The thing to keep in mind about this list is that these guys are only 2 years into their careers. That said, there are already a helluva lot of accomplished studs in this class.
There are already some noted busts here, but as far as Rivals RB classes go, this is about as good as it gets.
Rivals clearly got it right in tabbing this guy the #1 RB in his class
1.) Leonard Fournette, Louisiana State; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #4 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Louisiana; First-team All-American in 2015 after a 1,953 yard season; Rushed for 1,034 yards as a true freshman; Clearly the cream of this class.
Transferring to FCS Jacksonville State
2.) Roc Thomas, Auburn; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #12 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Alabama; Announced earlier this month that he is transferring to FCS Jacksonville State, whose head coach was Thomas' high school coach; Thomas was hampered by injuries throughout his sophomore season at Auburn and was considered the No. 3 running back behind Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson; He finished the year with 261 rushing yards and one touchdown on 43 carries with 11 catches for 200 yards.
Took over after Nick Chubb tore up his knee
3.) Sony Michel, Georgia; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #13 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Florida; Started 6 games in 2015 and finished the season with 1,161 yards on 219 carries (5.3 YPC) and also had 26 receptions for 270 yards; Had 470 rushing yards his freshman season in 2014.
Ran for 1,463 yards and 17 TDs in 2015
4.) Elijah Hood, North Carolina; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #30 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in North Carolina; The ACC's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015, carrying the ball 219 times for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns; Appeared in nine games and rushed 67 times for 259 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman in 2014.
SEC's 4th-leading rusher in 2015, and is also a proficient receiver out of the backfield
5.) Jalen Hurd, Tennessee; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #33 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Tennessee; Two-year starter for the Vols; Rushed for 1,288 yards in 2015, which was 4th-best in the SEC; Also has 57 career receptions so far.
One of the most impressive backs in the country prior to his knee injury
6.) Nick Chubb, Georgia; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #35 on the Rivals 100, 3rd-best prospect in Georgia; Rushed for 747 yards on 92 carries with seven TDs in 2015 before going down with a gruesome knee injury in the Tennessee game; As a true freshman in 2014, he was first-team All-SEC and the SEC Freshman of the Year after posting 1,547 rushing yards and 14 TDs.
Safe to say that this guy is a complete bust
7.) Jeff Jones, Minnesota; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #44 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Minnesota; Was charged with felony drug possession last month; Jones was stopped by Bloomington police for speeding; A routine check by police showed Jones had a revoked Minnesota driver’s license and a felony drug warrant from Iowa; When police searched Jones, they found 1.78 grams of cocaine and a loaded .38-caliber handgun; Jones said the cocaine in his sock did not belong to him
; He had recently transferred to Iowa Western Community College, but was booted off the team in March; Jones pleaded not guilty in March to charges of assault with intent to inflict serious injury in Iowa; He appeared in 3 games over two seasons at Minnesota.
Royce Freeman is on track to break most Oregon rushing records
8.) Royce Freeman, Oregon; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #52 on the Rivals 100, 5th-best prospect in California; Second-team All-American in 2015 after his 1,836 yards was the 4th-best rushing total in America; Was the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and was first-team All-Pac 12 in 2014 after compiling 1,523 all-purpose yards and 18 TDs that season.
Third-team All-ACC in 2015
9.) Joseph Yearby, UMiami; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #62 on the Rivals 100, 8th-best prospect in Florida; Was 3rd-team All-ACC in 2015 after rushing for 1,002 yards on 205 carries (4.9 YPC); Rushed for 509 yards and a TD as a reserve in 2014.
10.) Adam Choice, Clemson; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #109 on the Rivals 250, 9th-best prospect in Georgia; Took a redshirt in 2015 while recovering from a knee injury suffered in the Boston College game in 2014; Had 218 yards and one touchdown on 50 carries before the injury.
Darrel Williams would be starting at most programs - he's behind Fournette and Derrius Guice at LSU
11.) Darrel Williams, Louisiana State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #145 on the Rivals 250, 11th-best prospect in Louisiana; LSU's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 296 yards on 60 carries (4.9 YPC) and 4 TDs; Rushed for 302 yards on 64 carries and scored three touchdowns as a true freshman in 2014.
12.) Mikel Horton, Kentucky; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #150 on the Rivals 250, 4th-best prospect in Ohio; UK's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 318 yards on 82 carries (3.9 YPC) and 3 TDs; Had 306 yards and 2 TDs as a true freshman.
Was a 2nd-team All-American as a true freshman in 2014
13.) Samaje Perine, Oklahoma; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #153 on the Rivals 250, 19th-best prospect in Texas; Two-year starter for the Sooners; First-team All-Big 12 in 2015 after a 1,349 yard season; Was a 2nd-team All-American as a true freshman when he racked up 1,713 yards and 21 TDs.
Second-team All-Big Ten in 2015
14.) Justin Jackson, Northwestern; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #156 on the Rivals 250, 8th-best prospect in Illinois; Two-year starter for Northwestern who has had 1,000+ yard seasons each year; Second-team All-Big Ten in 2015 after a 1,344 yard season.
15.) Nathan Starks, UCLA; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #161 on the Rivals 250, 3rd-best prospect in Colorado; Reserve RB in 2015 and was third on the team with 320 rushing yards; Ran for 139 yards on the season and two scores as a freshman in 2014.
16.) Mikale Wilbon, Nebraska; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #168 on the Rivals 250, 9th-best prospect in Illinois; Backup I-back in 2015 and had 9 carries for 35 yards on the season; Redshirted in 2014.
Started the first six games of 2015
17.) Madre London, Michigan State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #175 on the Rivals 250, 27th-best prospect in Florida; Started the first six games of 2015 at tailback before an ankle injury slowed him; He finished 3rd on the team in rushing with 500 yards and 3 TDs; Redshirted in 2014.
18.) D'Ernest Johnson, South Florida; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #185 on the Rivals 250, 29th-best prospect in Florida; Had 307 yards rushing and 356 receiving yards in 2015; Has started one game in his two year career at USF.
Not sure if any program has had more washouts on these lists than Texas
19.) Donald Catalon, Texas; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #193 on the Rivals 250, 25th-best prospect in Texas; Now at the University of Houston, and sat out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Spent one year in Austin - he redshirted that year - before leaving.
20.) Jonathan Hilliman, Boston College; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 8th-best prospect in New Jersey; Was limited to four games in 2015 after breaking his foot; Started 7 games and rushed for 843 yards as a true freshman; Went to the same high school as former NU and UNC QB Joe Dailey.
21.) Donte Thomas-Williams, West Virginia; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 12th-best prospect in North Carolina; Was booted last month from WVU's team for a "violation of team rules"; He played in four games as a redshirt freshman in 2015, rushing 14 times for 43 yards.
22.) Chris James, Pittsburgh; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 14th-best prospect in Illinois; Announced this spring that he was transferring to Wisconsin, after he fell to 3rd-string on Pitt's depth chart late last season; As a freshman, James rushed for 437 yards on 87 carries (5.0) average with four touchdowns.
Had a 1,375-yard season as a true freshman in 2014
23.) Nick Wilson, Arizona; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 37th-best prospect in California; Arizona's 2nd-leading rusher in 2015 despite being limited to 9 games; Started 8 games as a true freshman in 2014 and finished that season with 1,375 yards and 16 TDs.
Have a seat, Shai
24.) Shai McKenzie, Virginia Tech; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 9th-best prospect in Pennsylvania; He was limited to two games in 2015 due to a torn ACL from the previous season; Appeared in 5 games in 2014 and rushed for 269 yards and 3 TDs; In June 2015, he was found guilty of one count of a consensual sex act with a child 15 years old or greater, resulting in a sentence of 15 days in jail and 50 hours of community service.
25.) Traevohn Wrench, Kansas; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 2nd-best prospect in Kansas; Didn't qualify out of HS and spent 2014 at Butler Community College; Left Butler after one year and apparently he is now out of football.
26.) Taiwan Deal, Wisconsin; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 10th-best prospect in Maryland; Rushed for 503 yards and 6 TDs in 2015 as a backup to Corey Clement; Redshirted in 2014.
There are already some noted busts here, but as far as Rivals RB classes go, this is about as good as it gets.
Rivals clearly got it right in tabbing this guy the #1 RB in his class
1.) Leonard Fournette, Louisiana State; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #4 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Louisiana; First-team All-American in 2015 after a 1,953 yard season; Rushed for 1,034 yards as a true freshman; Clearly the cream of this class.
Transferring to FCS Jacksonville State
2.) Roc Thomas, Auburn; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #12 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Alabama; Announced earlier this month that he is transferring to FCS Jacksonville State, whose head coach was Thomas' high school coach; Thomas was hampered by injuries throughout his sophomore season at Auburn and was considered the No. 3 running back behind Peyton Barber and Jovon Robinson; He finished the year with 261 rushing yards and one touchdown on 43 carries with 11 catches for 200 yards.
Took over after Nick Chubb tore up his knee
3.) Sony Michel, Georgia; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #13 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Florida; Started 6 games in 2015 and finished the season with 1,161 yards on 219 carries (5.3 YPC) and also had 26 receptions for 270 yards; Had 470 rushing yards his freshman season in 2014.
Ran for 1,463 yards and 17 TDs in 2015
4.) Elijah Hood, North Carolina; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #30 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in North Carolina; The ACC's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015, carrying the ball 219 times for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns; Appeared in nine games and rushed 67 times for 259 yards and four touchdowns as a true freshman in 2014.
SEC's 4th-leading rusher in 2015, and is also a proficient receiver out of the backfield
5.) Jalen Hurd, Tennessee; 5-star, 6.1 RR, #33 on the Rivals 100, 2nd-best prospect in Tennessee; Two-year starter for the Vols; Rushed for 1,288 yards in 2015, which was 4th-best in the SEC; Also has 57 career receptions so far.
One of the most impressive backs in the country prior to his knee injury
6.) Nick Chubb, Georgia; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #35 on the Rivals 100, 3rd-best prospect in Georgia; Rushed for 747 yards on 92 carries with seven TDs in 2015 before going down with a gruesome knee injury in the Tennessee game; As a true freshman in 2014, he was first-team All-SEC and the SEC Freshman of the Year after posting 1,547 rushing yards and 14 TDs.
Safe to say that this guy is a complete bust
7.) Jeff Jones, Minnesota; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #44 on the Rivals 100, #1-overall prospect in Minnesota; Was charged with felony drug possession last month; Jones was stopped by Bloomington police for speeding; A routine check by police showed Jones had a revoked Minnesota driver’s license and a felony drug warrant from Iowa; When police searched Jones, they found 1.78 grams of cocaine and a loaded .38-caliber handgun; Jones said the cocaine in his sock did not belong to him
Royce Freeman is on track to break most Oregon rushing records
8.) Royce Freeman, Oregon; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #52 on the Rivals 100, 5th-best prospect in California; Second-team All-American in 2015 after his 1,836 yards was the 4th-best rushing total in America; Was the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and was first-team All-Pac 12 in 2014 after compiling 1,523 all-purpose yards and 18 TDs that season.
Third-team All-ACC in 2015
9.) Joseph Yearby, UMiami; 4-star, 6.0 RR, #62 on the Rivals 100, 8th-best prospect in Florida; Was 3rd-team All-ACC in 2015 after rushing for 1,002 yards on 205 carries (4.9 YPC); Rushed for 509 yards and a TD as a reserve in 2014.
10.) Adam Choice, Clemson; 4-star, 5.9 RR, #109 on the Rivals 250, 9th-best prospect in Georgia; Took a redshirt in 2015 while recovering from a knee injury suffered in the Boston College game in 2014; Had 218 yards and one touchdown on 50 carries before the injury.
Darrel Williams would be starting at most programs - he's behind Fournette and Derrius Guice at LSU
11.) Darrel Williams, Louisiana State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #145 on the Rivals 250, 11th-best prospect in Louisiana; LSU's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 296 yards on 60 carries (4.9 YPC) and 4 TDs; Rushed for 302 yards on 64 carries and scored three touchdowns as a true freshman in 2014.
12.) Mikel Horton, Kentucky; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #150 on the Rivals 250, 4th-best prospect in Ohio; UK's 3rd-leading rusher in 2015 with 318 yards on 82 carries (3.9 YPC) and 3 TDs; Had 306 yards and 2 TDs as a true freshman.
Was a 2nd-team All-American as a true freshman in 2014
13.) Samaje Perine, Oklahoma; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #153 on the Rivals 250, 19th-best prospect in Texas; Two-year starter for the Sooners; First-team All-Big 12 in 2015 after a 1,349 yard season; Was a 2nd-team All-American as a true freshman when he racked up 1,713 yards and 21 TDs.
Second-team All-Big Ten in 2015
14.) Justin Jackson, Northwestern; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #156 on the Rivals 250, 8th-best prospect in Illinois; Two-year starter for Northwestern who has had 1,000+ yard seasons each year; Second-team All-Big Ten in 2015 after a 1,344 yard season.
15.) Nathan Starks, UCLA; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #161 on the Rivals 250, 3rd-best prospect in Colorado; Reserve RB in 2015 and was third on the team with 320 rushing yards; Ran for 139 yards on the season and two scores as a freshman in 2014.
16.) Mikale Wilbon, Nebraska; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #168 on the Rivals 250, 9th-best prospect in Illinois; Backup I-back in 2015 and had 9 carries for 35 yards on the season; Redshirted in 2014.
Started the first six games of 2015
17.) Madre London, Michigan State; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #175 on the Rivals 250, 27th-best prospect in Florida; Started the first six games of 2015 at tailback before an ankle injury slowed him; He finished 3rd on the team in rushing with 500 yards and 3 TDs; Redshirted in 2014.
18.) D'Ernest Johnson, South Florida; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #185 on the Rivals 250, 29th-best prospect in Florida; Had 307 yards rushing and 356 receiving yards in 2015; Has started one game in his two year career at USF.
Not sure if any program has had more washouts on these lists than Texas
19.) Donald Catalon, Texas; 4-star, 5.8 RR, #193 on the Rivals 250, 25th-best prospect in Texas; Now at the University of Houston, and sat out the 2015 season due to NCAA transfer regs; Spent one year in Austin - he redshirted that year - before leaving.
20.) Jonathan Hilliman, Boston College; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 8th-best prospect in New Jersey; Was limited to four games in 2015 after breaking his foot; Started 7 games and rushed for 843 yards as a true freshman; Went to the same high school as former NU and UNC QB Joe Dailey.
21.) Donte Thomas-Williams, West Virginia; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 12th-best prospect in North Carolina; Was booted last month from WVU's team for a "violation of team rules"; He played in four games as a redshirt freshman in 2015, rushing 14 times for 43 yards.
22.) Chris James, Pittsburgh; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 14th-best prospect in Illinois; Announced this spring that he was transferring to Wisconsin, after he fell to 3rd-string on Pitt's depth chart late last season; As a freshman, James rushed for 437 yards on 87 carries (5.0) average with four touchdowns.
Had a 1,375-yard season as a true freshman in 2014
23.) Nick Wilson, Arizona; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 37th-best prospect in California; Arizona's 2nd-leading rusher in 2015 despite being limited to 9 games; Started 8 games as a true freshman in 2014 and finished that season with 1,375 yards and 16 TDs.
Have a seat, Shai
24.) Shai McKenzie, Virginia Tech; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 9th-best prospect in Pennsylvania; He was limited to two games in 2015 due to a torn ACL from the previous season; Appeared in 5 games in 2014 and rushed for 269 yards and 3 TDs; In June 2015, he was found guilty of one count of a consensual sex act with a child 15 years old or greater, resulting in a sentence of 15 days in jail and 50 hours of community service.
25.) Traevohn Wrench, Kansas; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 2nd-best prospect in Kansas; Didn't qualify out of HS and spent 2014 at Butler Community College; Left Butler after one year and apparently he is now out of football.
26.) Taiwan Deal, Wisconsin; 4-star, 5.8 RR, 10th-best prospect in Maryland; Rushed for 503 yards and 6 TDs in 2015 as a backup to Corey Clement; Redshirted in 2014.
