A questionable list of RBs - one Heisman Trophy winner, and another led his team to a National Championship in 2014. A third guy on this list has rattled off three-straight 1,000-yard seasons.
However, only 6 of the top 25 guys were starting for their programs at the end of 2015.
Alabama had three of the top 11 guys on this list - one is a Heisman Trophy winner; another one spent 2015 at a Kansas JUCO.
The third one is dead.
Two of the top four guys on this list are now at Michigan - both have been 169% flops.
Nebraska signed two of the top 18 guys on this list...well, you know what Bo Pelini's track record is with 4-star players
Yet another Maize & Blue flop
1.) Derrick Green, Michigan; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #8 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Virginia; Michigan's 6th-leading rusher in 2015 with 157 yards on 47 carries (3.3 YPC); In a November 2015 interview, Jim Harbaugh said that Green was "working through something."; Carried the ball 82 times for 471 yards and three touchdowns in six starts in 2014, missing half of the season with a broken collarbone; Appeared in 13 games as a true freshman in 2013 and finished with 83 carries for 270 yards and two touchdowns.
Missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury
2.) Thomas Tyner, Oregon; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #17 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Oregon; Missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury; Was Oregon's 3rd-leading rusher in 2014; As a true freshman in 2013, he was third on the team in rushing with 711 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns.
Headed to Alabama-Birmingham after spending 2015 at a diploma mill
3.) Greg Bryant, Notre Dame; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #19 on the Rivals 100, 4th-best prospect in Florida; Is now headed for Alabama-Birmingham, who will be rescusitating their football program in 2017; Was Notre Dame's 2nd-leading rusher in 2014 (289 yards) but failed-out and spent 2015 at a Miami-area diploma mill.
That transfer to Ann Arbor isn't working out so well
4.) Ty Isaac, Southern Cal; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #27 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Illinois; Now at Michigan, where he was Harbaugh's 3rd-leading rusher with 205 yards on 30 carries in 2015; Apparently, he landed in Harbaugh's dog house late in the season - when asked about Isaac in early November, Harbaugh responded, “I’ll keep you posted. (It’s) none of your business...that’d be another way to say it.”; Sat out the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Had 40 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman at USC in 2013.
2015 Heisman Trophy winner
5.) Derrick Henry, Alabama; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #36 on the Rivals 100, 6th-best prospect in Florida; Heisman Trophy winner in 2015 after rushing for a school- and Southeastern Conference record 2,061 yards; Had 990 rushing yards on 172 carries and 11 TDs in 2014; Had 382 rushing yards on 35 carries for a 10.9 yards per carry average as a true freshman in 2013.
Florida's leading rusher in 2015 declared for the 2016 NFL Draft last month
6.) Kelvin Taylor, Florida; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #38 on the Rivals 100, 7th-best prospect in Florida; The Gators' leading rusher with 1,035 yards on 259 carries (4.0 YPC) and 13 TDs; Started two games in 2014 and was second on the team with 565 rushing yards on 116 carries (4.9 average); Finished second on the team with 508 yards on 111 carries (4.6 avg) with four touchdowns as a true freshman in 2013; Has declared for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Now at Texas A&M after Bob Stoops gave him the boot
7.) Keith Ford, Oklahoma; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #48 on the Rivals 100, 6th-best prospect in Texas; Now at Texas A&M, where he sat out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Had 503 yards in 86 carries (5.8 YPC) and 6 TDs over two seasons at Oklahoma; Broke a bone in his leg in October, 2014, and was then booted from the team due to timeliness and attendance issues.
He dead
8.) Altee Tenpenny, Alabama; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #53 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Arkansas; Died last October after colliding with a highway sign on Mississippi Highway 1 just outside of Glen Allan, MS; He had just been booted from the Nicholls State football team following his arrest for possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon; He transferred to UNLV in May 2015, but was dismissed from the school in August, prompting his move to Nicholls State; Tenpenny appeared in 26 games with the Crimson Tide over two seasons, running for 218 career yards.
Had 902 yards rushing in 2015
9.) Justin Davis, Southern Cal; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #62 on the Rivals 100, 13th-best prospect in California; USC's second-leading rusher in 2015 with 902 yards on 169 carries (5.3 YPC) and 7 TDs; Second-string tailback for USC in 2014 and had 129 carries for 595 yards (4.6 avg) with 4 TDs; As a true freshman in 2013, he ran for 361 yards on 53 carries (6.8 avg) with 6 TDs before an ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Newby's playing time diminished as the 2015 season wore on
10.) Terrell Newby, Nebraska; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #75 on the Rivals 100, 7th-best prospect in California; Finished 2015 as Nebraska's leading rusher with 765 yards on 147 carries (5.2 YPC), but his playing time decreased as the 2015 season wore on, losing PT to Imani Cross and Devine Ozigbo; Newby was NU’s fourth-leading rusher, gaining 297 yards on 67 carries, with five rushing touchdowns in 2014; He was third on the team with 298 rushing yards, averaging 5.5 yards on his 54 carries as a true freshman in 2013.
Now at a Kansas JUCO
11.) Tyren Jones, Alabama; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #79 on the Rivals 100, 8th-best prospect in Georgia; Now at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, where he was the Blue Dragons' 2nd-leading rusher with 655 yards on 105 carries (6.2 YPC); Jones was kicked off Alabama's roster March 31 just hours after his arrest for marijuana possession; The rising junior was already suspended indefinitely at the time of his arrest; Jones was the Tide's fourth-leading rusher in 2014 with 224 yards on 36 carries.
Led Ohio State to a National Championship in 2014
12.) Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #84 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Missouri; Two-year starter at running back for the Buckeyes; Had 1,821 yards on 289 carries (6.3 YPC) and 23 TDs in 2015; Led Ohio State to the 2014 National Championship with 1,878 yards on 273 carries (6.9 YPC) and added 28 receptions on the season; Has declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.
Has rushed for >1,000 yards in each of his 3 years in Fayetteville
13.) Alex Collins, Arkansas; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #117 on the Rivals 250, 18th-best prospect in Florida; Has tallied 1,000+ rushing yards each of the past three seasons for the Razorbacks; Finished with 1,577 yards on 271 carries (5.8 YPC) and 20 TDs in 2015, and earned 2nd-team All-SEC honors; Has 3,703 rushing yards over three years in Fayetteville.
Notre Dame's leading rusher in 2014
14.) Tarean Folston, Notre Dame; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #119 on the Rivals 250, 19th-best prospect in Florida; Tore his MCL in the first game of 2015, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season; Started 10 games in 2014 and led the Irish with 889 rushing yards; Started two games as a true freshman in 2013 and had 470 rushing yards on 88 carries that season.
Now a safety, and was Auburn's leading tackler in 2015
15.) Johnathan Ford, Auburn; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #185 on the Rivals 250, 9th-best prospect in Alabama; Two-year starter at safety for Auburn and led the team in tackles with 118 in 2015; Also serves as the team's primary kickoff returner.
16.) Tyshon Dye, Clemson; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #217 on the Rivals 250, 15th-best prospect in Georgia; Has 91 yards on 23 carries this season; Had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in 2014 - a torn Achilles tendon forced him to miss all of 2014 spring practice and much of the 2014 season; Redshirted after a back injury forced him out as a true freshman in 2013.
Missed most of 2015 with a sports hernia
17.) Corey Clement, Wisconsin; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #223 on the Rivals 250, 7th-best prospect in New Jersey; Limited to 221 yards and 4 games in 2015, due to a sports hernia; Started one game in 2014 and had 949 yards on 147 carries (6.5 YPC) and 9 TDs as Melvin Gordon's backup; Was third on the team with 547 rushing yards on 67 carries (8.2 ypc) as a true freshman in 2013; Was cited twice by Madison police for disorderly conduct in November, 2015.
Yet another 4-star bust under the Pelini regime
18.) Adam Taylor, Nebraska; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #228 on the Rivals 250, 29th-best prospect in Texas; Yet another huge 4-star whiff by Pelini & Co.; In three years, Taylor has yet to carry the ball once, and was used exclusively on special teams in 2015; Did not see the field in 2013 or 2014.
Shows up big in UGa spring games, but has yet to play in a regular season game
19.) A.J. Turman, Georgia; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #235 on the Rivals 250, 38th-best prospect in Florida; Has yet to carry the ball once in three seasons at UGa.
20.) Jordan Wilkins, Ole Miss; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 9th-best prospect in Tennessee; Ole Miss' 4th-leading rusher in 2015 with 379 yards on 72 carries (5.3 YPC) and 4 TDs; Was second on team with 361 rushing yards on 52 attempts in 2014; Redshirted in 2013.
21.) David Williams, South Carolina; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 8th-best prospect in Pennsylvania; The Gamecocks' 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 299 yards on 86 carries (3.5 YPC); Had 256 yards on 45 carries and 2 TDs in 2014; Redshirted in 2013.
22.) Kailo Moore, Ole Miss; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 4th-best prospect in Mississippi; Now a reserve cornerback for Ole Miss; Had 9 tackles in 2015; Is also a sprinter on Ole Miss' track team.
TCU's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015
23.) Kyle Hicks, Texas Christian; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 35th-best prospect in Texas; TCU's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 262 yards on 55 carries (4.8 YPC); Had 160 yards rushing in 2014; Redshirted in 2013; Has been hampered with a knee injury suffered during his senior year in high school.
Failed-out last semester
24.) Craig Lee, UCLA; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 32nd-best prospect in California; Has yet to play a down of college football; Did not play for UCLA in 2013 or 2014, and then failed out academically for the 2015 season.
Cal's leading rusher in 2015
25.) Khalfani Muhammad, California; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 36th-best prospect in California; Started 5 games for Cal in 2015 and led the team with 586 yards (6.7 YPC) and had 1 TD on the season; Was mostly used as a kick-returner in 2013 and 2014; Is also a sprinter on Cal's track team.
However, only 6 of the top 25 guys were starting for their programs at the end of 2015.
Alabama had three of the top 11 guys on this list - one is a Heisman Trophy winner; another one spent 2015 at a Kansas JUCO.
The third one is dead.
Two of the top four guys on this list are now at Michigan - both have been 169% flops.
Nebraska signed two of the top 18 guys on this list...well, you know what Bo Pelini's track record is with 4-star players
Yet another Maize & Blue flop
1.) Derrick Green, Michigan; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #8 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Virginia; Michigan's 6th-leading rusher in 2015 with 157 yards on 47 carries (3.3 YPC); In a November 2015 interview, Jim Harbaugh said that Green was "working through something."; Carried the ball 82 times for 471 yards and three touchdowns in six starts in 2014, missing half of the season with a broken collarbone; Appeared in 13 games as a true freshman in 2013 and finished with 83 carries for 270 yards and two touchdowns.
Missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury
2.) Thomas Tyner, Oregon; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #17 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Oregon; Missed all of 2015 with a shoulder injury; Was Oregon's 3rd-leading rusher in 2014; As a true freshman in 2013, he was third on the team in rushing with 711 yards (6.2 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns.
Headed to Alabama-Birmingham after spending 2015 at a diploma mill
3.) Greg Bryant, Notre Dame; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #19 on the Rivals 100, 4th-best prospect in Florida; Is now headed for Alabama-Birmingham, who will be rescusitating their football program in 2017; Was Notre Dame's 2nd-leading rusher in 2014 (289 yards) but failed-out and spent 2015 at a Miami-area diploma mill.
That transfer to Ann Arbor isn't working out so well
4.) Ty Isaac, Southern Cal; 5-stars, 6.1 RR, #27 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Illinois; Now at Michigan, where he was Harbaugh's 3rd-leading rusher with 205 yards on 30 carries in 2015; Apparently, he landed in Harbaugh's dog house late in the season - when asked about Isaac in early November, Harbaugh responded, “I’ll keep you posted. (It’s) none of your business...that’d be another way to say it.”; Sat out the 2014 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Had 40 carries for 236 yards and two touchdowns as a true freshman at USC in 2013.
2015 Heisman Trophy winner
5.) Derrick Henry, Alabama; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #36 on the Rivals 100, 6th-best prospect in Florida; Heisman Trophy winner in 2015 after rushing for a school- and Southeastern Conference record 2,061 yards; Had 990 rushing yards on 172 carries and 11 TDs in 2014; Had 382 rushing yards on 35 carries for a 10.9 yards per carry average as a true freshman in 2013.
Florida's leading rusher in 2015 declared for the 2016 NFL Draft last month
6.) Kelvin Taylor, Florida; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #38 on the Rivals 100, 7th-best prospect in Florida; The Gators' leading rusher with 1,035 yards on 259 carries (4.0 YPC) and 13 TDs; Started two games in 2014 and was second on the team with 565 rushing yards on 116 carries (4.9 average); Finished second on the team with 508 yards on 111 carries (4.6 avg) with four touchdowns as a true freshman in 2013; Has declared for the 2016 NFL Draft.
Now at Texas A&M after Bob Stoops gave him the boot
7.) Keith Ford, Oklahoma; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #48 on the Rivals 100, 6th-best prospect in Texas; Now at Texas A&M, where he sat out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Had 503 yards in 86 carries (5.8 YPC) and 6 TDs over two seasons at Oklahoma; Broke a bone in his leg in October, 2014, and was then booted from the team due to timeliness and attendance issues.
He dead
8.) Altee Tenpenny, Alabama; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #53 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Arkansas; Died last October after colliding with a highway sign on Mississippi Highway 1 just outside of Glen Allan, MS; He had just been booted from the Nicholls State football team following his arrest for possession of a firearm and discharging a weapon; He transferred to UNLV in May 2015, but was dismissed from the school in August, prompting his move to Nicholls State; Tenpenny appeared in 26 games with the Crimson Tide over two seasons, running for 218 career yards.
Had 902 yards rushing in 2015
9.) Justin Davis, Southern Cal; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #62 on the Rivals 100, 13th-best prospect in California; USC's second-leading rusher in 2015 with 902 yards on 169 carries (5.3 YPC) and 7 TDs; Second-string tailback for USC in 2014 and had 129 carries for 595 yards (4.6 avg) with 4 TDs; As a true freshman in 2013, he ran for 361 yards on 53 carries (6.8 avg) with 6 TDs before an ankle injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season.
Newby's playing time diminished as the 2015 season wore on
10.) Terrell Newby, Nebraska; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #75 on the Rivals 100, 7th-best prospect in California; Finished 2015 as Nebraska's leading rusher with 765 yards on 147 carries (5.2 YPC), but his playing time decreased as the 2015 season wore on, losing PT to Imani Cross and Devine Ozigbo; Newby was NU’s fourth-leading rusher, gaining 297 yards on 67 carries, with five rushing touchdowns in 2014; He was third on the team with 298 rushing yards, averaging 5.5 yards on his 54 carries as a true freshman in 2013.
Now at a Kansas JUCO
11.) Tyren Jones, Alabama; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #79 on the Rivals 100, 8th-best prospect in Georgia; Now at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, where he was the Blue Dragons' 2nd-leading rusher with 655 yards on 105 carries (6.2 YPC); Jones was kicked off Alabama's roster March 31 just hours after his arrest for marijuana possession; The rising junior was already suspended indefinitely at the time of his arrest; Jones was the Tide's fourth-leading rusher in 2014 with 224 yards on 36 carries.
Led Ohio State to a National Championship in 2014
12.) Ezekiel Elliott, Ohio State; 4-stars, 6.0 RR, #84 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Missouri; Two-year starter at running back for the Buckeyes; Had 1,821 yards on 289 carries (6.3 YPC) and 23 TDs in 2015; Led Ohio State to the 2014 National Championship with 1,878 yards on 273 carries (6.9 YPC) and added 28 receptions on the season; Has declared for the 2015 NFL Draft.
Has rushed for >1,000 yards in each of his 3 years in Fayetteville
13.) Alex Collins, Arkansas; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #117 on the Rivals 250, 18th-best prospect in Florida; Has tallied 1,000+ rushing yards each of the past three seasons for the Razorbacks; Finished with 1,577 yards on 271 carries (5.8 YPC) and 20 TDs in 2015, and earned 2nd-team All-SEC honors; Has 3,703 rushing yards over three years in Fayetteville.
Notre Dame's leading rusher in 2014
14.) Tarean Folston, Notre Dame; 4-stars, 5.9 RR, #119 on the Rivals 250, 19th-best prospect in Florida; Tore his MCL in the first game of 2015, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season; Started 10 games in 2014 and led the Irish with 889 rushing yards; Started two games as a true freshman in 2013 and had 470 rushing yards on 88 carries that season.
Now a safety, and was Auburn's leading tackler in 2015
15.) Johnathan Ford, Auburn; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #185 on the Rivals 250, 9th-best prospect in Alabama; Two-year starter at safety for Auburn and led the team in tackles with 118 in 2015; Also serves as the team's primary kickoff returner.
16.) Tyshon Dye, Clemson; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #217 on the Rivals 250, 15th-best prospect in Georgia; Has 91 yards on 23 carries this season; Had 151 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries in 2014 - a torn Achilles tendon forced him to miss all of 2014 spring practice and much of the 2014 season; Redshirted after a back injury forced him out as a true freshman in 2013.
Missed most of 2015 with a sports hernia
17.) Corey Clement, Wisconsin; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #223 on the Rivals 250, 7th-best prospect in New Jersey; Limited to 221 yards and 4 games in 2015, due to a sports hernia; Started one game in 2014 and had 949 yards on 147 carries (6.5 YPC) and 9 TDs as Melvin Gordon's backup; Was third on the team with 547 rushing yards on 67 carries (8.2 ypc) as a true freshman in 2013; Was cited twice by Madison police for disorderly conduct in November, 2015.
Yet another 4-star bust under the Pelini regime
18.) Adam Taylor, Nebraska; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #228 on the Rivals 250, 29th-best prospect in Texas; Yet another huge 4-star whiff by Pelini & Co.; In three years, Taylor has yet to carry the ball once, and was used exclusively on special teams in 2015; Did not see the field in 2013 or 2014.
Shows up big in UGa spring games, but has yet to play in a regular season game
19.) A.J. Turman, Georgia; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, #235 on the Rivals 250, 38th-best prospect in Florida; Has yet to carry the ball once in three seasons at UGa.
20.) Jordan Wilkins, Ole Miss; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 9th-best prospect in Tennessee; Ole Miss' 4th-leading rusher in 2015 with 379 yards on 72 carries (5.3 YPC) and 4 TDs; Was second on team with 361 rushing yards on 52 attempts in 2014; Redshirted in 2013.
21.) David Williams, South Carolina; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 8th-best prospect in Pennsylvania; The Gamecocks' 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 299 yards on 86 carries (3.5 YPC); Had 256 yards on 45 carries and 2 TDs in 2014; Redshirted in 2013.
22.) Kailo Moore, Ole Miss; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 4th-best prospect in Mississippi; Now a reserve cornerback for Ole Miss; Had 9 tackles in 2015; Is also a sprinter on Ole Miss' track team.
TCU's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015
23.) Kyle Hicks, Texas Christian; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 35th-best prospect in Texas; TCU's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 262 yards on 55 carries (4.8 YPC); Had 160 yards rushing in 2014; Redshirted in 2013; Has been hampered with a knee injury suffered during his senior year in high school.
Failed-out last semester
24.) Craig Lee, UCLA; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 32nd-best prospect in California; Has yet to play a down of college football; Did not play for UCLA in 2013 or 2014, and then failed out academically for the 2015 season.
Cal's leading rusher in 2015
25.) Khalfani Muhammad, California; 4-stars, 5.8 RR, 36th-best prospect in California; Started 5 games for Cal in 2015 and led the team with 586 yards (6.7 YPC) and had 1 TD on the season; Was mostly used as a kick-returner in 2013 and 2014; Is also a sprinter on Cal's track team.
