Marcellous Hawkins, Virginia Tech (74.42, C)
50) J’Mari Taylor, Virginia (74.21, C)
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51) Tae Meadows, Troy (73.79, C)
52) Makhi Frazier, Michigan State (73.78, C)
53) Nate Frazier, Georgia (73.75, C)
54) Sutton Smith, Memphis (73.41, C)
55) Kaelon Black, Indiana (73.18, C)
56) Jay Ducker, Temple (73.11, C)
57) Cam Edwards, UConn (73.05, C)
58) OJ Arnold, Georgia Southern (73.03, C)
59) Myles Montgomery, UCF (72.9, C-)
60) Roman Hemby, Indiana (72.77, C-)
61) Darius Taylor, Minnesota (72.7, C-)
62) Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama (72.66, C-)
63) CJ Donaldson, Ohio State (72.58, C-)
64) Kaden Feagin, Illinois (71.87, C-)
65) Caden Durham, LSU (71.42, C-)
66) Dante Dowdell, Kentucky (71.32, C-)
67) Zylan Perry, Louisiana (71.04, C-)
68) Scottre Humphrey, New Mexico (70.74, C-)
69) Will Nixon, Syracuse (70.62, C-)
70) Anthony Hankerson, Oregon State (70.61, C-)
71) Turbo Richard, Boston College (70.18, C-)
72) Dominic Richardson, Tulsa (70.18, C-)
73) Makenzie McGill II, North Texas (69.98, D+)
74) Caleb Komolafe, Northwestern (69.83, D+)
75) Sieh Bangura, Ohio (69.41, D+)
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76) Kendrick Raphael, California (69.04, D+)
77) Braylon McReynolds, UL Monroe (68.98, D+)
78) Jalen Dupree, Colorado State (68.94, D+)
79) Chip Trayanum, Toledo (68.4, D+)
80) Jevon Jackson, UAB (68.35, D+)
81) Quinton Jackson, Rice (67.23, D+)
82) Dean Connors, Houston (66.89, D)
83) Evan Dickens, Liberty (66.39, D)
84) D.J. McKinney, New Mexico (66.22, D)
85) Chavon Wright, Northern Illinois (66.11, D)
86) Al-Jay Henderson, Buffalo (66.11, D)
87) DeJuan Williams, Maryland (66.07, D)
88) Qua Ashley, Ball State (65.92, D)
89) Bryson Donelson, Fresno State (65.66, D)
90) Dylan Carson, Air Force (65.17, D)
91) Duncan Brune, Ohio (65.16, D)
92) Sam Scott, Wyoming (64.93, D)
93) Daelen Alexander, Rice (64.72, D)
94) Bill Davis, Louisiana (64.71, D)
95) Hayden Reed, Army (63.91, D)
96) Floyd Chalk IV, San Jose State (63.84, D)
97) Sean Patrick, Akron (61.44, D-)
98) Rocko Griffin, Massachusetts (60.46, D-)
99) Kalib Hicks, Oklahoma State (60.37, D-)
100) Kenyon Clay, Arkansas State (60.33, D-)
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101) Shomari Lawrence, Missouri State (59.61, F)
102) Coleman Bennett, Kennesaw State (59.59, F)
103) Herschel Turner, Nevada (59.54, F)
104) Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan (59.29, F)
105) Gavin Garcia, Kent State (57.01, F)
106) Trey Cornist, Central Michigan (53.95, F)
107) Telly Johnson Jr., Northern Illinois (51.67, F)
