The 2020 Draft is long gone, but draft season never ends for most football fans! With the college football season looming, the NFL season getting ramped up, I thought it would be good to take a look at the top prospects at each position that will be eligible for the 2021 draft! We kicked things off with the QB position, now it is time to look at the running backs!
1. Travis Etienne, Clemson
I was shocked when Etienne decided to return to school as I had him ranked highly among the 2020 class. But in 2021, Etienne sits on top of the board! Etienne is one of the most explosive players I have ever watched. He can get up to top speed in the blink of an eye and burn defenders even when they have a seemingly good angle on him. On top of that, Etienne is a very strong runner and has excellent balance. He does an excellent job of ripping through tackle attempts for extra yardage. Etienne is one of the more productive backs on the ground and was able to add 37 receptions in 2019 as well. Etienne will be a huge game-changer at the next level and should be drafted highly.
2. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State
Chuba Hubbard exploded onto the scene in a big way last season for Oklahoma State. Hubbard led the nation in rushing yards putting up over 2,000 yards on the ground and adding in 21 TDs! Hubbard is very explosive with excellent long speed to beat most defenders and the speed to get to the edge. He has tremendous vision seeing holes open up in the defense and has the quickness to hit them. He also has the strength and balance to push through defenders for extra yards. I expect Hubbard to put up another huge season and potentially be a Heisman candidate by the end of the season.
3. Najee Harris, Alabama
Najee Harris was one of the top-rated backs in his class, and after sitting behind some talented teammates, he was finally able to show the country why. Harris is one of the bigger backs you will find in today’s game listed at 6’2” 230lbs and he certainly plays like it. Harris is a bulldozer that can power through defenders with ease. Harris showed much-improved agility with sharp cuts and acrobatic leaps in the air to avoid tacklers. He also showed that he can be a threat in the passing game by hauling in 27 receptions and totaling 7 TDs through the air. After another year of being the lead back at Bama, Harris should be in line for a productive season and potentially a high draft pick.
4. Max Borghi, Washington State
Next on the list is Max Borghi, one of the better all-around players in this class and a player that has been comped to the likes of Christian McCaffrey. Borghi put up excellent production all over the board averaging over 6 YPC with 11 TDs on the ground and a staggering 86 receptions, which was tied for 12th in the nation! Borghi has a very quick-twitch with quick feet and can cut on a dime. He has fantastic vision and can make defenders miss even in tight spaces. Borghi will lose his pass-happy coach so it will be interesting to see what his production will look like under a new regime, but either way, Borghi is a very talented back and perfect for today’s NFL.
5. Kylin Hill, Mississippi State
Kylin Hill has been one of my favorite backs to watch and doesn’t get talked about enough as one of the top dogs. Hill’s production saw a huge spike last season rushing for over 1,300 yards and racking up 10 TDs along the way. Hill runs with authority and has very good play strength consistently shrugging off defenders. He also has excellent balance and good vision. With Leach coming in as his coach, I expect Hill’s receiving ability to be showcased this season. If he can continue solid production and show off his receiving chops, Hill should fly up draft boards.
6. CJ Verdell, Oregon
CJ Verdell is another under-the-radar back in draft circles despite being very productive for two straight seasons for the Ducks. Verdell has put up over 1,000 yards in two straight seasons and averaged over 6 YPC in 2019. Verdell does an excellent job of seeing the holes in the defense and bursting through to the second and third levels. He has excellent balance and play strength shrugging off would-be tacklers. Verdell does a great job of sucking defenders up into the hole and bouncing to the outside for big gains. With new QBs and a usually highly productive offense, Verdell could be in line for a huge role and big-time production in 2020.
7. Trey Sermon, Ohio State
We have always been big fans of Sermon at the Devy Watch and with his transfer to Ohio State, I envision a huge year ahead. Between splitting time and injuries in 2019, Sermon saw a downtick in touches but was still able to put up over 7 YPC on the ground! Sermon is a bigger back at 6’ 221lbs but still has the agility and quickness to make defenders miss. He plays with excellent strength and isn’t easy to bring down. Sermon has very good vision and does a great job of using his blockers to set up defenders. With Dobbins opting for the NFL, there will be a huge opportunity in that backfield, and I expect Sermon to take up the majority of those touches in 2020.
8. Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
Kenneth Gainwell burst onto the scene in 2019 and took over the workload as the main back for the Tigers. Gainwell was extremely productive putting up over 1,400 yards and 13 TDs while adding in 51 receptions and 610 yards through the air. Gainwell has excellent burst and long speed with the ability to plant and get upfield in a hurry. He also has very good balance and footwork allowing him to find the open lanes and stay on his feet. Memphis has put out some extremely productive running backs, but Gainwell has lost his head coach (Norvell) so it will be interesting to see if Memphis can continue its offensive production.
9. Keaontay Ingram, Texas
Keaontay Ingram was the lead back for the Longhorns and was able to up his production from 2018 to 2019. Ingram averaged 5.9 YPC with 7 TDs on the ground. He is a very big back being listed at 6’ and 225lbs. Even with that size, Ingram is very agile and fluid in his running with the ability to make sharp cuts. He runs with good pad level and has very good play strength to lower his shoulder and push through potential tacklers. Ingram also has very deceptive burst and is able to get up and past the second level of the defense in a hurry. It will be interesting to see how they utilize all of the talented backs at Texas, but Ingram should be the workhorse once again and I expect a productive season.
10. Zamir White, Georgia
Zamir White came to Georgia as the top-rated back in his class and a very impressive player overall. Unfortunately, injuries set him back early on combined with him being behind some talented RBs during his tenure thus far. But in 2020, White should be the lead back for a team that has produced some high-level backs. White is a big back at 6’ 215lbs and moves well for a guy his size. He plays with good play strength and balance being able to stay on his feet to get extra yards. He has also shown the ability to make plays out of the backfield which should allow him to be a three-down back for the Bulldogs this season.
Next Five:
11. Javian Hawkins, Louisville
12. Journey Brown, Penn State
13. Jerome Ford, Cincinnati
14. Dameon Pierce, Florida
15. Stevie Scott, Indiana
