We have already covered the top-10 running backs in this class pre-draft in an earlier post. For more of an idea on the methodology on what goes into these early ranks, make sure to check out the intro to that post. Keeping things in order, we’re following suit here on the rest of this class, with some individual notes on backs at the top of this secondary grouping.
11. Keaontay Ingram, USC, FY Age: 22.2 (MR: RB9)
Ingram does not have a production profile that will blow you away, but he was plenty productive, averaging 5.8 yards per touch over his collegiate career. Ingram transferred from Texas this past offseason due to Bijan Robinson taking over, handling 156 carries for 911 yards with another 22 catches for 154 yards to go with five scores at USC. 10.1% of Ingram’s carries went for 15 or more yards (fifth in this class).
Ingram is intriguing because he has a three-down frame (5’10” and 221 pounds) while he also has shown receiving ability, catching 89 passes in his career, with three different seasons catching 20 or more passes.
That career reception total ranks sixth among backs 220 pounds or heavier that were invited to the combine since 2000. Ingram was also solid in drills at the combine, posting a 70th percentile speed score and a 68th percentile explosion score, making him an intriguing option at his size.
12. Tyler Badie, Missouri, FY Age: 21.9 (MR: RB5)
No back in this class was tasked with doing more for his offense in 2021 than Badie. He handled 57.8% of his team carries (second in this class), caught 18.1% of the receptions (second), had 36.1% of his team total yards (first), and scored 42.9% of the Missouri touchdowns (second).
At the end of the season, Badie led the SEC with 1,934 yards from scrimmage in 2021 with 18 touchdowns on 322 touches after his previous highs in a season were 140 touches for 813 yards and eight scores.
Badie was a dual-usage back throughout his career, catching 126 passes and 11 touchdowns. This past season, he was targeted on 24.0% of his routes, the most in this class for backs with over 100 routes run.
Badie likely will cut his teeth early in his career in the NFL out of the backfield as well. Not only due to his size (5’8” and 197 pounds), but also the how the nature of the Missouri offense allowed Badie to run into free spaces. Badie faced loaded boxes on just 5.9% of his 268 carries with five or fewer defenders in the box on 21.2% of his carries, second in this class per Sports Info Solutions.
Draft projection as a satellite back is tough, which is why I so far below the model on Badie, but if he is drafted and has a runway to getting on the field through a passing game, he will be someone I am looking to use late draft picks on.
13. Kyren Williams, Notre Dame, FY Age: 21.3 (MR: RB16)
Williams is a draft favorite for many after turning in 2,799 yards and 31 touchdowns the past two seasons at Notre Dame. Williams also snagged 35 and 42 passes those seasons, showcasing his versatility out of the backfield.
Like Badie, the primary concern for Williams at the next level is that he has a long road ahead to carve out finding his way to becoming a three-down back. Just 4.4% of Williams’s runs last season were explosive gains (32nd in this class). Williams checked in at 5’9” and 194 pounds at the combine and then did not do himself any favors by coming out with a third percentile physical score.
Williams will be asked to display major improvements on his pro day to alleviate physical concerns, but as a draft favorite for many scouts and mockers, with pass catching ability, the door is not closed that he can still be selected higher than his profile suggests.
14. Tyler Allgeier, BYU, FY Age: 21.7 (MR: RB10)
Allgeier was a standout the past two seasons. After racking up 1,304 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2020 with a silly 8.0 yards per touch, he followed things up with 1,800 yards and 23 touchdowns this past season (5.9 yards per touch). He scored in all but one game this past season while adding 28 receptions.
A former walk-on with experience playing linebacker and special teams, Allgeier is someone easy to root for. Questions lie with facing a non-Power 5 schedule over his career while his 4.60 forty time suggest that he was able to take advantage in that department.
Despite the competition in question overall, Allgeier was middle of this class in explosive run rate (18th) and 19th in rate of yardage gained (36.8%) on those carries while also 21st in yards per route run (0.88) out of the backfield.
That said, Allgeier is 5’11” and 224 pounds while he averaged 4.16 yards after contact per carry, which was fourth in this class. We already know he is willing to provide himself with outs to earn snaps and a roster spot willing to play multiple roles, something that will surely hold stock for a team in the draft.
15. Hasaan Haskins, Michigan, FY Age: 22.1 (MR: RB11)
After 1,037 yards and 10 touchdowns over the 2019-2020 seasons, Haskins closed his career at Michigan with 1,458 yards and 20 touchdowns, highlighted by a 156-yard, five-touchdown game against Ohio State late November.
Haskins was tasked with carrying the load in a run-first offense, a scheme that forced him to handle 28.2% of his carries with eight or more defenders in the box, the second-highest rate in this class. Despite that, Haskins failed to gain yardage on just 8.5% of his carries, the best rate in this class.
He did not have a ton of pop despite all of the positive yardage, producing an explosive run on 6.3% of his carries (22nd), but he was tops in this class in rate of carries to produce a first down or touchdown (38.2%).
Haskins has a big body (6’2”) and was the heaviest back at the combine (228 pounds) to back up being an early-down banger, although he did also tack on 18 receptions this past season. He was not a complete zero in the passing game. Haskins could not work out at the combine due to an ankle injury he suffered in the National Title game, leaving him to further his stock at this pro day.
16. Kevin Harris, South Carolina, FY Age: 21.1 (MR: RB19)
After 1,297 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2020 on a 2-8 South Carolina team, Harris took a step back in 2021, producing just 753 yards and four touchdowns. His yards per touch dropped from 6.3 yards down to 4.6 yards while he went from 20.6 touches per game down to 13.7 per game. Harris was 33rd in this class in explosive run rate (3.9%) and dead last in the percentage of yards created on explosive runs (23.6%).
That type of decline in a final season is concerning, but Harris still has a few things going. For one, he is an early declare with that sophomore breakout on his resume. He also has size (5’10” and 221 pounds) to go with a sprinkling of receiving production (2.1 catches per game in 2020) while he also scored in the 90th percentile in the lone set of drills he did at the combine (vert and broad).
17. Tyler Goodson, Iowa, FY Age: 21.1 (MR: RB13)
Goodson was another B1G back that was tasked with carrying a run-heavy offense that was not hiding what they were doing on offense. Goodson was still able to produce 1,398 yards and seven touchdowns on an Iowa offense that forced him to face loaded boxes on a class-high 31.3% of his carries. Even with that, Goodson still accounted for 66.4% of the team rushing yards (sixth in this class).
He also produced 13.9% of the team receptions (fourth), something he will have to do open at the next level since he is 5’9” and 197 pounds. Goodson may have helped himself at the combine registering a 4.42 forty time with a 81st percentile explosion score.
18. Isaih Pacheco, Rutgers, FY Age: 22.8 (MR: RB15)
Pacheco did not produce more than 812 yards in any year of his collegiate career while closing things out with just 3.8 yards per touch in 2021. While that production Is not endearing on any level, Pacheco was on some downright miserable Rutgers offenses that provided little opportunity for success. 22.8% of Pacheco’s carries came against loaded boxes (third in this class) while he was contacted behind the line of scrimmage on 40.1% of his carries (eighth in this class).
That said, you still would like a little more from Pacheco himself despite the awful circumstances to latch onto. He was 31st in explosive run rate (4.8%) while forcing a missed tackle once every 13.9 carries, last in this class.
Pacheco made a name for himself at the combine, though, running a 4.37 forty at 216 pounds, something to stick a pin in on elevating his draft capital in April.
19. Ty Chandler, North Carolina, FY Age: 23.6 (MR: RB17)
After failing to post more than 813 yards through four seasons at Tennessee, Chandler produced 1,308 yards and 14 touchdowns at North Carolina this past season, averaging a career-high 6.6 yards per touch with career marks in yards per carry (6.0) and yards per reception (14.4).
This late of a career breakout is always a red flag, but that will be priced in here. Like Pacheco, he stood out by running a 4.38 forty at the combine at 204 pounds, something that could get some attention late in the draft. He also has 73 career receptions on his resume.
Rest of the class…
20. D’Vonte Price, Florida International, FY Age: 22.6 (MR: RB23)
21. Abram Smith, Baylor, FY Age:23.3 (MR: RB22)
22. Ty Davis-Price, LSU, FY Age: N/A (MR: RB24)
23. Leddie Brown, West Virginia, FY Age: 22.8 (MR: RB18)
24. Zonovan Knight, N.C. State, FY Age: 20.6 (MR: RB26)
25. Jaylen Warren, Oklahoma State, FY Age: 23.2 (MR: RB25)
26. Sincere McCormick, UTSA, FY Age: 21.3 (MR: RB20)
27. ZaQuandre White, South Carolina, FY Age: 23.0 (RB36)
28. Max Borghi, Washington State, FY Age: 22.8 (MR: RB27)
29. Kennedy Brooks, Oklahoma, FY Age: 22.2(MR: RB29)
30. C.J. Verdell, Oregon, FY Age: 23.2 (MR: RB30)
31. Snoop Conner, Mississippi, FY Age: 21.3 (MR: RB28)
32. Trestan Ebner, Baylor, FY Age: 23.0 (MR: RB32)
33. Ronnie Rivers, Fresno State, FY Age: N/A (MR: RB33)
34. Jerrion Ealy, Mississippi, FY Age: 21.4 (MR: RB34)
35. Jashaun Corbin, Florida State, FY Age: 21.4 (MR: RB31)
36. Greg Bell, San Diego State, FY Age: 23.5 (MR: RB35)
We have long been at the mercy of draft capital, so hitting the back end of this class is no different in seeing if, when, and where these backs land during or after the draft in April.
Abram Smith played linebacker in 2020 for Baylor before turning back to running back this season, producing 28.3% of their offensive yads, which is seventh in this class.
Another converted linebacker, ZaQuandre White has just 834 career yards and 124 touches playing running back, but he was third in this class in explosive run rate (11.4%), first in target rate per route (28.0%), second in yards per route run (2.17), and first in yards after contact per carry (4.61) in this class.
Ty-Davis Price accounted for 6.77% of the LSU rushing yardage (fourth in this class) on just 47.4% of their carries (ninth).
Kennedy Brooks led this class in rate of explosive runs (12.7%) with three 1,000-yard seasons on his ledger despite topping out at a high of 207 touches in a season.
Sincere McCormick is second in this class in career touches per game (21.9) behind Breece Hall, but a lackluster combine did nothing to alleviate any questions about the production he stacked at UTSA.
Max Borghi has the most career receptions (156) in this class on the strength of operating in a Mike Leach system early in his career. After 53 and 86 catches in 2018-2019, Borghi caught 17 passes over his 13 games since.
Ronnie Rivers is right behind him with 150 career receptions, including ranking fourth in receptions per game from this class in 2021 (3.1), but as a fifth-year senior, Rivers also has played in the fourth-most games of any back in this class.
Trestan Ebner (1,377 yards) and Zonovan Knight (923 yards) are the top two backs in this class in career kick return yardage, given them an added pulse to make the back end of a roster.