Ranking college football’s 10 best running backs for 2023
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ESPN staff
Most of college football’s biggest spring games have come and gone, and now it’s time to flash forward to August and the upcoming season.
Two of the biggest questions as the summer approaches: Which offense will be the most explosive, and which players will be behind that production? We’ve already knocked out the top 10 quarterbacks heading into the 2023 season, and next up are the running backs.
Here are the names ahead of the fall slate.
Eleven reporters voted on a ballot with 10 points to the first-place running back down to one point for the 10th-place RB.
Year: Senior
2022 stats: 1,463 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 80 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Points: 105 points (9 of 11 first-place votes)
Corum’s return to the Wolverines carries some surprise following his All-America 2022 season and the praise he received. Jim Harbaugh said Corum is the best collegiate back he has coached, while Biff Poggi, who coached Corum both in high school and at Michigan, described him as having shades of both Walter Payton and Barry Sanders. A late-season knee injury derailed Corum’s Heisman Trophy chances and ultimately brought him back for a final season with the Wolverines. If healthy, he will be the focal point of Michigan’s offense alongside another back included here, Donovan Edwards.
A combination of power, shiftiness and speed propels Corum, a Doak Walker Award finalist who won the Chicago Tribune’s Silver Football as Big Ten MVP. Last season, he finished 11th nationally in total rushing yards (1,463) and tied for fifth in rushing touchdowns (18) despite essentially missing Michigan’s final three games (he had two carries against Ohio State) and sharing carries with Edwards. Limited early by Michigan’s lopsided nonconference wins, Corum bullied his way in Big Ten play, averaging 24.1 carries and 152.8 yards in the eight league games before his injury. The small-town kid from Virginia returns to the big stage this fall as he tries to become Michigan’s first Heisman winner since Charles Woodson in 1997. — Adam Rittenberg
Year: Sophomore
2022 stats: 1,567 rushing yards, 16 rushing touchdowns, 132 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Points: 85 points (2 of 11 first-place votes)
It’s a wonder Judkins ever got out of state. But the former three-star recruit wasn’t the toast of Alabama and didn’t sign with the Tide or the Tigers. Credit Ole Miss for seeing his potential, because after last season, Judkins isn’t going to be overlooked ever again. As a freshman, he led the SEC in rushing yards (1,567) while also setting the single-season rushing record at Ole Miss for yards and rushing touchdowns (16). CBS named him its freshman of the year. And, according to Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, Judkins was so well thought of that opposing coaches tried to lure him away via the transfer portal. He stayed, signing a name, image and likeness deal that will keep him as the centerpiece of the Rebs’ offense. — Alex Scarborough
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 1,443 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns, 271 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
Points: 71
How do you fly under the radar with a nickname like Rocket? But that’s exactly what happened with Sanders last season thanks to Arkansas’ subpar 7-6 finish. The offense as a whole struggled, due in large part to quarterback KJ Jefferson battling injuries. But Sanders more than held up his end of the bargain, ranking second in the SEC in rushing yards (1,443) and third in rushing touchdowns (10). A healthy Jefferson could make a speedy Sanders even better, and the two could form one of the best QB-RB rushing duos in the SEC. — Scarborough
Year: Sophomore
2022 stats: 1,061 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns, 85 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown
Points: 53
One of the most noticeable upgrades to Penn State’s offense last fall was its running game, and much of that can be attributed to the emergence of Singleton, the Big Ten’s 2022 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Behind a vastly improved offensive line, Singleton provided a one-two punch with Kaytron Allen, and with both returning this fall, the Nittany Lions should be a more serious contender in the Big Ten’s East Division.
“[Nicholas], his physical attributes are a lot of speed and power,” offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich told ESPN. “You get the straight-line ability to bust a run and go the distance every time. He’s very tough. He provides a lot of inspiration the way he plays. He’s relatively quiet, but I see him gaining more vocal leadership every day. He understands the scheme and understands the protections very well.”
In 2021, Penn State had one of the worst running games in the country but made a quantum leap last season, improving from No. 118 in rushing yards per game (107.8) to No. 45 last year at 181.1. With Singleton continuing to improve on catching the ball out of the backfield, he could contribute even more this fall. — Heather Dinich
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 991 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns, 200 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns
Points: 48
The “other” Michigan running back is a really good one, and he could continue to make his mark in his third season with the Wolverines. Edwards actually arrived as a more decorated recruit than Corum — ESPN rated him as the No. 4 running back and No. 68 overall player in the 2021 class — but has had to fall in line, first behind Corum and Hassan Haskins and then behind just Corum last season. But Edwards flashed in the No. 2 role, recording 173 rushing yards and two touchdowns as Michigan ran over Penn State. He also filled in admirably after Corum’s injury, rushing for 520 yards and three touchdowns against Ohio State, Purdue (Big Ten championship game) and TCU (College Football playoff semifinal).
Edwards is Michigan’s home run hitter and one of the nation’s best. He had touchdown runs of 85 and 75 yards against Ohio State as Michigan pulled away in the fourth quarter. Edwards ranked fourth nationally in runs of 40 yards or longer with six, including four in his final three games as Michigan’s primary ball carrier. His 7.1 yards-per-carry average last season ranked third in Michigan history. He’s also a capable receiver, recording 38 receptions in his first two seasons. His usage will be interesting with Corum’s return, but Edwards brings an explosiveness to Michigan’s offense that should not be wasted in what could be his final season with the team. — Rittenberg
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 1,242 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, 104 receiving yards
Points: 47
Wisconsin’s offense will have a new look this fall following the hire of offensive coordinator Phil Longo, but that doesn’t mean the Badgers are abandoning the running game entirely in favor of the Air Raid offense. Instead, a stronger passing game should create more opportunities for Wisconsin’s star running back. With new coach Luke Fickell on the sideline, Allen ran for 116 yards and scored on a 20-yard touchdown in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl win over Oklahoma State. It was a performance he’s capable of building on in the new offense, but he has to stay healthy. Allen played through a shoulder injury late last season, and he also missed the Minnesota game because of an ankle injury.
The 7-6 2022 season was frustrating for everyone within the program, including Allen, whose production declined slightly from his freshman season when he wasn’t even a full-time starter. Under former coach Paul Chryst, Wisconsin was a run-first, pro-style offense driven by its burly offensive linemen, but it also became predictable. With fewer defenders in the box this fall to account for what Wisconsin hopes will be a respectable passing game, Allen should reassert himself as one of the best running backs in the country. — Dinich
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 1,058 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns, 299 receiving yards, 3 touchdowns
Points: 39
One of Oregon’s great transfer portal finds ended up being Irving, and the Ducks needed him after playing their first season since 2017 without CJ Verdell or Travis Dye in the backfield. Despite committing to Minnesota out of high school (he didn’t play his senior year during the 2020 COVID-19 season) and spending his freshman season with the Gophers, he transferred to Oregon, expecting that a more creative offense would better suit his game.
Irving was right, as he developed into the Pac-12’s third-leading rusher with 1,058 yards. He and Noah Whittington became a two-back force that became difficult to stop all season. They became the first pair of Oregon teammates since 2018 to each rush for 100-plus yards in the same game on Nov. 12 vs. Washington, with Irving rushing for a career-high 149 yards and Whittington adding 106. In 2022, Irving even showed he might be able to throw the football a little bit, completing two passes for 36 yards and a touchdown to Ducks QB Bo Nix. The 2023 season should be another big one in the backfield for Irving and the Ducks, as he, Whittington and Jordan James all return. — Harry Lyles Jr.
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 1,182 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, 242 receiving yards
Points: 32
In two years at Clemson, Shipley has been something of an enigma. As a freshman, he battled injuries on an offense that struggled mightily. Still, Shipley was a silver lining in an otherwise lackluster year for the Tigers. He rushed for 739 yards and 11 touchdowns, with the bulk of his success coming over the season’s second half, as Clemson reeled off six straight wins to close out the year. It was enough to signal Shipley as an emerging star, a near sure thing to break out as a sophomore in 2022.
Instead, Shipley’s follow-up campaign was … good. Good, but a touch shy of great.
Shipley had five 100-yard games. He scored 15 touchdowns. He topped 1,100 yards on the ground. He added 38 catches and more than 300 yards as a kick returner. By any rational standard, he was exceptional. But Clemson again lost three games and Shipley sporadically disappeared from the game plan, spurring fan complaints. He was great, many fans thought, but couldn’t he be even better?
That question might be answered in 2023. Clemson has a new offensive coordinator in Garrett Riley, who engineered one of the most dynamic rushing attacks in the country a year ago at TCU. It has a new QB in Cade Klubnik, and there’s ample reason for optimism that a more prolific passing game will open up running lanes for Shipley, too. Moreover, Shipley’s versatility could result in him flourishing in the passing game, too, akin to Travis Etienne‘s final seasons at Clemson.
The ceiling for Shipley is immense, and for the better part of the past two years, he has carried an otherwise mediocre Clemson offense. In 2023, there’s a chance the stars align and Shipley and the Tigers are all at peak production. If so, he might be the best back in the country. — David M. Hale
Year: Redshirt junior
2022 stats: 990 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 144 receiving yards.
Points: 29
Injuries sidetracked Benson’s career at Oregon, and even when he arrived at Florida State in the spring of 2022, there were big questions about whether he could thrive in a lead role. He tantalized FSU fans during last year’s spring game, but Mike Norvell eased Benson into the offense early on. He had 10 carries or fewer in each of his first six games against FBS opponents last season, but it was enough to flash the potential that made him such an intriguing prospect.
After racking up 69 yards on just seven carries in a Week 7 game against Clemson, however, it was clear there was no more holding Benson back.
Over the season’s final six games, Benson carried 100 times for 618 yards and six touchdowns with 18 runs of 10 or more yards. He topped the 100-yard mark four times, including 168 against Syracuse and 111 against SEC rival Florida. By year’s end, there was no question the Seminoles had a burgeoning star.
In 2023, there will be no easing Benson into the deep end. With the transfer of Treshaun Ward (Kansas State), Benson is the clear-cut RB1 for FSU, and while the Seminoles still have some nice depth at the position, there’s every reason to think he’ll get more than 200 touches. What Benson does with that type of workload is no longer a question mark. The expectation is that he’ll be in the mix for All-America honors. — Hale
Year: Junior
2022 stats: 1,382 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, 219 receiving yards
Points: 29
The Golden Eagles needed a big year out of Gore in their first season in the Sun Belt, and he didn’t disappoint. The son of one of the most reliable running backs to ever play the game, Gore helped run Southern Miss to a 7-6 (4-4) record in their first season in what has become one of the best conferences in the Group of 5.
For the more casual viewer, you might remember Gore and his father scoring a touchdown on the same weekend in 2020. More recently, Gore ran for an NCAA bowl-record 329 yards and accounted for three touchdowns to help Southern Miss hold off Rice 38-24 in the 2022 LendingTree Bowl, complete with a cameo from his thrilled aunt. After that performance, Southern Miss head coach Will Hall said, “He’s a special guy. He’s really learned how to be a leader. He’s really learned how to handle the responsibility of being Frank Gore Jr., and he has embraced that, and he’s embraced the whole deal of ‘to whom much is given, much is required.'”
Much will be required of Gore again in 2023, as the Golden Eagles will rely on him through another fall. — Lyles Jr.
The opening weekend of the 2025 MLB season was taken over by a surprise star — torpedo bats.
The bowling pin-shaped bats became the talk of the sport after the Yankees’ home run onslaught on the first Saturday of the season put it in the spotlight and the buzz hasn’t slowed since.
What exactly is a torpedo bat? How does it help hitters? And how is it legal? Let’s dig in.
Read: An MIT-educated professor, the Yankees and the bat that could be changing baseball
What is a torpedo bat and why is it different from a traditional MLB bat?
The idea of the torpedo bat is to take a size format — say, 34 inches and 32 ounces — and distribute the wood in a different geometric shape than the traditional form to ensure the fattest part of the bat is located where the player makes the most contact. Standard bats taper toward an end cap that is as thick diametrically as the sweet spot of the barrel. The torpedo bat moves some of the mass on the end of the bat about 6 to 7 inches lower, giving it a bowling-pin shape, with a much thinner end.
How does it help hitters?
The benefits for those who like swinging with it — and not everyone who has swung it likes it — are two-fold. Both are rooted in logic and physics. The first is that distributing more mass to the area of most frequent contact aligns with players’ swing patterns and provides greater impact when bat strikes ball. Players are perpetually seeking ways to barrel more balls, and while swings that connect on the end of the bat and toward the handle probably will have worse performance than with a traditional bat, that’s a tradeoff they’re willing to make for the additional slug. And as hitters know, slug is what pays.
The second benefit, in theory, is increased bat speed. Imagine a sledgehammer and a broomstick that both weigh 32 ounces. The sledgehammer’s weight is almost all at the end, whereas the broomstick’s is distributed evenly. Which is easier to swing fast? The broomstick, of course, because shape of the sledgehammer takes more strength and effort to move. By shedding some of the weight off the end of the torpedo bat and moving it toward the middle, hitters have found it swings very similarly to a traditional model but with slightly faster bat velocity.
Why did it become such a big story so early in the 2025 MLB season?
Because the New York Yankees hit nine home runs in a game Saturday and Michael Kay, their play-by-play announcer, pointed out that some of them came from hitters using a new bat shape. The fascination was immediate. While baseball, as an industry, has implemented forward-thinking rules in recent seasons, the modification to something so fundamental and known as the shape of a bat registered as bizarre. The initial response from many who saw it: How is this legal?
OK. How is this legal?
Major League Baseball’s bat regulations are relatively permissive. Currently, the rules allow for a maximum barrel diameter of 2.61 inches, a maximum length of 42 inches and a smooth and round shape. The lack of restrictions allows MLB’s authorized bat manufacturers to toy with bat geometry and for the results to still fall within the regulations.
Who came up with the idea of using them?
The notion of a bowling-pin-style bat has kicked around baseball for years. Some bat manufacturers made smaller versions as training tools. But the version that’s now infiltrating baseball goes back two years when a then-Yankees coach named Aaron Leanhardt started asking hitters how they should counteract the giant leaps in recent years made by pitchers.
When Yankees players responded that bigger barrels would help, Leanhardt — an MIT-educated former Michigan physics professor who left academia to work in the sports industry — recognized that as long as bats stayed within MLB parameters, he could change their geometry to make them a reality. Leanhardt, who left the Yankees to serve as major league field coordinator for the Miami Marlins over the winter, worked with bat manufacturers throughout the 2023 and 2024 seasons to make that a reality.
When did it first appear in MLB games?
It’s unclear specifically when. But Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton used a torpedo bat last year and went on a home run-hitting rampage in October that helped send the Yankees to the World Series. New York Mets star Francisco Lindor also used a torpedo-style bat last year and went on to finish second in National League MVP voting.
Who are some of the other notable early users of torpedo bats?
In addition to Stanton and Lindor, Yankees hitters Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt have used torpedoes to great success. Others who have used them in games include Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers and Toronto’s Davis Schneider. And that’s just the beginning. Hundreds more players are expected to test out torpedoes — and perhaps use them in games — in the coming weeks.
How is this different from a corked bat?
Corking bats involves drilling a hole at the end of the bat, filling it in and capping it. The use of altered bats allows players to swing faster because the material with which they replace the wood — whether it’s cork, superballs or another material — is lighter. Any sort of bat adulteration is illegal and, if found, results in suspension.
Could a rule be changed to ban them?
Could it happen? Sure. Leagues and governing bodies have put restrictions on equipment they believe fundamentally altered fairness. Stick curvature is limited in hockey. Full-body swimsuits made of polyurethane and neoprene are banned by World Aquatics. But officials at MLB have acknowledged that the game’s pendulum has swung significantly toward pitching in recent years, and if an offensive revolution comes about because of torpedo bats — and that is far from a guarantee — it could bring about more balance to the game. If that pendulum swings too far, MLB could alter its bat regulations, something it has done multiple times already this century.
So the torpedo bat is here to stay?
Absolutely. Bat manufacturers are cranking them out and shipping them to interested players with great urgency. Just how widely the torpedo bat is adopted is the question that will play out over the rest of the season. But it has piqued the curiosity of nearly every hitter in the big leagues, and just as pitchers toy with new pitches to see if they can marginally improve themselves, hitters will do the same with bats.
Comfort is paramount with a bat, so hitters will test them during batting practice and in cage sessions before unleashing them during the game. As time goes on, players will find specific shapes that are most comfortable to them and best suit their swing during bat-fitting sessions — similar to how golfers seek custom clubs. But make no mistake: This is an almost-overnight alteration of the game, and “traditional or torpedo” is a question every big leaguer going forward will ask himself.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The once and possibly future home of the Tampa Bay Rays will get a new roof to replace the one shredded by Hurricane Milton with the goal of having the ballpark ready for the 2026 season, city officials decided in a vote Thursday.
The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7-1 to approve $22.5 million to begin the repairs at Tropicana Field, which will start with a membrane roof that must be in place before other work can continue. Although the Rays pulled out of a planned $1.3 billion new stadium deal, the city is still contractually obligated to fix the Trop.
“We are legally bound by an agreement. The agreement requires us to fix the stadium,” said council member Lissett Hanewicz, who is an attorney. “We need to go forward with the roof repair so we can do the other repairs.”
The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play home games this season at Steinbrenner Field across the bay in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees. The Rays went 4-2 on their first homestand ever at an open-air ballpark, which seats around 11,000 fans.
Under the current agreement with the city, the Rays owe three more seasons at the Trop once it’s ready again for baseball, through 2028. It’s unclear if the Rays will maintain a long-term commitment to the city or look to Tampa or someplace else for a new stadium. Major League Baseball has said keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region is a priority. The Rays have played at the Trop since their inception in 1998.
The team said it would have a statement on the vote later Thursday.
The overall cost of Tropicana Field repairs is estimated at $56 million, said city architect Raul Quintana. After the roof, the work includes fixing the playing surface, ensuring audio and visual electronics are working, installing flooring and drywall, getting concession stands running and other issues.
“This is a very complex project. We feel like we’re in a good place,” Quintana said at the council meeting Thursday.
Under the proposed timeline, the roof installation will take about 10 months. The unique membrane system is fabricated in Germany and assembled in China, Quintana said, adding that officials are examining how President Donald Trump’s new tariffs might affect the cost.
The new roof, he added, will be able to withstand hurricane winds as high as 165 mph. Hurricane Milton, one of the strongest hurricanes ever in the Atlantic basin at one point, blasted ashore Oct. 9 south of Tampa Bay with Category 3 winds of about 125 mph.
Citing mounting costs, the Rays last month pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County for a new $1.3 billion ballpark to be built near the Trop site. That was part of a broader $6.5 billion project known as the Historic Gas Plant district to bring housing, retail and restaurants, arts and a Black history museum to a once-thriving Black neighborhood razed for the original stadium.
The city council plans to vote on additional Trop repair costs over the next few months.
“This is our contractual obligation. I don’t like it more than anybody else. I’d much rather be spending that money on hurricane recovery and helping residents in the most affected neighborhoods,” council member Brandi Gabbard said. “These are the cards that we’re dealt.”
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Adam Rittenberg
Tulane quarterback TJ Finley has been suspended following his arrest Wednesday in New Orleans on a charge of illegal possession of stolen things worth more than $25,000.
Finley, 23, whose name is Tyler Jamal, was booked and released. Tulane said in a statement that the length of the suspension will depend on the outcome of his case. The school cited privacy laws in declining to comment further.
University police responded Wednesday to an address where a truck was blocking a driveway. After looking up the license plate, police saw it registered to a vehicle stolen in Atlanta. Finley arrived to move the car and informed the officer that he had bought the truck recently. He’s scheduled to appear in court June 1.
Finley transferred to Tulane in December after spending the 2024 season with Western Kentucky. He had been competing for the team’s starting quarterback job in spring practice alongside fellow transfers Kadin Semonza and Donovan Leary.
Finley, a native of Ponchatoula, Louisiana, started his college career at LSU before transferring to Auburn for two seasons and then Texas State in 2023. He started five games for both LSU and Auburn but had his most success with Texas State, passing for 3,439 yards and 24 touchdowns.
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