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Jackson's early college football running back rankings for 2026. His top 15 CFB running backs, including Ahmad Hardy, Kewan Lacy, Mark Fletcher Jr., Bo Jackson, Justice Haynes, and more.
Unfortunately, we have a 200-plus-day wait for the 2026 college football season. But that doesn't mean we're not ready to talk and get excited about it!
The running back position already looks loaded for next year, and that's without factoring in surprise breakouts among transfers, risers on the depth chart, and true freshmen.
This list of the top 15 college football running backs is sure to look different this time next year, but we'll go ahead and try out a way-too-early edition. In the rankings below, you'll see where star RBs like Ahmad Hardy, Kewan Lacy, Mark Fletcher Jr., Bo Jackson, Justice Haynes, and more stand. Let's dive in!
15. Hollywood Smothers, Texas
2025 stats: 160 rushes, 939 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 37 receptions, 189 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
After committing to Alabama in the transfer portal, Smothers flipped to Texas, where he'll be a part of a talented one-two punch in Austin.
New #Texas RB Hollywood Smothers is a big play waiting to happen.
Ran for 939 yards and 6 TD in 2025. pic.twitter.com/OppKKDBnpW
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) January 11, 2026
He's just the first 2026 Longhorn running back on this list. The rising redshirt junior could feast in an offense loaded with weapons after falling just short of a 1,000-yard campaign in his final season with the Wolfpack.
14. Evan Dickens, Boston College
2025 stats: 229 rushes, 1,339 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, five receptions, 61 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
Notice a trend here? We have a lot of transfers on this list. Originally a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket, Dickens spent last season putting up monster numbers for Liberty, and he'll now make the jump back to the ACC for head coach Bill O'Brien at Boston College.
The Eagles ranked third-to-last in the ACC in rushing yards per game last season (103.9). Dickens will likely carry a big load in hopes of turning that around in 2026.
13. DeSean Bishop, Tennessee
2025 stats: 182 rushes, 1,076 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 15 receptions, 135 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
Tennessee has enjoyed a strong ground game every year since Josh Heupel came to Knoxville, and DeSean Bishop did not disappoint in his first season taking over for Dylan Sampson.
DESEAN BISHOP RUNS IT IN TO BEGIN OVERTIME! pic.twitter.com/Z30PayBCCk
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) September 28, 2025
The Knoxville native should see even more work next season after the departure of Star Thomas and Peyton Lewis. He could be a contender to lead the SEC in rushing yards, but the position is loaded next season.
12. Wayne Knight, UCLA
2025 stats: 207 rushes, 1,373 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 40 receptions, 397 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
New UCLA head coach Bob Chesney brought his star running back, Wayne Knight, with him from James Madison, and he figures to be a significant contributor in the Big Ten right away.
Knight's receiving chops should make him an attractive target for quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and although he's undersized as a pure runner, his 2025 campaign demonstrated his ability to handle a bulk of touches and be efficient with them.
11. Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State
2025 stats: 231 rushes, 1,434 rushing yards, 25 rushing touchdowns, 32 receptions, 370 receiving yards, four receiving touchdowns
Eric Morris brought quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins with him from North Texas to Oklahoma State.
Both are rising sophomores and should expedite the process of rebuilding the Cowboys' offense. 29 total touchdowns as a freshman speaks for itself. He should feast in the Big 12 right away in Morris's familiar offense.
10. Raleek Brown, Texas
2025 stats: 186 rushes, 1,141 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns, 34 receptions, 239 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns
Raleek Brown, along with Smothers, figures to form the best running back tandem in the country next season. Brown thrived in the featured back role at Arizona State last season, performing honorably in the impossible task of replacing Cam Skattebo.
He was explosive and efficient, helping the Sun Devils stay afloat after the loss of quarterback Sam Leavitt. Assuming health, the Texas rushing attack should be elite.
9. Bo Jackson, Ohio State
2025 stats: 179 rushes, 1,090 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 19 receptions, 200 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown
Having the name Bo Jackson comes with pressure, and the Ohio State true freshman did a heck of a job replacing Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson in 2025.
The Buckeyes never have a shortage of talent, so simply winning the starting running back job in his first year on campus is impressive. With another year of seasoning and in the weight room, watch out. A big-time season is likely ahead.
8. LJ Martin, BYU
2025 stats: 236 rushes, 1,305 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 36 receptions, 255 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
Martin decided not to enter the 2026 NFL Draft, great news for BYU. The rising senior has been a big producer for the Cougars, tallying 539 touches for 2,393 yards and 26 touchdowns in his three seasons with the program.
#BYU RB LJ Martin announces via his instagram “One more.”
Current Big 12 Offensive Player of Year is back for his senior year. #BYUFOOTBALL pic.twitter.com/AqziBwaMO4
— Ronald Lee Weaver III (@ronthe3manweav) January 8, 2026
With Martin and quarterback Bear Bachmeier set to maul defenses once again in 2026, BYU should be back in the race for the Big 12 Championship. The Cougars do not face Texas Tech in 2026 during the regular season, so who will stop Martin? No one, probably.
7. Jadan Baugh, Florida
2025 stats: 220 rushes, 1,170 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 33 receptions, 210 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns
Jadan Baugh's numbers are strong without context. But with context, they're incredible. As a sophomore, he miraculously averaged 5.3 yards per carry, despite playing in one of the worst offenses in the SEC.
JADAN BAUGH.
NOTHING LEFT TO SAY.
266 YARDS AND TWO SCORES. pic.twitter.com/Cw8vLZQqcg
— Florida Gators Football (@GatorsFB) November 30, 2025
Had quarterback DJ Lagway taken a step forward, Baugh might have enjoyed wide-open running lanes. Instead, defenses knew he was the most dangerous player on the Gators' offense, and he still had success. If offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner can turn it around in 2026, look for Baugh to have a nuclear year of production.
6. Cam Cook, West Virginia
2025 stats: 295 rushes, 1,659 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 30 receptions, 286 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
Cook led the country in rushing yards last season at Jacksonville State, a program that has only been in the FBS for three seasons.
It takes a great player to do that, no matter the level of competition he faced in the Conference USA. Now, he heads to the Big 12 to play for Rich Rodriguez, where he'll undoubtedly be a focal point of the offense. He should make a significant impact in Morgantown.
5. Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami
2025 stats: 216 rushes, 1,192 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 17 receptions, 140 receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns
Mark Fletcher posted seven games of at least 90 rushing yards, including 90 yards against Ohio State, 133 yards against Ole Miss, and 112 yards against Indiana.
He came to play when it mattered most in the College Football Playoff, and he's back for another season rather than entering the 2026 NFL Draft. The 225-pound wrecking ball has workhorse ability, and he'll surely be utilized as such in 2026 as the Canes look to get back to the CFP.
4. Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech
2025 stats: 121 rushes, 857 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 13 receptions, 50 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
After spending two seasons at Alabama, Haynes was a Michigan Wolverine last season. His stats were accumulated in just seven games, so he was on track for a monster campaign.
Elite Michigan running back Justice Haynes is transferring to Georgia Tech 🐝
Haynes had 907 total yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in just 7 games before suffering an injury this year. pic.twitter.com/gQ0tUPDogn
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) January 14, 2026
The 21-year-old likely could have been an early selection in the 2026 NFL Draft after averaging 7.1 yards per carry in the Big Ten, but instead, the Yellow Jackets will benefit from him staying in college. With Haynes King and Jamal Haynes gone, expect Tech to lean heavily on yet another Haynes.
3. Isaac Brown, Louisville
2025 stats: 101 rushes, 884 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns, 13 receptions, 48 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
Brown played in just eight games last season, so his counting stats dipped after a 1,173-yard, 11-touchdown season as a freshman. However, he averaged an outstanding 8.8 yards per carry in 2025, compared to 7.1 in 2024. If the rising junior can stay healthy, he's a truly elite talent at the position.
Jeff Brohm will be thrilled to have him back in the offense. You can argue Brown could take the No. 1 spot here, but this just demonstrates how insanely loaded the position is in 2026.
2. Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
2025 stats: 306 rushes, 1,567 rushing yards, 24 rushing touchdowns, 29 receptions, 177 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
Lacy appeared in just six games as a freshman at Missouri, so there weren't sky-high expectations for his first season in Oxford. Boy, did he deliver. He was the engine of Lane Kiffin's offense paired with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, scoring a whopping 24 total touchdowns.
It's a big win for Ole Miss to keep Lacy, rather than Kiffin stealing him away to LSU. Lacy should contend to lead the country in rushing next season.
1. Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
2025 stats: 256 rushes, 1,649 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, six receptions, 22 receiving yards, zero receiving touchdowns
Hardy rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns as a true freshman at Louisiana-Monroe, and I don't think anyone thought he'd surpass those numbers in his first season in the SEC. But he did, despite Missouri having a nonexistent passing attack for much of the season.
🤯 @Ahmadhardy29 #MIZ | #STP https://t.co/6OXIqVlTSW pic.twitter.com/FHlh9mGmkM
— Mizzou Football (@MizzouFootball) November 29, 2025
Hardy reached at least 100 rushing yards in eight of his 13 games, including a 25-carry, 300-yard, three-touchdown game against Mississippi State. This dude is for real, and he could win the Heisman Trophy if Missouri wins enough games.
