Ranking college football's 10 best running backs for 2023
Most of college football's biggest spring games have come and gone, and now it's time to flash forward to August and the upcoming season.
Two of the biggest questions as the summer approaches: Which offense will be the most explosive, and which players will be behind that production? We've already knocked out the top 10 quarterbacks heading into the 2023 season, and next up are the running backs.
Here are the names ahead of the fall slate.
Eleven reporters voted on a ballot with 10 points to the first-place running back down to one point for the 10th-place RB.
1. Blake Corum, Michigan
Corum's return to the Wolverines carries some surprise following his All-America 2022 season and the praise he received. Jim Harbaugh said Corum is the best collegiate back he has coached, while Biff Poggi, who coached Corum both in high school and at Michigan, described him as having shades of both Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. A late-season knee injury derailed Corum's Heisman Trophy chances and ultimately brought him back for a final season with the Wolverines. If healthy, he will be the focal point of Michigan's offense alongside another back included here, Donovan Edwards.
A combination of power, shiftiness and speed propels Corum, a Doak Walker Award finalist who won the Chicago Tribune's Silver Football as Big Ten MVP. Last season, he finished 11th nationally in total rushing yards (1,463) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (18) despite essentially missing Michigan's final three games (he had two carries against Ohio State) and sharing carries with Edwards. Limited early by Michigan's lopsided nonconference wins, Corum bullied his way in Big Ten play, averaging 24.1 carries and 152.8 yards in the eight league games before his injury. The small-town kid from Virginia returns to the big stage this fall as he tries to become Michigan's first Heisman winner since Charles Woodson in 1997. -- Adam Rittenberg
2. Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss
Year: Sophomore
2022 stats: 1,567 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 132 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Points: 85 points (2 of 11 first-place votes)
It's a wonder Judkins ever got out of state. But the former three-star recruit wasn't the toast of Alabama and didn't sign with the Tide or the Tigers. Credit Ole Miss for seeing his potential, because after last season, Judkins isn't going to be overlooked ever again. As a freshman, he led the SEC in rushing yards (1,567) while also setting the single-season rushing record at Ole Miss for yards and rushing touchdowns (16). CBS named him its freshman of the year. And, according to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Judkins was so well thought of that opposing coaches tried to lure him away via the transfer portal. He stayed, signing a name, image and likeness deal that will keep him as the centerpiece of the Rebs' offense. -- Alex Scarborough
3. Raheim Sanders, Arkansas
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 1,443 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 271 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
Points: 71
How do you fly under the radar with a nickname like Rocket? But that's exactly what happened with Sanders last season thanks to Arkansas' subpar 7-6 finish. The offense as a whole struggled, due in large part to quarterback KJ Jefferson battling injuries. But Sanders more than held up his end of the bargain, ranking second in the SEC in rushing yards (1,443) and third in rushing touchdowns (10). A healthy Jefferson could make a speedy Sanders even better, and the two could form one of the best QB-RB rushing duos in the SEC. -- Scarborough
4. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
Year: Sophomore
2022 stats: 1,061 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 85 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Points: 53
One of the most noticeable upgrades to Penn State's offense last fall was its running game, and much of that can be attributed to the emergence of Singleton, the Big Ten's 2022 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Behind a vastly improved offensive line, Singleton provided a one-two punch with Kaytron Allen, and with both returning this fall, the Nittany Lions should be a more serious contender in the Big Ten's East Division.
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