Devy Rankings Tiers: Running Back

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Here, I continue my series of devy ranking tiers with a look at the running back position… Full disclosure: I am not as high on this crop of running backs as others may be. It could be that there is no elite star at the top like we have seen in the past few years. Or maybe I was just that high on Jeremiyah Love and Ashton Jeanty . With that said, while this list may be less top-heavy, there are still a lot of solid backs to choose from. Tier 1 Notes There may be some surprises here but Ahmad Hardy at the top is pretty chalky and for good reason. Hardy is the most complete runner in college football. He is a punishing runner who plays with incredible contact balance. He also has deceptive speed and burst that helps him routinely break off huge runs. Hardy will have a chance to be a first-round pick in this upcoming draft and will go early in devy and dynasty drafts. Now the list gets fun. Nate Frazier is my RB2 amongst the current crop of backs. He has elite speed and agility to make defenders miss and make big plays while also having the size and strength to be effective between the tackles. Jordan Marshall may be my favorite back in the class and it took everything to not blindly put him at the top. Marshall has prototypical size and strength. He has incredible vision and can carve up defenses between the tackles. He also has the speed to rip off huge runs. Now that he is the sure-fire RB1 for the Wolverines, I expect him to have a huge year and shoot up rankings. Tier 2 Notes Savion Hiter may be high for some, but he is the clear RB1 in the 2029 class for me. He can do it all and is a home run threat every time he touches the ball. It may take a year for him to get a significant workload but once he does, I expect him to be highly productive. Mark Fletcher and Kewan Lacy are two of the top backs in this upcoming NFL draft but also have a few more questions than the other 2027 back above them. Both have excellent size and strength. Both put up impressive numbers last season. The question is…can they repeat that production? Dierre Hill Jr may be the more shocking name you see. Partly because of how high he is on this list but also due to the fact that most have his running mate ahead of him. But I think Hill is the Oregon back to own. Watching the tape, he does more work between the twenties. He has elite speed, incredible vision, and I think he will have just as significant a role as Jordon Davison . Tier 3 Notes This last tier is as close as it gets and is razor thin from 16 to 30. But let’s touch on some of my favorites from this list. I am a big fan of Ousmane Kromah . I love his size and his agility in tight spaces. He uses quick, subtle movements to make defenders miss and has great contact balance. He may not get the full-time role this year but once he does, I expect him to take off. Gideon Davidson is an under-the-radar prospect but has the upside to be truly elite. He has excellent size, good strength as a runner, and great speed. He should now be taking over the starting role for Clemson and get the opportunity to showcase his talent and rack up elite production.