College Fantasy Football Sleepers - Top 10 Early Running Back Transfers Of 2024

Mike Marteny takes a look at the 10 best running backs based on fantasy potential after the first window of the 2024 college football transfer portal closed.

130 running backs have already entered the transfer portal during the first window. This is usually the window of most activity. Yes, this is the first year of official transfer windows, but over 80% of all transfers left in December and January since the portal free-for-all opened in 2020. Most players that are on the move will be in the first two months of the portal opening.

A staggering 54 of these backs haven't decided on a new home yet. Those players will be left out of these rankings. These aren't made by which player is the highest rated, but rather by which players will have a larger impact on the fantasy/DFS landscape in 2024. There are more big-name running backs in the portal than normal.

This window officially closed on January 19, but it took a few days for all of the paperwork to clear and I waited a few days for the dust to settle. Honestly, the portal is still going. Players just can't "sign" with a new team officially until the window opens again. Let's take a look at which running backs that have already transferred will have the biggest impact on college football in 2024.

RB Transfer Impacts Last Season

I whiffed on the top transfer backs last year. Treshaun Ward was the starter for Kansas State but lost his job by the middle of the second game to DJ Giddens. Sean Tyler was never a factor in Minnesota's crowded backfield. Jaylan Knighton was solid when healthy for SMU, but he split carries all season long. The first one that I really hit on was Ray Davis of Kentucky. He was the best transfer back last year and I had him fourth.

Carson Steele and Blake Watson had good years that I had in sixth and seventh. Aidan Robbins wasn't a factor at BYU. Alton McCaskill was injured for the first month of the season and never really cracked Colorado's rotation. MarShawn Lloyd was solid for USC. Elijah Collins lost his job to Ollie Gordon II early in the season and should have lost it earlier.

Sam Franklin from Tennessee-Martin is a highly-rated transfer at 57th overall and fourth among running backs, but he doesn't make the list since he won't start over Gavin Sawchuk at Oklahoma. This list is all about who can make a big impact this year.

10. Tawee Walker, Wisconsin (from Oklahoma)

Think about that for a minute: Walker wasn't even on scholarship. Walker ran for 513 yards on 102 carries as partial starter and late-season backup to Gavin Sawchuk. When Walker was healthy, he was a really tough guy to bring down. I'm sad he left Oklahoma, but it's their own fault. He should have been on scholarship, but he's heading into a pretty good situation.

Walker will replace Braelon Allen for the Badgers. On the surface, this is a timeshare with Chez Mellusi. That said, Mellusi has never been able to wrestle the job away from anyone since his transfer in from Clemson in 2021. Walker may not win this job outright, but it should be pretty close to a 50/50 split when both backs are healthy.

9. Jo'Quavious Marks, USC (from Mississippi State)

This is a really good landing spot for Marks with MarShawn Lloyd out of the picture. USC has a lot of highly-rated backs behind Marks, but he has been in a timeshare for most of his career and still posted numbers like that. Some of that has to do with a Mike Leach scheme, but not all of it. I'm curious to see how USC uses him. Marks will likely run more out of the backfield in the USC scheme, but the Trojans can now add more RB pass plays with a guy like Marks out there. He may have the best hands of any running back in the country.

8. E.J. Smith, Texas A&M (from Stanford)

It's not every day that you get a chance to land the son of an NFL legend. The Aggies nearly landed E.J. out of high school in 2020, but he chose Stanford instead because...if you can get into Stanford, you go to Stanford. Football isn't forever.

The limitations of the Stanford offense in general and the offensive line in particular led to lackluster numbers for Smith. He only logged 109 carries in four years at Stanford, resulting in 557 yards and five touchdowns. Those are not the numbers you would expect from the son of the NFL's all-time rushing yards leader.

Smith expanded his repertoire last season with 33 receptions for 242 yards as well. Injuries hampered his last two seasons at Stanford. If he can stay healthy, this is a good fit at Texas A&M in Mike Elko's system. I don't really know what to expect from Smith, but we've seen time and again that the talent is there. Behind a better line, he should at the very least be less banged up than he was at Stanford. That's a start.

7. Raheim Sanders, South Carolina (from Arkansas)

Sanders was limited to just 209 yards on 62 carries last season after a breakout 2022 season in which he ran for 1,443 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Gamecocks never really had a replacement for MarShawn Lloyd last year. Landing Sanders is a big get for South Carolina, who also brought in Oscar Adaway III from North Texas.

I don't blame South Carolina for bringing in others just in case Sanders gets hurt again. Adaway is a good back in his own right, but for now, this feels like a timeshare at worst. Sanders should still get the bulk of the touches thanks to his receiving chops (49 receptions in 32 games).

6. Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State (from Mississippi)

There is no doubt in my mind that Judkins is the most talented back in the portal and it's not particularly close. Yes, I know that Judkins also split carries last season, but he didn't split them with TreVeyon Henderson. It's really a toss-up as to who the better back is. This is a battle that likely won't be resolved.

It's going to be like a Blake Corum/Donovan Edwards situation at Michigan. How the Wolverines used both backs was better for the team, but it was a fantasy nightmare. That's what's coming from the Buckeyes backfield in 2024 unless one of them gets hurt. That's the only thing keeping Judkins from topping this list.

5. Ja'Quinden Jackson, Arkansas (from Utah)

Jackson ran for 797 yards on 161 carries last year in a Utah backfield that was so banged up that they had a starting safety move to running back for a few games. Jackson only scored four touchdowns after finding paydirt nine times in 2022, but touchdowns aren't a true indicator of his skill. Poaching happens in crowded backfields.

This Arkansas backfield won't be nearly as crowded. Rocket Sanders is off to South Carolina, so Jackson has a chance to make his mark on this team. I'm a little concerned about offensive line play (both KJ Jefferson and Sanders missed time with injuries last season), but the potential is there. Jackson had 20 carries in four of 12 games last year. He can handle a load if he needs to. There isn't a lot of lateral running from Jackson. He's constantly going forward. That will play well on this team, especially if there are still issues on the line.

4. Trevor Etienne, Georgia (from Florida)

If Judkins is the most talented back on the move, Etienne is likely a close second. Daijun Edwards and Kendall Milton are both gone, leaving Roderick Robinson II as the leading returning rusher for Georgia (24 carries for 196 yards). Etienne can carve off a huge chunk of the Georgia offensive production this year. People saying that Carson Beck is just a game manager are wrong, but it is true that the Bulldogs like to run the ball to control the game. This could be a great landing spot for Etienne, who ran for 753 yards on only 131 carries for the Gators last year.

3. Peny Boone, Louisville (from Toledo)

The first thing that you're going to notice about Boone is that he's a big dude. They call him "Baby Bus" for a reason. Boone does look a lot like Jerome Bettis did at Notre Dame. One could argue that at this point in his career, Boone is just as good as Bettis.

Bettis went on to become one of the NFL's all-time great backs. I'm not saying Boone will be that. He likely won't be, but I don't think it's a knock on his talent. Bettis was dropped into a perfect situation in Pittsburgh. Boone may not find that situation, and the NFL is just different now. Backs aren't valued like they used to be in the 90s.

Boone has deceptive speed for someone who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 235 pounds. Boone ran for 1,400 yards and 15 touchdowns last year with the Rockets but opted out of the bowl game due to his impending transfer. Louisville didn't run the ball well for a lot of last year, so they hit the portal hard for running backs.

Joining Boone is Miami's Donald Chaney Jr. Boone will likely get most of the carries because he is a do-it-all back. He also tallied 15 receptions for 219 yards last season. Chaney is the guy who has some game-changing speed, but as you can see from the clip above, Boone isn't that far behind him. He could have a monster year for Louisville.

2. Marcus Carroll, Missouri (from Georgia Southern)

Have you heard of a guy named Cody Schrader? He led the SEC in rushing last year after transferring from Division III Truman State in 2021. Missouri is going to use Carroll in much the same way. He is a perfect fit for this offense.

Carroll ran for 1,350 yards and 13 touchdowns for Georgia State last year. That Georgia State offense had a similar quarterback to Brady Cook in Darren Grainger. Carroll will thrive in this offense with Cook's ability and Luther Burden III drawing defenses all game.

1. Jonah Coleman, Washington (from Arizona)

Unlike a lot of players on this list, we should know exactly what to expect from Coleman. He followed coach Jedd Fisch to Washington from Arizona. The offense will look the same, but the pieces will be a little different. It will be Will Rogers instead of Noah Fifita. It will be Giles Jackson and Jeremiah Hunter, not Tetairoa McMillan and Jacob Cowing.

Fisch will have Coleman right where he belongs though with the only real threat to steal carries being Jacory Merritt. We should see a big season out of Coleman. He ran for 871 yards on just 128 carries in 2023 with 25 receptions. We all know how much Will Rogers likes to throw to his backs.

Honorable Mention: Marquese Williams, Akron (from Minnesota); Roydell Williams, Florida State (from Alabama); Logan Diggs, Mississippi (from LSU); Chip Trayanum, Kentucky (from Ohio State); Treshaun Ward, Boston College (from Kansas State); Elijah Green, Indiana (from North Carolina); Pat Garwo III, Nevada (from Boston College); Zach Evans, North Texas (from Minnesota)

More College Football Analysis

More DFS Lineup Picks