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Andrew's in-depth running back NFL Draft rookie breakdown. Read the class scouting report, strengths, weaknesses, and 2026 fantasy football outlook.
The 2026 NFL Draft running back class is top-heavy in the most literal sense, with Jeremiyah Love standing so far above the rest that he almost feels like his own separate conversation. Once you get past him, the class flattens out in a hurry, and the gap between tiers is more pronounced than in most recent drafts. Temper your expectations early and build your board accordingly.
History tells us that every running back class produces at least one or two surprise contributors who nobody saw coming, and this group is no different. The role players are there if you know where to look, so hopefully this article can help you pick your spots.
As a college football coach, my analysis blends film study with the numbers to help you build a winning roster. Below you will find tiered rankings of the top backs in this class, with a "coach's perspective" on each prospect. Let's get to work.
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Tier 1 - The Guy
1. Jeremiyah Love - Notre Dame
Love has the production, size, and athleticism of a blue-chip RB prospect. He was clearly the best RB in the country this past season, and figures to go in the top five come draft night. You can read my full film breakdown of Love here.
Coach's Perspective: Love's speed and hurdling make for great highlights, but the most promising part about his translation is his physicality. He's not afraid to lower his shoulder. He's a home run threat as a rusher, but what really separates him is his ability in the passing game. He should be a dynamic RB1 the second he steps on an NFL field.
Jeremiyah Love literally floating through the air pic.twitter.com/VYuoawQcpw
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 4, 2026
Tier 2 - Role Player Floors
2. Jadarian Price - Notre Dame
Price chose to stay at Notre Dame and back up Love when he could have easily transferred elsewhere and been the RB1. He flashed when given the opportunities, but his production profile is obviously substandard for a Day 2 RB. Particularly concerning is his having just 15 career receptions.
Coach's Perspective: The most impressive RB film in this class is Jeremiyah Love's. The second-most impressive is Jadarian Price's kick-returning film. Price has enough juice to make plays as a rusher, and his elusiveness and cutback abilities make him a potential above-average RB1A. Receiving role is the main question, but the fact that he moves with no wasted movement makes his translation promising.
3. Kaelon Black - Indiana
Black is a 24-year-old, 5-foot-9, 208-pound RB prospect who was not invited to the combine. He ended up running in the mid-4.4s at his pro day. Black followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana, where he finished his career as a 1,000-yard rusher as the 1B to Roman Hemby.
Coach's Perspective: His film is excellent, so obviously, the age and lack of elite production are perplexing. His traits absolutely translate. He has balance, quickness, burst, and tackle-breaking skills that will play on Sundays. No-nonsense runner with competitive spirit. The 4.45 40 confirms that although he's a short-stepper, he's plenty fast enough.
4. Demond Claiborne - Wake Forest
Claiborne played four years at Wake Forest, where he was consistently one of the best players on offense. Despite being just 5-foot-10, 188 pounds, he handled large rushing workloads. He routinely flashed his 4.37 speed in games, an explosive big play waiting to happen.
Coach's Perspective: This is the type of explosiveness that translates to the pro game. He can read zone runs and has enough coordination to cut and make people miss. The burst is evident. His traits are more appealing in today's pro game because he doesn't have to get all the inside work -- he can be an excellent complement to a bigger back.
Demond Claiborne
Outside zone can hit here
Stick foot in the ground and get vertical
He gone (4.37 40) pic.twitter.com/ocI87rrkUk
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 15, 2026
5. Emmett Johnson - Nebraska
Johnson was one of the most productive backs in the nation last year, rushing for 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was also a terrific receiver, catching 46 balls for 370 yards and three receiving touchdowns. Johnson had a disappointing combine, where he ran a 4.56 40 and put up a brutal 7.32 3-cone.
Coach's Perspective: At his worst, he looks stuck in the mud, and the athletic testing underscores those concerns. He immediately slots in as a receiving back and has enough balance to play on third downs. He runs behind his pads and pushes the pile forward, but his lack of speed and athleticism caps his upside.
6. Mike Washington Jr. - Arkansas
Washington has the ideal mix of size (6-foot-1, 223 pounds) and speed (4.33 40) and produced well as the RB1 at Arkansas last season (1,070/8). He caught 28 passes and looked like a surefire Day 2 pick on film. Unfortunately, his production profile is baffling, as he barely did anything at Buffalo in his first three years in college football.
Coach's Perspective: His SEC film is very promising. He has real speed with burst and some ankle flexion that makes him a good fit in a zone scheme. He also catches the ball well. Something is missing from his story, and some of the film is odd, as he's easily tripped up too often. He has the body type and movement traits to be a real starting RB, so maybe he just developed late.
Tier 3 - Unknown Upside
7. Adam Randall - Clemson
Randall is a 6-foot-3, 232-pound former receiver who converted to RB during his junior season in 2024. In 2025, he was the RB1 for the Tigers, rushing for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns. Randall has an intriguing skill set considering his size, speed (4.50 40), and hands.
Coach's Perspective: He has all the traits of a solid pro back. However, the film is inconsistent, and he needs to run with a lower pad level. Change-of-direction is a question mark, but he has some power and the linear speed to run away. The real upside is that being able to catch the ball at that size makes him a schematic advantage for check-release protections and 5-man-protection passing concepts.
8. Seth McGowan - Kentucky
McGowan is a 6-0, 223-pound back with outstanding athleticism and explosiveness for his size. However, his profile is filled with red flags, as he's a 24-year-old who was dismissed from Oklahoma's football team in 2021 after being arrested for robbery. Since that time, he's played at three different colleges and actually outproduced Mike Washington Jr. at New Mexico State in 2024.
Coach's Perspective: He's a fiery, spirited runner with good hip flexion. He's tough to tackle, bounces well, and shows the quick jukes that translate. He shows some power and intentionality to set up blocks. The issue is that he has such an age and physical maturity advantage in his best film. He's seemingly cleaned his act up, but it's going to take time for him to earn trust.
9. Roman Hemby - Indiana
Hemby started his collegiate career at Maryland in 2021 when he redshirted. As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Hemby had an excellent season, leading the team with 989 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He continued as the RB1 for Maryland as a sophomore and junior before transferring to Indiana this past year. He was the RB1A ahead of Kaelon Black for the national champs.
Coach's Perspective: He plays faster than his 4.48 pro day 40 would suggest. There's some Travis Etienne Jr. in his play speed. While he's not a power guy, he can bounce off and spin fast, so his elusiveness translates. He ran through arm tackles and has promising receiving skills. There's nothing spectacular about his game, but he can develop into a solid pro.
10. Jonah Coleman - Washington
Coleman is a productive back with a well-rounded game. He shone in the passing game at Washington and scored 15 TDs this past season. At 5-foot-8, 220 pounds, he has a natural low pad level that allows him to win leverage.
Coach's Perspective: He strikes me as a JAG as a runner. He has average explosiveness and burst, and his vision is just ok. He just doesn't have the juice of an above-average starting NFL RB. The good news is he can pass protect and catch, so there should be a role for him immediately.
11. Robert Henry Jr. - UTSA
Henry is a JUCO product who finished his career at UTSA. At 24 years old, he took advantage of his experience and age this past season, ranking third in the FBS with 6.9 yards per carry. He rushed for 177 yards and two touchdowns against Texas A&M this past year, and his film was impressive.
Coach's Perspective: He strikes the ground with force. He's not an extraordinary athlete, but he has some edge to his game, and he's quick and fast enough. His loose hips and cutback ability make him interesting as a potential big-play guy. While he's a bit herky-jerky, his jump cuts are excellent, and he can catch.
Robert Henry Jr. - RB, UTSA
Under Center Duo vs SEC defense
Stuffed front side, jump back side, burst, win the edge, pylon
Example of creativity as a runner
Finished game w/ 16 carries for 177 and 2 TD pic.twitter.com/vSZSZrLxjn
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 15, 2026
Robert Henry Jr. - RB, UTSA
GET OFF ME pic.twitter.com/rh3cK1SaIf
— Andrew (GPNGC) (@DraftWithAndrew) March 15, 2026
12. Nicholas Singleton - Penn State
Singleton was a highly touted recruit and led Penn State in rushing as a true freshman in 2022. He continued to produce throughout his career, but his play declined this past season as he operated behind Kaytron Allen as RB2.
At 6-0, 219 pounds with solid receiving production, he checks a lot of boxes. Unfortunately, he broke his foot at a Senior Bowl practice and was unable to work out for teams this spring.
Coach's Perspective: He runs fast, but he also runs high with a weird gait. His lack of vision is an issue and explains why he lost work to Allen. He struggles to read zone runs and tries to bounce it outside too much. Despite his limited balance, he was a productive big-play guy who caught a lot of passes and had straight-line speed before the injury.
13. Kaytron Allen - Penn State
Allen has the ideal size (5-foot-11, 216 pounds) and a solid production profile, which isn't the case for most RBs in this class. He's not a special athlete, but he outplayed Nicholas Singleton last season en route to First-Team All-Big Ten.
Coach's Perspective: I question his translation mainly due to a lack of speed. He was hawked down and shoestringed too much. He has some power and the right frame, but things will be different when he doesn't have an offensive line advantage every week. The production at a young age is promising, but the film doesn't show the athletic traits of more than a grinder JAG.
Tier 4 - Translation Question Marks
14. Eli Heidenreich - Navy
Heidenreich played in a triple-option offense at Navy and constantly made big plays. He ran a 4.44 40 at 6-0, 199 pounds, and has a tantalizing skill set due to his receiving ability.
Coach's Perspective: He played slot back at Navy, which means his carries were mostly outside, and he only ran certain deep routes that were frequently not covered well due to the efficiency of the scheme. It is a complete projection, but with his speed and ball skills, he could potentially develop into a third-down back. I question if he has the hip flexibility to win as an inside runner.
15. J'Mari Taylor - Virginia
Taylor is an FCS transfer who enjoyed one awesome season in the FBS as Virginia's starting RB. He was a dependable grinder with over 1,000 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 43 receptions.
Coach's Perspective: There's a lot to like, but his ceiling is capped as an athlete. He can break tackles and fight as an inside runner. Florida State couldn't tackle him. He ran 4.63 at his pro day, which is tough to stomach, even with inspiring film and 43 catches.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more draft content.
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