Johnathan Grey hasn't really lived up to his 5-star billing
1.) Johnathan Gray, UTexas; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #5 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Texas; UTexas' 2nd-leading rusher in 2014 with 637 yards on 147 carries (4.3 YPC); Started 8 games in 2013 and finished 2nd in rushing with 780 yards on 159 carries (4.9 YPC) and 4 TDs; Saw action as a reserve running back in the first seven games of 2012 and then started five of the last six contests as a true freshman; Named honorable mention All-Big 12 as a true freshman, rushing for 701 yards and 3 TDs; Not bad, but it's not exactly the resume you want to see from a former 5-star recruit.
One of the best backs in the country, bar none
2.) T.J. Yeldon, Alabama; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #12 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Alabama; Declared for the 2015 NFL Draft; Finished 2014 as Bama's 2nd-leading rusher, with 979 yards on 194 carries (5.0 YPC) and also had 15 receptions; Was the Tide's leading rusher with 1,235 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in 2013; Was the first Alabama true freshman to rush for >1,000 in a season, finishing with 1,108 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns on 175 carries in 2012.
Yet another potent weapon in Kevin Sumlin's war chest
3.) Trey Williams, Texas A&M; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #15 on the Rivals 100, 3rd-best prospect in Texas; Declared for the 2015 NFL Draft; He led the Aggies in rushing with 474 yards and six touchdowns on 70 carries (6.8 yards per carry) in 2014; Rushed for 407 yards and had 706 yards in KO returns in 2013; Saw action in all 13 games as a true freshman and was the team's No. 4 leading rusher with 376 yards on 65 carries.
Mario Pender was involved in the shooting death of his half-brother
4.) Mario Pender, Florida State; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #38 on the Rivals 100, 7th-best prospect in Florida; Finished 3rd in rushing for FSU with 206 rushing yards on 41 carries (5.0 ypc) in 2014; Redshirted in 2012 and was then declared academically ineligible for the 2013 season; Was involved in an incident in December 2013 that led to the shooting death of his half-brother; Pender told Tallahassee police that FSU offensive lineman Ira Denson had used his missing debit card to make purchases. The police report says that on Dec. 22, Pender and Denson made plans to meet to settle the issue, and when Denson arrived at Pender's apartment, Pender's half-brother, Tim Pruitt, went down to meet Denson and another man. At the end of the meeting, that other man fired shots, and at least one hit Pruitt in the head, killing him.
Todd Gurley was one of the premier backs in America prior to his ACL tear
5.) Todd Gurley, Georgia; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #42 on the Rivals 100, 3rd-best prospect in North Carolina; Declared for the 2015 NFL Draft; Despite an NCAA-imposed 4 game suspension and a subsequent ACL tear, Gurley finished the year with 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns; In 2013, he rushed for 989 yards on 165 carries with 10 touchdowns; In 2012, rushed for 1,385 yards, which ranks sixth in school history; Became the second UGa true freshman (Herschel Walker in 1980) to rush for more than 1,000 yards.
Rushel Shell is now at West Virginia
6.) Rushel Shell, Pitt; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #55 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Pennsylvania; Now at West Virginia - his 3rd school in three years; Was WVU's leading rusher with 176 carries for 788 yards and seven touchdowns in 2014; Sat out the 2013 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Rushed for 641 yards and four touchdowns on 141 carries and recorded nine catches for 103 yards as a freshman for Pittsburgh in 2012; Decided to leave Pitt for UCLA, then flaked out and decided that he'd rather be closer to home; Allegedly wanted to return to Pitt after the UCLA folly, but Pitt HC Paul Chryst denied his request.
Steve Spurrier's workhorse over the past two seasons
7.) Mike Davis, South Carolina; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #63 on the Rivals 100, 12th-best prospect in Georgia; Declared for the 2015 NFL Draft; Hampered by nagging injuries for much of the season, still led the team with 199 carries for 982 yards rushing in 2014; Was 2nd-team All-SEC in 2013, carrying 203 times for 1,183 yards with 11 TDs; Had 52 carries for 275 yards as a true freshman in 2012.
Oregon OC Scott Frost has quite a weapon in Byron Marshall
8.) Byron Marshall, Oregon; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #114 on the Rivals 250, 17th-best prospect in California; Was Oregon's 4th-leading rusher in 2014 with 392 yards on 52 carries (7.5 YPC), and led the Ducks with 74 receptions for 1,003 yards and 6 TDs; Ran for 1,038 yards and was named honorable-mention All-Pac 12 in 2013; Was Oregon's fourth-leading rusher with 464 yards and four touchdowns while appearing in 11 of 13 games as a true freshman in 2012.
Barry Sanders' kid rushed for 315 yards in 2014
9.) Barry Sanders, Jr., Stanford; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #134 on the Rivals 250, 2nd-best prospect in Oklahoma; Finished 2014 with 59 carries for 315 yards; Played sparingly in 2013, rushing 5 times for 34 yards and 1 TD; Redshirted in 2012.
Finally arrived in Auburn, after spending two years at Georgia Military Academy
10.) Jovon Robinson, Auburn; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #136 on the Rivals 250, 3rd-best prospect in Tennessee; Enrolled at Auburn last December after spending two years at Georgia Military Academy; Didn't qualify out of HS after a counselor at his Memphis high school admitted that she altered his transcript so that he could be eligible at Auburn.
Bri'onte Dunn has had a nondescript career in Columbus
11.) Bri'onte Dunn, Ohio State; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #138 on the Rivals 250, 6th-best prospect in Ohio; Had 9 carries for 63 yards in 2014 for the National Champions; Redshirted in 2013; In the 2012 season as a true freshman, he had 133 yards on 25 carries (5.3 YPC) and 2 TDs.
12.) Alex Ross, Oklahoma; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #144 on the Rivals 250, 3rd-best prospect in Oklahoma; 2nd-team All-American and 1st-team All-Big 12 as a kick returner in 2014; Also rushed 88 times for 595 yards (6.8 YPC) and 4 TDs; Played sparingly in 2013; Redshirted in 2012.
Kenyan Drake would be starting for most BCS programs
13.) Kenyan Drake, Alabama; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #185 on the Rivals 250, 14th-best prospect in Georgia; Was a regular in the Alabama rotation at running back before breaking his left leg at Ole Miss in the fifth game of the 2014 season; Rushed for 694 yards on 92 carries (7.5 ypc) with eight touchdowns in 2013; As a true freshman in 2012, he rushed 39 times for 273 yards and five touchdowns.
Was suspended for the 2013 season due to his role in a Baltimore nightclub shooting
14.) Wes Brown, UMaryland; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #188 on the Rivals 250, 5th-best prospect in Maryland; UMaryland's 3rd-leading rusher in 2014 with 356 yards on 103 carries; Missed all of 2013, serving a one-year suspension from UMaryland after being charged with felony wiretapping, second-degree assault and theft of less than $1,000 stemming from a July 3 incident with University of Maryland police and a Baltimore city police detective; Brown was also being questioned as a "person of interest" connected with a non-fatal shooting in June outside a Baltimore nightclub; As a true freshman from Good Counsel, Brown rushed for 382 yards - second on the team - and two touchdowns as a true freshman in 2012, but battled an ankle injury and missed the final three games.
Matt Jones is NFL-bound after rushing for 1,431 yards in 3 seasons in Gainesville
15.) Matt Jones, UFlorida; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #190 on the Rivals 250, 32nd-best prospect in Florida; Declared early for the NFL Draft last December; Rushed for 817 yards and six touchdowns this past season and had 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns during his career; Was the team's third leading rusher and had 52 carries for 275 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman in 2012.
16.) Warren Ball, Ohio State; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #193 on the Rivals 250, 12th-best prospect in Ohio; Was Ohio State's 8th-leading rusher in 2014 with 85 yards on 18 carries; Ran 13 times for 76 yards in 2013; Missed the entire 2012 football season with a foot injury.
Bret Bielema's big horse in Fayetteville
17.) Jonathan Williams, Arkansas; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #195 on the Rivals 250, 26th-best prospect in Texas; Was 2nd-team All-SEC in 2014 after 211 carries for 1,190 yards and 12 touchdowns; In 2013, he had 150 rushes for 900 yards and four touchdowns, seven receptions for 72 yards and two touchdowns and threw a 21-yard touchdown; As a true freshman in 2012, Williams played in 11 games and made two starts, finishing the year with 45 rushes for 231 yards and eight receptions for 208 yards and two touchdowns.
William Mahone, shown here in orange prison jumpsuit and cuffs
18.) William Mahone, Notre Dame; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #197 on the Rivals 250, 13th-best prospect in Ohio; Current whereabouts unknown; Last July, he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, assault and aggravated menacing; Mahone was arrested by Youngstown, Ohio authorities at 11:10 p.m. June 14 after they responded to the intersection of Rita and Ray avenues for a fight. Once there, officers found an intoxicated and combative Mahone and had to use a stun gun on him twice to try to calm him down. He continually threatened officers and head butted one in the face; Mahone was originally charged with a slew of felonies, but those were all dropped down to the misdemeanors Mahone pleaded to; It was also revealed that he had been attending an area treatment center for alcohol use; Yet another overrated Notre Dame recruit - he appeared briefly in two games in two years in South Bend.
Iowa-->California JUCO-->prison
19.) Greg Garmon, Iowa; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 7th-best prospect in Pennsylvania; No longer in football; Last we heard from Garmon, he was behind bars back home in Erie, PA, after being charged with several offenses including robbery after a botched home invasion; Spent 2013 at Butte College (same JUCO that Packers' Aaron Rodgers attended) but did not play; Left the Iowa program in December 2012 after rushing for 122 yards on 38 carries as a true freshman.
Transferring to Middle Tennessee State
20.) I'Tavius Mathers, Ole Miss; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 7th-best prospect in Tennessee; Has transferred to Middle Tennessee State, and will sit out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Mathers finished third on the Rebels in rushing this season with 290 yards and three rushing touchdowns; In 2013, Mathers led Ole Miss with 563 yards As a true freshman in 2012, had 208 rushing yards on 27 carries with one TD and returned three kicks for 20 yards.
No longer in football after four knee injuries
21.) Vonte Jackson, Wisconsin; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 2nd-best prospect in Wisconsin; No longer in football; Called it quits last August after going down with his 4th knee injury; Sat out the 2013 season after tearing his ACL - it was his third ACL tear he had suffered in a span of 22 months; Redshirted in 2012.
Shown here at a UMass workout last August, Drew Harris is no longer in football
22.) Drew Harris, Virginia Tech; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 11th-best prospect in Pennsylvania; Current whereabouts unknown; Signed with UMass, but left the program after two weeks last August; Spent 2013 at ASA College, some bullspit diploma mill in Brooklyn, NY; Didn't qualify out of HS and spent 2012 at Fork Union Military Academy, but still couldn't get qualified after his stint at Fork Union.
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Huskers' 2nd-string I-back and short-yardage specialist
25.) Imani Cross, Nebraska; 3-stars, 5.7 RR, 46th-best prospect in Georgia; Used primarily as a short-yardage back, Cross had 75 carries for 384 yards and five rushing touchdowns in 2014; Had 85 carries for 447 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2013; As a true freshman, he appeared in all 14 games and finished with 55 carries for 324 yards, an average of 5.9 yards per carry.
Rivals' list of running backs in the 2012 class
