Top 5 college running backs of all-time that you have seen?

HUNT

HUNT

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Just random thought in the shower today...

I'm mostly a big ten guy so admittedly a bit biased...I'll go from 1987 up....It's however long you've been a fan or started watching college football..

Saw snippets of Bo in college but didn't really watch until after he left..otherwise he'd be on I'm sure

No particular order..well 1. is always going to be 1. on my list..

1. Barry Sanders.....simply amazing..back when B12 had defense too

2. Tyrone Wheatley... just a BOSS

3. Ezekiel Elliot...never seen anyone get to a hole quicker than him..amazing burst

4. Larry Johnson...this dude could run through a wall at psu

5. two way tie here....Reggie Bush/Adrian Peterson..both just complete freaks

I'm curious about guys that saw Bo, Herschel, Marcus Dupree, etc.
 
1. Saquon Barkley-- I've never seen a guy do the things he could do on a football field running, receiving, speed, power, jumping, everything.
2. Reggie Bush-- specialty type player but his cuts in the open filed made say uhhhh every time
3. Adrian Peterson- Mostly saw highlights of him, but his power speed combo unrivaled.
4. Marshall Faulk
5. (tie)Todd Gurley (when healthy) Garrison Hearst (student body right in sega ncaa football with him was unstoppable KiJana Carter

I cheated but so hard and I thought about this for 5 minutes, another 5 and id probably have 5 more names.
I'd say Bo, Herschel, Barry, Dickerson of course but I didn't get a chance to see or remember their greatness.
 
Too many to name, but Bo is 1. Reggie Bush was the most exciting player not named Peter Warwick or Michael Vick I have ever witnessed. Lawrence Phillips was unstoppable. Combo of players at UF under Urban (Rainey, Demps and Harvin). “U” had a run of backs in the early ‘00s (Gore, magahee and Portis). Larry Johnson from PSU. Rickey Williams from UT. This is hard....
 
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Gonna throw Herschel out because I was so young when he played and maybe I was a little more easy to impress at that time. Otherwise I probably put him right there with Barry. And Walker is probably the least appreciated great NFL rb ever, too. He was just an amazing player.

1. B Sanders
2. B Jackson
3. R Williams
4. E George (Elliott is not nearly as good as George was)
5. D McFadden or Tomlinson

I really liked Garret Wolfe too but the competition level makes that hard to throw him in and he got hurt.

And I refuse to put any third down type backs in my top five. Probably biased against Adrian Peterson because he was at OU but he was probably the closest thing to Bo that we got to see a lot of. We will never see another B Sanders imo.

The greatest single performance I saw live is disheartening as it was the Quentin Griffin six TD game against Texas
 
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Marquis Dupree
Barry Sanders
O J Simpson
Billy Simms
Eric Dickerson

A lot of great backs like Jim Brown and Gayle Sayers became legends in the NFL but weren't that dominating in college. A lot of good college backs who will be named to a lot of lists, but I have seen every great college back since they became widely available on TV and the five above were the closest to unstoppable. In many games they were unstoppable. No one ever stopped Dupree until he stopped himself after playing only one season of college ball. The other four didn't have the raw talent of Dupree, but accomplished a lot more.
 
1. Barry
2. A.P.
3. Eddie George
4. Bush
5. DMC/Ricky Williams (tie)


Couple of guys were at smaller schools obviously before TV coverage was expanded but they are right there...

Faulk
LT

Home-based, Wheatley was amazing but injuries and then splitting carries keep him down my list.

Shout-out to the Garrison Hearst pick.


Edit:

Lawrence Phillips should be right up there as well, definitely top 7-8 at least.
 
Agree with Lawrence Phillips. In college he was one of the best Nebraska ever had, unstoppable in some games, although his antics should have stopped him.

I'm surprised how many people rank Peterson as a top five back of all time. I agree he was very good, but I don't even rank him in the top 5 of Oklahoma backs. I think there may be some young guys on here who never saw Simms, Joe Washington, Greg Pruitt, Steve Owens, Marcus Dupree, et al.

And a lot of those great backs were playing in the Wishbone and sharing carries with two or three other great backs.

I've never seen a list yet compiled by outlets who cover OU and know their history who listed Peterson #1.
 
Kijana, Eddie George, Ricky Williams, Lawrence Phillips, Faulk, McFadden definitely guys I thought about..

Great stuff on Dupree Tahoe, some of my family members say he was the best they'd ever seen.
 
As far as Peterson, I think for me personally, it was the fact he was so advanced for his age. Rare combination of height, speed, vision.. Was just a different back than I'd really seen before that could dominate.
 
Percy Harvin was unbelievable. I considered him an all purpose guy.. One of the best cfb players I've ever seen for sure. He was electrifying.
 
AP as a freshman looked like a 5 year NFL veteran. The way he ran through tacklers was incredible. Bush was extremely exciting, just looked like he was playing against grade schoolers when he turned the corner. Saquon's big play ability was unmatched. What downgraded him a bit from the top guys was his unwillingness at times to take the 5 yard gain. He always was trying to make the big play. LP was the best Nebraska back I ever saw and we've had our share of greats. Melvin Gordon is one i didnt see mentioned that I thought was unreal good.
 
Mcfadden and Reggie bush have to be on list of the most recent. Those guys were next level.

Mcgahee for a short period as well.
 
Oh yea Peterson was a beast. He was like the only player ive ever seen who in high school could have played in the pros.

I wouldn't put Gurley on that list, i actually thought Moreno was a better college back (maybe my opinion changes if todd stayed healthy).
 
In no particluar order..

Ricky Williams
Reggie Bush
Adrian Peterson
Marshall Faulk
Ron Dayne
Darren McFadden (couldn't just pick 5)

Barry Sanders and Bo Jackson were the best I ever remember watching...with Emmitt close...but I don't have clear memories of them until the NFL.


In person:
Steve Slaton
Noel Devine
Edgerrin James
Willis McGahee
Curtis Martin
And for one game....Tavon Austin (2012 vs OU; 344 rushing, 82 receiving, 146 return yards)
 
From a psu guy, i would take saquon and ki-jana carter over Larry johnson. Hands down #1 Barry Sanders. Ricky williams was a beast at Texas
 
dickydunn said:
barry sanders
bo jackson
herschel walker
reggie bush
kijana carter- forget his nfl career, kijana was miles better than larry johnson

https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/larry-johnson-1/gamelog/2002/
1330 of his 2087 came in 5 games against some weak sisters. he had 78 vs michigan and 66 vs ohio state. definitely a great back but he ran high and struggled to get his own yards if he wasn't running downhill
Click to expand...


I'm a Penn Stater and I'd take KJ too over Larry, but not Saquan.

Totally Agree with Ricky Williams. In my opinion Dayne was a product of a system and huge O-line. His natural ability isn't even top 10 by any stretch. I'd take Bama's last three good RBs starting with Ingram all over Dayne.
 
Reggie Bush continues to be the most overrated player in college football history. I cannot think of anyone more overrated and have been thinking for a few days.
 
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