Phil Steele ranks top-66 running back rooms for 2026 college football season

Ahead of the 2026 college football season, Phil Steele has ranked the top-66 running back rooms in the FBS. With veteran starters Ahmad Hardy, Jamal Roberts, and Xai’Shaun Edwards leading the depth chart, the Missouri Tigers are tabbed the best in the country. [You can purchase Phil Steele‘s 2026 College Football Preview Digital Magazine here]. As programs such as Indiana, Ole Miss, Miami, and Ohio State showed last season, strong running back play is integral in a strong regular season or a run in the College Football Playoff. All-American Kewan Lacy was pivotal in Ole Miss‘ first ever appearance in the CFP, and a run to the Quarterfinals. The full list, 1-66, is below. The top-15 consists of six SEC programs, four Big Ten programs, three ACC programs, one Big 12 program, and one Pac-12 program. 1. Missouri RB Room: Ahmad Hardy, Jamal Roberts, Xai’Shaun Edwards, Malae Fonoti III, Max Warner Missouri‘s running back room, led by returning All-American Ahmad Hardy, is tabbed as the best in the country by Phil Steele. Hardy exploded on the ground for the Tigers last season, rushing for 1,649 yards (1st among P4 players) and 16 touchdowns. He, however, suffered a gunshot wound in his leg this offseason, and it is currently unknown whether or not he will be ready to go by Missouri‘s season opener on Sept. 3. If Hardy is unable to play in the opener, Jamal Roberts and Xai’Shaun Edwards will serve as Missouri‘s go-to running backs. Although a 1,500-plus yard rusher was ahead of him on the depth chart, Roberts still found a way to rush for 753 yards and six scores last season. Edward makes his way to CoMo this season after hitting the 1,000-plus yard mark last season for Houston Christian. Talk about a dangerous threesome in Missouri‘s backfield. 2. Texas RB Room: Hollywood Smothers, Raleek Brown, Derrek Cooper, James Simon, Michael Terry III Texas completely re-tooled its running back room this offseason by hauling in Hollywood Smothers (formerly at NC State) and Raleek Brown (formerly at Arizona State) through the Transfer Portal. Last season, the duo combined for 2,080 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. By coming together in Austin, Smothers and Brown have formed one of the most dangerous running back duos in the country. Smothers was named First Team All-ACC last season, while Brown was named First Team All-Big 12. It’s not often you can pair two First Team All-Conference selections in the backfield, but that’s what Texas is doing this season. The Longhorns are looking to bounce back in 2026 after missing the College Football Playoff last season 3. Louisville RB Room: Isaac Brown, Keyjuan Brown, Marquise Davis, Braxton Jennings, Lekhy Thompkins Jeff Brohm and the Louisville Cardinals won big this offseason when it was announced that two-time All-ACC running back Isaac Brown would be returning to the program. Brown initially entered the Transfer Portal on Jan. 1, but flipped back to the Cardinals just three days later. Across his two-year stint at Louisville, Brown has racked up 2,057 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns. He was named Second Team All-ACC in 2024, and was named Third Team All-ACC in 2025. Brown will once again team up with Keyjuan Brown, who rushed for 704 yards and six scores as the Cardinals’ RB2 last season. The program also hauled in Missouri transfer Marquise Davis, who compiled 200 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in 2025. Louisville is seeking its fourth consecutive nine-plus win season under Brohm’s leadership. 4. Miami RB Room: Mark Fletcher Jr., CharMar Brown, Girard Pringle Jr. Star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. was integral in Miami‘s run to the National Championship Game last season. He is back for his fourth campaign with the program in 2026, fresh off being named Third Team All-ACC. The Fort Lauderdale native compiled 1,192 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns last season, and hit the 100-plus yard rushing mark in six games (three in CFP). Paired with Fletcher Jr. in the Hurricanes’ backfield will once again be CharMar Brown and Girard Pringle Jr. Brown rushed for 474 yards and seven scores last season, while Pringle Jr. totaled 375 yards and four touchdowns. This running back trio, teamed with stars quarterback Darian Mensah, wide receiver Malachi Toney, and wide receiver Cooper Barkate make Miami‘s offense one of the best in the country. 5. Florida RB Room: Jadan Baugh, Evan Pryor, Duke Clark, London Montgomery One of Jon Sumrall‘s big priorities when first taking over at Florida this offseason was retaining Second Team All-SEC rusher Jadan Baugh. Sumrall was able to do so, marking a major win for the Gators’ offense. Last season, Baugh totaled 1,170 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He would have been one of the biggest names in the Portal this offseason, but he was convinced to return for his third campaign in Gainesville. Baugh will be paired with Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor in the Florida backfield. Pryor was the Bearcats’ third-leading rusher last season, as he compiled 522 rushing yards and three touchdowns. With Sumrall at the helm, Florida is looking to return to national relevance. The Gators haven’t won 10-plus games in a season since 2019. 6. Georgia RB Room: Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens, Dante Dowdell, Dwight Phillips Jr. The duo of Third Team All-SEC running back Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens will reunite in the Georgia backfield this season for head coach Kirby Smart. Frazier shined in the Bulldog offense last season, rushing for 947 yards and six touchdowns. Bowens, as the team’s RB2, totaled 526 yards and six scores. Georgia also added talented running back Dante Dowdell from Kentucky through the Transfer Portal, but it remains unclear whether or not he will be able to play this season after suffering an ATV accident. With Frazier and Bowens leading the way on the ground, the Bulldogs are seeking a third consecutive SEC Championship and yet another College Football Playoff appearance. 7. Texas Tech RB Room: Cameron Dickey, J’Koby Williams, Quinten Joyner Last season, Texas Tech had two running backs named All-Big 12. Both of those running backs, Cameron Dickey and J’Koby Williams, are back for the Red Raiders this season. Dickey was named First Team All-Big 12 after rushing for 1,124 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. Williams, who compiled 868 rushing yards and six touchdowns, was named Third Team. Texas Tech will have to rely heavily on its run-game this season following Brendan Sorsby‘s departure from the program. The Red Raiders are looking to win back-to-back Big 12 Championships and make a second consecutive College Football Playoff appearance. 8. Oregon RB Room: Jordon Davison, Dierre Hill Jr., Simeon Price, Da’Juan Riggs Following a strong freshman season, Jordon Davison returns to Eugene for his sophomore campaign. Davison shined as a true freshman, racking up 667 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground. He’ll be reunited with teammate Dierre Hill Jr., who rushed for 656 yards and five touchdowns in 2025. With that duo leading the way in Oregon’s backfield, along with star quarterback Dante Moore under center, the Ducks are expected to be one of the best offenses in the Big Ten this season. The program is seeking its first ever National Championship. 9. USC RB Room: Waymond Jordan, King Miller, Riley Wormley As USC searches for its first College Football Playoff appearance in program history, the Trojans return running backs Waymond Jordan, King Miller, and Riley Wormley. Jordan and Miller led the way for Lincoln Riley‘s program last season, combining for 1,548 yards and 13 scores on the ground. Heading into his fifth season at the helm, it’s safe to say that all the pressure in the world is on Riley. If USC‘s star running back duo can exceed expectations, however, the Trojans seem like a sneaky pick to slide in the CFP. This can especially be the case if star quarterback Jayden Maiava plays to the level he’s very well capable of. 10. Florida State RB Room: Tre Wisner, Ousmane Kromah, Samuel Singleton Jr. Florida State‘s 2025 campaign ended in disastrous fashion, as it lost seven of its final nine regular season games to finish with a 5-7 record. In an attempt to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2023, FSU hauled in Texas transfer Tre Wisner to lead the Seminoles’ rushing attack. Wisner rushed for 597 yards and three touchdowns last season, and will look to up those numbers in Tallahassee in 2026. A big year is likely needed for Mike Norvell to avoid the chopping block, and a strong senior season for Wisner would certainly be a strong factor in sed big year. 11. Ohio State RB Room: Bo Jackson, Isaiah West, Ja’Kobi Jackson, Legend Bey Expectations are absolutely through the roof for Ohio State star running back Bo Jackson, who rushed for 1,090 yards and six touchdowns as a freshman last season. He was named Second Team All-Big Ten, and was pivotal in the Buckeyes’ stellar 12-0 regular season record. He’ll be paired up once again with running back Isaiah West, who totaled 310 yards and two scores last season. Ja’Kobi Jackson and four-star incoming freshman Legend Bey will likely make some noise on the Buckeyes’ offense as well. With Jackson leading the way in the backfield, along with Heisman contenders Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith shining, the Ohio State offense will once again be one of the best in the country. 12. Boise State RB Room: Dylan Riley, Sire Gaines, Juelz Goff, Harry Stewart III The Boise State Broncos are a popular pick to once again represent the GO6 in the College Football Playoff. A major factor into these preseason expectations is a strong backfield, led by Dylan Riley and Sire Gaines. Riley and Gaines shined for the Broncos last season, combining to rush for 1,936 yards and 18 touchdowns. Riley was named Second Team All-Mountain West last season. The program is heading into its third season under head coach Spencer Danielson. Under Danielson, Boise is 24-8 with the aforementioned CFP appearance in 2024-25. 13. Michigan RB Room: Jordan Marshall, Savion Hiter, Bryson Kuzdzal, Micah Ka’apana, Jonathan Brown While Michigan‘s running back room will surely be led by veteran Jordan Marshall, the Wolverines have a Five Star-Plus running back looming in the wings. Savion Hiter was the No. 1 ranked RB in the Class of 2026, and was the No. 13 ranked player overall. Paired with rising sophomore quarterback Bryce Underwood, Marshall and Hiter are poised to thrive in Kyle Whittingham‘s offense this season. Marshall rushed for 932 yards and 10 scores last season. The Michigan football program is seeking its sixth consecutive eight-plus win season in 2026. 14. Auburn RB Room: Jeremiah Cobb, Bryson Washington, Omar Mabson II, Nykahi Davenport, Tae Meadows Although former USF coach Alex Golesh took over at Auburn this offseason, the program was able to retain leading-rusher Jeremiah Cobb. Cobb totaled 969 yards and five scores last year, and is poised to be one of the best runners in the SEC this season. Washington made his way to the program by way of Baylor, where he compiled 1,861 yards and 18 touchdowns across his three-year career in Waco. Under Golesh’s leadership, the Tigers are seeking their first 10-plus win campaign since 2017. 15. Ole Miss RB Room: Kewan Lacy, Makhi Frazier, Joshua Dye Finally, the Ole Miss Rebels round out the top-15. Ole Miss‘ running back room is led by superstar running back Kewan Lacy, who is poised to be one of the top rushers in all of college football this season. Last year, Lacy was named both a First Team All-American and a First Team All-SEC selection. Before the 2026 season could even begin, Ole Miss began campaigning Lacy and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss for the Heisman Trophy. With Lacy leading the way, Ole Miss is seeking a second consecutive trip to the College Football Playoff. Teams 16-40 16. Penn State17. West Virginia18. Iowa19. Notre Dame20. LSU21. Tennessee22. Minnesota23. BYU24. Oklahoma State25. Northwestern26. Duke27. Kansas28. Kentucky29. Liberty30. Utah31. Rutgers32. James Madison33. UTSA34. UNLV35. Texas A&M36. Clemson37. Western Michigan38. Alabama39. Houston40. Vanderbilt Teams 41-66 41. San Diego State42. UCLA43. Indiana44. Fresno State45. UCF46. Oklahoma47. Tulsa48. Michigan State49. Kansas State50. Wisconsin51. Baylor52. Pitt53. Virginia54. Washington55. SMU56. Colorado57. Rice58. Illinois59. Arkansas60. Toledo61. Air Force62. NC State63. Wyoming64. Colorado State65. Army66. Akron