2023 Opposing Running Backs Unit Rankings

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

Hoosier Huddle is ranking each position group for all of IU’s 2023 opponents. Today, we focus on the running backs.

12. Indiana State Sycamores

The Indiana State Sycamores went just 2-9 last season with their only wins coming over North Alabama (17-14) and Western Illinois (21-0). They lost 56-0 to Purdue and had one of the more lackluster offenses in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Justin Dinka, a transfer from San Diego State, returns after leading the team in rushing and Tee Hodge is a decent number two option but this is a running attack the Hoosiers need to be able to minimize. If the Sycamores can run the ball well on Indiana, it will spell major trouble for the rest of the season.

11. Akron Zips

Akron was only 2-10 in 2022 but Joe Moorhead is an excellent offensive mind and the Zips should be much improved in 2023. They lost five games by one score and have good talent returning. Placing them 11th does not mean this game will be a walk in the park or that Akron has terrible running backs. It does mean Akron is not a Big Ten team and falls below IU’s other opponents. Akron averaged just 2.88 yards per carry in 2022 and had much more success passing than they did running. The top rusher from 2022 was Cam Wiley and he is no longer with the team. Lorenzo Lingard is expected to be the starting tailback. The former four-star recruit began his career at Miami in 2018 and ran for 136 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. He transferred to Florida and played for the Gators for three seasons with limited snaps before transferring to Akron this offseason. Clyde Price and Charles Kellom both played some in 2022 with Price leading the Zips with seven rushing touchdowns.

10. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Against FBS opponents in 2022, Rutgers averaged just 13 points per game and only 254.5 yards per game. That puts them firmly in the basement nationally and new coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca is tasked with fixing the broken attack. Samuel Brown looked decent before losing the last half of his season to injury. Brown, a freshman in 2022, averaged 4.35 yards per carry and scored three touchdowns. He’ll lead the running back room and will be backed up by Kyle Monangai and Al-Shadee Salaam. Freshman Ja’Shon Benjamin has a chance to get some carries but will likely just be a depth piece this fall.

9. Michigan State Spartans

The list gets tricky at this point as there are only good options from this point onward. Michigan State takes the number nine spot because of questionable depth at the position. Jalen Berger is a good option as the lead back after he averaged 4.61 yards per carry as a sophomore. The two running backs that split carries with him in 2022 (Elijah Collins and Jarek Broussard) are both gone and there are no obvious candidates to step up and fill the void. Jared Mangham is a graduate transfer from South Florida and he’s the most likely candidate to be RB2.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini

Chase Brown is gone and he leaves an incredible hole in the Illinois offense. Brown had 1,643 yards on the ground, a 5.01 yards per carry average and added 240 yards receiving. I have faith that Bret Bielema is going to field a strong running game but they will miss the dynamism of Brown. Reggie Love III and Josh McCray will be the two lead backs with Love III offering star potential. The Illini should have a good offensive line once again and it will be a challenge to stop their balanced attack.

7. Purdue Boilermakers

I think the Illini will have a better running game than Purdue but this ranking is about running backs and the Boilers have a good one in Devin Mockobee. The former walk-on burst onto the scene last season and was a standout performer when given a chance. Mockobee averaged 4.96 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns. Tyrone Tracy has now moved exclusively to running back after playing wide receiver and he brings a speed dimension to the rushing game. Dylan Downing is a fine third back. The big question will be the offensive line and what the Purdue scheme will look like under new head coach Ryan Walters.

6. Louisville Cardinals

A lot has changed for the Cardinals but the running back group should still be a pretty good strength. Jeff Brohm’s system is going to open up a bit of room because defenses will be forced to focus on the passing attack and the returning Jawhar Jordan is very capable of taking advantage of it. The junior ran for 815 yards on 5.74 yards per carry in 2022 and he added 85 yards receiving. Malik Cunningham and that certainly changes the rushing attack as Jack Plummer is nowhere near the mobile threat Cunningham was. Quality depth is on hand as well as Maurice Turner returns after averaging 4.83 yards per carry as a freshman and the Cardinals added versatile back Isaac Guerendo from Wisconsin.

5. Maryland Terrapins

The Maryland Terrapins have more than just Taulia Tagovailoa at their disposal. Mike Locksley has assembled some terrific talent and the Terps have a trio of backs that are dangerous, earning a place at fifth on this list. The main weapon is redshirt sophomore Roman Hemby. For those not paying attention to him last season, let me fill you in: Hemby will be playing in the NFL when his time in College Park is done. He averaged 5.26 yards per carry on 188 attempts and added ten touchdowns. Hemby has a great combination of power and speed and he’s a handful to bring down. Antwain Littleton II and Colby McDonald both averaged north of 4.65 yards per carry and would be starters at a lot of schools. That’s a terrific triumvirate of tailbacks. Hemby is the best pass catcher of the bunch but seeing them a bit more involved in the passing game would have bumped them up another spot or two.

4. Wisconsin Badgers

New head coach Luke Fickell has made a lot of changes to the Wisconsin roster and coaching staff since taking over after the 2022 season. One thing he wanted to remain the same is convincing Braelon Allen to return. After flirting with the transfer portal and plenty of rumors, the junior decided to play another season in Madison and the Badgers RBs check in at number four on this list. Allen had 1242 yards and a 5.4 yards per carry average in 2022 and a more spread out system under new offensive coordinator Phil Longo will allow for more space for Allen to operate. Whether or not the offensive line will be as effective in this new system is to be determined. Allen is backed up by grad student Chez Mellusi. Mellusi averaged 4.22 yards per carry in 2022.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

How exactly do you differentiate between the sets of running backs for the three superpowers in the Big Ten East? Any of the three could be placed at number one and logical arguments could be made for any order. The Buckeyes get the nod at number three, largely due to injuries that hampered production in 2022. TreVeyon Henderson was terrific in 2021 and should return to form in 2022 if he can stay healthy. Miyan Williams is as physical as they come and he averaged 6.45 yards per carry and had 14 touchdowns in 2022. Even if those two do get banged up and the Buckeyes need to go to a third back, sophomore Dallan Hayden is quite capable. This group is terrific but so are the backfields at numbers one and two on this list.

2. Michigan Wolverines

The top spot goes to the Michigan Wolverines with returning All-America tailback Blake Corum and lightning bolt Donovan Edwards. Corum averaged 5.92 yards per carry and had 18 touchdowns while Donovan Edwards added 7.01 yards per carry and seven touchdowns. Edwards also had 200 yards receiving, showing he’s a dual-threat. This pair is outstanding and they have the ability to demoralize opponents with the ground attack. Penn State gets the slight nod due to the injury suffered by Blake Corum in November and a bit of uncertainty on how he will return from the torn meniscus and sprained MCL in his left knee.

1. Penn State Nittany Lions

The top spot goes to Penn State. This PSU backfield might just be as talented as any in the country. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen were a dynamic duo as freshman and their return is part of the reason PSU fans are so excited for a conference title push in 2023. Some insiders around Happy Valley have commented this offseason they believe Singleton could be the most naturally gifted running back the Nittany Lions have had in school history. That is an extremely bold statement but Singleton is very, very good. He averaged 6.8 yards per carry and scored 12 touchdowns and he can split work with Kaytron Allen to keep himself fresh. Keeping this running game in check will be a near impossible task for defenses in 2023.