The 2016 Running Back Recruits
There will be a lot of prospects in the 2016 recruiting class available in next year’s draft. Some of them will have three years of college production and others will need to spend more time developing at the collegiate level. All of these players are experiencing their own separate journey and it takes more than one path to make it to the NFL.
By using 247Sports’ recruiting ranks, I provide a quick snapshot of each five and four-star running back prospect from the class to provide a gauge of where these players are currently in their development. Some of these players are out of football or have switched positions. Also, there are a few players who are waiting to break out and become household names.
The goal here is to help you find diamonds in the rough for your devy leagues and expand your knowledge on some of the lesser-known talents in college football.
[am4show have=’g1;’ guest_error=’sub_message’ user_error=’sub_message’ ]
RUNNING BACKS
1. MILES SANDERS, RB PENN STATE – FIVE STAR
Saquon Barkley is gone. Now it’s time for Sanders to take the keys to the car and show everyone in the nation how well he can drive. He flashed his talent multiple times in the last few years and there’s a lot to be excited about. He runs with a lot of pop and is very dangerous in the open field. Slippery running backs like him always have a shot at producing at the NFL level. He’s definitely a player to keep an eye on next year.
2. B.J. EMMONS, RB Florida Atlantic – FOUR STAR
After rushing for 173 yards and one touchdown during his freshman season, Emmons decided to transfer to Hutchinson Community College. An ankle injury and a crowded Alabama backfield led to his switching colleges. After a short stint in Hutchinson, he will be taking his talents to Florida Atlantic to reunite with Lane Kiffin. He will be playing second fiddle to junior running back Devin Singletary.
At six-foot and 232-pounds, Emmons has tremendous size adjusted athleticism. If he can siphon away some of the workload from Singletary, then he could potentially be a riser in devy leagues. Due to athleticism alone, he’s worth stashing at the end of your roster as a wait-and-see candidate.
3. DEVWAY WHALEY, RB ARKANSAS – FOUR STAR
Whaley looks to be the team’s lead back for the 2018 season. He will be sharing the load with T.J. Hammonds and Chase Hayden. Only time will tell if he will manifest as a sought-after draft prospect in the future. His tape is encouraging as he’s a downhill runner with enough burst to pick up extra yardage in the open field.
4. KAREEM WALKER, RB MICHIGAN – FOUR STAR
Walker didn’t do well academically and struggled to get on the field at Michigan. Recently, he put in his request to transfer. We are now waiting to see where he goes. At one time, he was considered one of the most anticipated high school recruits in the nation. Hopefully, with a change of scenery, Walker can find a way to translate his talents to the field.
5. DEVIN WHITE, RB LSU – FOUR STAR
After switching positions from running back to linebacker, White finished his sophomore season with 133 total tackles and 4.5 sacks. He may not be a top running back prospect, but he could serve dividends in IDP leagues in a few years.
6. ELIJAH HOLYFIELD, RB GEORGIA – FOUR STAR
Holyfield’s father is former heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield. He’s looking to gain a larger share of the workload this year. Right now, D’Andre Swift is the main dog in the offense, but Holyfield has more than enough talent to carve out a respectful workload. Expect his value to significantly increase if he ever gets the opportunity to be the team’s lead back.
7. ANTONIO WILLIAMS, RB NORTH CAROLINA – FOUR STAR
After two seasons with the Ohio State Buckeyes where he played behind Mike Weber and the talented J.K. Dobbins, Williams decided to transfer to North Carolina. He will sit out the 2018 season. This was a smart move by him, because he may never get the chance to play meaningful snaps for Ohio State. A change of scenery might help him reach his potential.
8. AMIR RASUL, RB FLORIDA STATE – FOUR STAR
It’s going to take a season-ending injury to Cam Akers or Jacques Patrick for him to see a sizeable workload this year. Even then, he still might not get as much run, because the roster is log jammed with talented running backs. Zaquandre White will also compete for touches, making it hard for Rasul to carve out a role in the offense. Luck will need to fall his way and he will also need to exceed expectations for him to be considered a draftable prospect.
9. VAVAE MALEPEAI, RB USC – FOUR STAR
He has the speed to burn. At the Nike Open, he ran a 4.44 40-yard dash. Stephen Carr is slated to be the Trojan’s lead back, but Malepeai is talented and he could put something together if he gets the opportunity. Right now, he should be happy with whatever touches he can get.
10. TRAVIS HOMER, RB MIAMI – FOUR STAR
Homer will get the chance to be the Hurricanes lead back this season. In 13 games, he rushed for 966 yards and eight touchdowns while sharing the backfield with Mark Walton. He’s a smaller back who excels at catching the ball out of the backfield. His burst makes him dangerous in the open field. The thing I like about Homer is that he runs bigger than his size which could allow him to gain steam at the NFL level.
11. KYLE PORTER, RB TEXAS – FOUR STAR
Porter will battle graduate transfer Tre Watson to be the team’s lead back this year. If he can come out victorious, he will get the opportunity to showcase what he can do and possibly elevate his draft stock. His value in dynasty will be dependent on his production this year.
12. CARLIN FILS-AIME, RB TENNESSEE – FOUR STAR
After rushing for 215 yards and two touchdowns last year as the team’s third-string running back, Fils-Aime is making a position change to cornerback. Unless you’re in an IDP league, his value in devy leagues is at rock bottom.
13. JUSTIN CONNOR, RB OLE MISS – FOUR STAR
Connor transferred from Ole Miss to East Mississippi Community College. He lost his scholarship and was gray-shirted which means he had to pay out of pocket to go to Ole Miss. Maybe we will see him back at the FBS level in a few years, but right now, take him off your watch list.
14. TONY JONES JR., RB NOTRE DAME – FOUR STAR
Dexter Williams will more than likely be the starting running back for the Fighting Irish next year. However, Jones should see a large market share of the touches. He showed some flashes of talent last year and if things fall through with Williams, then Jones should be next in line to be the team’s feature back.
15. ABDUL ADAMS, RB OKLAHOMA – FOUR STAR
Last year, Adams rushed for 542 yards and a whopping 9.2 yards per carry. Ball security issues prevented him from seeing a large market share of the touches. Also, the emergence of Rodney Anderson curtailed his chances of being the team’s lead back. Since he’s not going to be the head honcho for the Sooners, he will be taking his talents to Syracuse. He will need to sit for a year before he can compete to be the team’s feature back. Keep him on your watch list just in case he pops in a few years.
16. BEAU BISHARAT, RB COLORADO – FOUR STAR
Colorado plans to use a running back by committee approach. Bisharat will share the backfield with former Virginia Tech running back, Travon McMillian. Alex Fontenot could steal some of the carries out of the backfield. With just 36 carries to his name, Bisharat isn’t a very promising prospect.
ALL-PURPOSE BACKS
1. TAVIEN FEASTER, RB CLEMSON – FOUR STAR
Travis Etienne will be penciled in as the team’s lead back going into camp. Feaster will compete with Adam Choice for the backup spot. Feaster is an electric runner who is very dangerous in the open field. Expect him to get sprinkled into the game plan, because he’s too good to keep on the bench.
2. DEMARIO MCCALL, RB OHIO STATE – FOUR STAR
The Buckeyes are going to try and get him on the field as their return specialist. Ohio State’s deep pool of running back talent is causing McCall to get lost in the shuffle. J.K. Dobbins is the team’s stud running back and Mike Weber is another back to keep an eye on. Speedster Parris Campbell will be playing the team’s starting H-Back.
3. DAMIAN ALLOWAY, RB UCLA – FOUR STAR
Last year, he saw action in three games as a receiver. At 5-foot-9 and 175-pounds, Alloway is undersized and he would need to figure out a way to put on a fair amount of size without losing speed to be considered a noteworthy draft prospect. He’s more than likely going to be more of a receiving option for the Bruins than a running back.
4. MELQUISE STOVALL, RB ARIZONA WESTERN COLLEGE – FOUR STAR
Stovall never gained any traction at Cal. He switched to receiver during his freshman season. After struggling to see the field, Stovall decided to transfer to Arizona Western.
5. SEAN MCGREW, RB WASHINGTON – FOUR STAR
He’s currently the third running back on the depth chart behind Myles Gaskin and Salvon Ahmed. McGrew will see limited opportunities in Washington and it might take a few years until he gets a chance to be the team’s lead back.
6. D’VAUGHN PENNAMON, RB OLE MISS – FOUR STAR
Pennamon dislocated his knee last November and there’s uncertainty whether he’ll be able to hit the field come September. We don’t know his timetable to return. He’s still in the early stages of his career and he has plenty of time to recover and still provide an impact for Ole Miss.
7. KAM MARTIN, RB AUBURN – FOUR STAR
Running back coach Tim Horton proclaimed Martin as the team’s starting running back for this year. He doesn’t have the size to be a three-down back, so there’s a good chance that he shares the workload with one of the other running backs on the roster.
8. TRAYVEON WILLIAMS, RB TEXAS A&M FOUR STAR
Williams is one of the better running backs in the country. He broke the 1,000-yard barrier as a freshman. This will be his third season in a row as the team’s lead back. Jimbo Fisher will install a new run-heavy offense, and this should boost Williams’ production. Fisher had numerous backs in the recent years get drafted by NFL teams. If things go according to plan, Williams’ career will turn around soon, and he should return to being one of the top backs in the country in the near future.
9. CHRIS EVANS, RB MICHIGAN – FOUR STAR
Evans is a very electric runner and he’s very dangerous with the ball in the open field. He’s a few splash-plays away from being one of the most talked about running backs in college football. Evans is Michigan’s best running back and I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes a major step forward this season.
[/am4show]
- 2024 NFL Draft: What We Expect for Day 1 - April 25, 2024
- Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Luke McCaffrey, WR Rice - April 19, 2024
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Will Shipley, RB Clemson - April 6, 2024
