Summer Scouting - RB's

Welcome to the second instalment of my Summer Scouting series. Today, we're looking at the Running Back class. This class, in my opinion, is much richer in talent than the 2026 class. I watched 25 players for this article and seriously considered 18 of them for my top 10. When it comes to this position, I have a type: 5'10''-6'3'', more than 215 lbs, runs hard, and likes to bury their helmet into a defender. You'll find that the backs I am higher on usually fit this mould.

As I did with the Quarterbacks, I will give you some 2025 stats from PFF. To quickly run you through what some of the abbreviation mean; YPA - yards per attempt, YCO/A - yards after contact per attempt, which shows how a ball carrier plays through contact, MTF - missed tackles forced, and ADOT - average depth of target, which demonstrates how these backs are used in the passing game.

12 months ago, I had Makhi Hughes as RB2; he went on to hardly play for Oregon, and has since transferred to Houston. Just goes to show how volatile both the position and college football can be, so please bear that in mind when reading this, but feel free to rip apart my takes.

10. Hollywood Smothers

Class:​ Redshirt Junior  ​

College: Texas  

Jersey No.: 2  

Height: 5'11''  

Weight:  195 lbs

Previous Schools: Oklahoma (2023) NC State (2024-25)  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
939	5.9	6	3.84	49	79.4

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
40	37	189	1	-0.6	77.1	41.0

He's not called 'Hollywood' for nothing! Smothers is a really fun player to watch; he's been a key part of the NC State offence over the last two years. Smothers shows good vision which he couples with dynamic movements to burst through the line. He possesses enough speed to beat defenders to the edge, as well as to be a constant big-play threat. It's not just his quick feet that make him such a weapon. Smothers also has great contact balance; defenders have to get both arms around him to bring him down, which is not easy at his speed. As his ADOT suggests, he doesn't really run routes as a receiver, but defences must account for him out of the backfield. If he gets the ball in his hands, he's going to cause problems.

Pass protection is probably never going to be his strong point, but I would like to see it become more consistent in 2026. Smothers will be splitting with fellow transfer, Raleek Brown (who just missed out on this list) in the Longhorns' revamped backfield. Hopefully, for their sake, they are the catalysts for a much improved run game which will be crucial for a team that has National Championship aspirations.

9. Cam Cook

Class:​ Senior

College: West Virginia  

Jersey No.: 4  

Height: 5'9''  

Weight: 202 lbs  

Previous Schools: TCU (2023-24) Jacksonville State (2025)

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
1650	5.6	16	3.87	101	89.4

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
41	30	297	0	-0.6	59.6	75.2

What a year Cam Cook had for the Gamecocks in 2025, amongst all FBS Running Backs, Cook ranked 2nd in attempts, 1st in yards, tied-4th in touchdowns, 1st in MTF and 1st in rushes of 10 yards or more. Cook is an electric, well-rounded back. He has good vision at the line and is decisive in his choices. This allows him to hit the line at speed, making it harder for defenders to fill the gaps. He's not a player who will truck through a defender, but if he has even a glimmer of light on either side of that defender, then he can use his quick feet and low centre of gravity and great contact balance to make himself extremely hard to bring down. This ability shines at all three levels of the defence, and he has shown a very effective stiff arm too once he's facing Defensive Backs.

Cook was used as a receiving weapon in the pass game, running a route on 300/368 pass plays that he was on the field; of those 300 routes, 72 were from alignments other than the backfield, mainly the slot. Now, I use the word 'route' in the loosest possible sense; he almost exclusively ran swings, screens or very short hitch routes. Cook had one target of more than 10 yards, and that was incomplete. This isn't necessarily a criticism; the Jacksonville State offence revolved around him, they were desperate to get him the ball in space as much as possible. You'd be forgiven for thinking, with those stats, he should be higher in my rankings, and I'm sure some people will have him higher, but I need to see him against more robust competition before I get too excited.

8. Keyjuan Brown

Class:​ Redshirt Junior  ​

College: Louisville  

Jersey No.: 22  

Height: 5'10''  

Weight: 210 lbs  

Previous Schools: N/A  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
703	7.3	6	5.14	35	92.1

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
14	12	118	0	0.3	63.3	21.2

Brown is a player who kept jumping off the screen every time I watched any Cardinal from the 2026 class, so I will certainly be higher on him than others. He doesn't quite meet the weight requirements to be classed as 'my type', but he nails the rest of the criteria, and frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if he did play at 215 lbs+. He averages over 5 yards per carry, and that's after he gets contacted by a defender, more than every player on this list other than his teammate (who we'll talk about later), I have no idea what they're feeding these guys in Louisville, but I want some. This really demonstrates how ridiculously good his contact balance is, and how hard he is to bring down. Contrary to the grade PFF gave him, I was actually really impressed with his pass blocking, he was the best that I watched from a technical standpoint. Looking at his season, he either graded out really well or really poorly on a game-to-game basis and PFF's algorithm despises such a fluctuation.

Brown attacks the line like he's been shot out of a cannon which, although part of me loves, does result in him running down some blind alleys from time to time. Vision and patience are a work in progress, which isn't a surprise given Brown has only 154 carries in three years of college football (for reference, there's a player we'll talk about later who had 304 carries in 2025 alone). Brown will continue to play second fiddle to his teammate in 2026, but I am bullish on his upside.

7. Fluff Bothwell

Class:​ Junior  ​

College: Mississippi State  

Jersey No.: 24  

Height: 5'10''  

Weight: 229 lbs 

Previous Schools: South Alabama (2024)  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
677	4.8	6	2.90	21	76.2

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
20	14	105	0	0.0	57.5	45.4

Oh look......another big guy! Bothwell made the jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC and didn't look out of place. Bothwell's tape is much more impressive than his very mid stats would suggest; he played behind an Offensive Line that was well below par for most of 2025. He is a hard runner who possesses good contact balance, and no matter how he is tackled, he nearly always falls forward. He also has a sneaky good juke that I think catches defenders by surprise.

Bothwell runs like he's 229 lbs, he has heavy feet and lacks explosiveness at the line of scrimmage, and doesn't have the long speed to be a regular big play threat. Despite this, I really like him, he's just a no-nonsense back who will consistently get you 4 or 5 yards which, for me, is highly valuable to an offence.

6. Antwan Raymond

Class: Junior​  ​

College: Rutgers  

Jersey No.: 3  

Height: 5'11''  

Weight: 205 lbs  

Previous Schools:  N/A

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
1238	5.1	13	3.62	76	87.8

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
24	18	224	2	4.7	69.7	75.8

Raymond backed up Chicago Bears standout rookie Kyle Monangai for the Scarlet Knights in 2024 before taking over as the main man last year, and what a year he had; nearly 1500 total yards along with his 15 total touchdowns. The first thing that I noticed about the man from Montreal was his patience behind the line of scrimmage, he is happy to let his blocks develop in front of him before making his move. This wasn't always a positive for him though, I think there were times that it was more hesitation than patience, maybe caused by a lack of natural vision, and/or occasional subpar blocking by the big boys in front of him. I would also like to see more explosion from Raymond when he does see a gap; currently, he seems a bit pedestrian through the line of scrimmage. However, this is not the case when he gets into the defensive backfield; here, he always seems to have an extra gear to shift into. He's far too quick for most Linebackers and often stresses defensive backs with his burst in space.

Raymond is also a threat in the passing game, he shows soft, natural hands on film and is a nightmare for Linebackers to cover. His 4.7 yard ADOT is considerably more than anyone else who made my top 10. This number was helped by 3 targets of 20+ yards on which Raymond caught 2 passes for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rutgers were certainly not afraid to throw the ball deep to him, but he also produced well in the 7-10 yard range. This is another pass block grade from PFF that I do not agree with, in my opinion, while Raymond is a willing blocker, his technique requires some development. I feel better about Keyjuan Brown's blocking tape than I do about Raymond's, even with Brown's much smaller sample size.

5. Joe Jackson

Class:​ Redshirt Junior ​

College: Kansas State  

Jersey No.: 4  

Height: 6'0''  

Weight: 207 lbs  

Previous Schools: N/A  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
905	5.4	8	4.00	23	72.3

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
26	22	119	1	0.5	55.9	28.2

Despite just falling short of the weight threshold to be 'my type', Jackson is the first player in the 2027 draft cycle that I am labelling as 'my guy'. He's a player I think I will be higher on than most, I just had so much fun watching his game film. He plays hard and fast and bursts through gaps at the line of scrimmage. He lacks the agility and top-end speed to be a big play threat, he had a rush of 80 yards in his monster game against Utah in week 13, he only had two other runs of more than 20 yards. Jackson knows his limitations and as a result, tends to try to go through defenders, which is probably why I like him so much. He just adores contact, he does not care whether you are a 300 lbs Defensive Tackle or a 180 lbs Cornerback, he wants to introduce his helmet to your sternum. When Jackson does opt to attach the space, rather than the defender, he shows his great contact balance to gain extra yards.

As a blocker, he's willing and aggressive, but plays with little control and he often engages far too upright, making it fairly easy for defenders to get around him, this a is a rare case where I agree with the PFF grade. This aggressiveness is much more effective on the few run blocking snaps he had when he's used as a lead blocker on an end-around for example. I'm a big fan of Jackson, from his aesthetic to his play style, and the best is yet to come, 2025 was Jackson's first year as a starter, he had just 43 carries before that.

4. Isaac Brown

Class: Junior​  ​

College: Louisville  

Jersey No.: 1  

Height: 5'9''  

Weight: 190 lbs 

Previous Schools: N/A  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
878	8.8	7	5.33	39	87.6

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
16	13	48	0	-1.5	56.9	23.7

Another Mr Brown at Louisville, another absolute freak in the backfield. Isaac Brown was the starter for the Cardinals in 2025, and will continue to be so in 2026, and boy is he electric. Everyone knows about his big play ability, it feels like he could break a long run every time he touches the ball. I think his vision at the line of scrimmage is fine, there are times where he takes the wrong option in my view. For me, this is due to the speed at which he approaches the line, he makes up his mind early and explodes through the gap. I actually quite like this trait, but maybe a tad more patience is required at times. He has surprisingly good contact balance for a player of his stature, mainly due to his low centre of gravity and the ferocity of his leg drive.

Brown is a willing blocker but lacks the size and strength to be consistently effective. I have heard murmurings of fumble issues with Brown, 5 over the last 2 years. While that's not ideal, I have seen worse and did not pick up anything while watching him to suggest why it may be an ongoing issue. I have Brown clustered in a tier with the next two guys on my list, these three, and my No. 1 would have easily been RB2 in the 2026 class for me.

3. Kewan Lacy

Class: Junior​  ​

College: Ole Miss  

Jersey No.: 5  

Height: 5'11''  

Weight: 210 lbs  

Previous Schools: Missouri (2024)  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
1564	5.1	24	3.29	89	91.6

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
36	29	177	0	-2.9	50.7	54.2

No FBS Running Back had more carries in 2025 than Kewan Lacy (307). After transferring from Missouri, Lacy quickly established himself as one of the best at the position, becoming a major asset for Trinidad Chambliss and the Ole Miss offence. I describe Lacy, who is still only 19, as boringly good, which may sound harsh, but I say it with the utmost admiration. He just does everything well; he's got good vision when reading the defence, he decisively explodes through the hole, possesses great contact balance making him hard to tackle, and has enough speed to take it all the way. His pass protection is fine, not great, maybe needs a bit of work but the only real 'weakness' in his game is probably his catching; he dropped 5 passes last year, but I'm really clutching at straws calling it a weakness.

Aside from the possible drop issues, Lacy has no other glaring development needs, if he repeats this level of performance in 2026, I can see him being a first-round selection next April. The only slight concern I have, is the workload, can he continue to to stay healthy and produce on 300+ carries a year? I'm not saying he can't, but it's a question mark for me.

2. Jadan Baugh

Class:​ Junior ​

College: Florida  

Jersey No.: 13  

Height: 6'1''  

Weight: 229 lbs  

Previous Schools: N/A  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
1168	5.3	8	3.47	65	89.5

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
40	33	210	2	-0.1	69.9	65.8

Probably the player on this list I am most excited to see in 2026, Baugh is an absolute weapon in the backfield. I really like how he keeps his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage for as long as possible, allowing him to cut in either direction if a hole opens up and with vision as good as his means backside defenders can never switch off. Baugh shows some really dynamic explosiveness and burst, both at the line and when he get to the second level, he also has great contact balance. In my notes on Baugh I wrote that he moves like he's 205 lbs, but finishes like he's 245 lbs, which I think sums him up perfectly.

As a pass blocker he is fairly consistent, although wasn't used in that role a great deal (only 58 snaps in 2025). He, like many on this list, was used as a receiving weapon, but tend just to run the standard Running Back route tree of swings, screen and option routes. He did show some natural hands though, not registering a single drop all year and even showing the ability to catch the ball in with defenders all over him. Baugh did all this behind a subpar Florida Offensive Line, and a Quarterback who teams knew was struggling, he's in line for a massive 2026 in my opinion.

1. Ahmad Hardy

Class:​ Junior  ​

College: Missouri  

Jersey No.: 29  

Height: 5'10''  

Weight: 205 lbs  

Previous Schools: Louisiana Monroe (2024)  

2025 Rushing Stats:

Yards	YPA	TD	YCO/A	MTF	PFF Rushing Grade
1648	6.4	16	4.60	97	92.5

2025 Receiving Stats:

Targets	Receptions	Yards	TD	ADOT	PFF Receiving Grade	PFF Pass Blocking Grade
7	6	22	0	-1.1	48.2	77.2

Right, let's start with the elephant in the room here; Hardy was suffered a gun shot wound to his knee or upper leg on 10th May. He is back at the Tigers' facility and has begun rehab after requiring surgery, but at present his prospects of playing are unknown. As there is so much I do not know about his situation, I am approaching it as if he is playing come the start of the season.

After transferring up to the SEC from Louisiana-Monroe in the Sun-Belt, Hardy took little time in cementing himself as the best Running Back in the nation for me, especially among draft eligible players. His vision, burst, lateral agility and contact balance are just a notch better than Brown, Lacy and Baugh in my opinion, and those little notches all make a difference on the field. Hardy has the ability to make something out of nothing with his aforementioned agility and speed to break big plays at any time.

In the pass game he was seldom used. In fact he was only on the field for 167 of Missouri's 424 drop backs. On those plays, he was rarely targeted. I don't really know why, as he seems to be a fine receiving option. As a pass blocker, we have yet another limited sample size; 34 pass blocking snaps with just the one hurry allowed, so he was effective when utilised. For me, Hardy is the most well rounded runner of this class, if he can become any sort of consistent receiving threat, we might have another top-10 running back on our hands. Alright, that might be slightly hyperbolic given the overall strength of the class, but you get my point, I think Hardy can be special.

Some notable names that just missed my top 10: Mark Fletcher, Miami, DeSean Bishop Tennessee, Caden Durham, LSU, Cameron Dickey, Texas Tech, Raleek Brown, Texas, and Justice Haynes, Georgia Tech all knocked on the door of my top 10, and there plenty more too.

That sums up the Running Back edition of summer scouting, given the nature of the position and the fact that I can indeed be wrong (don't tell the wife) I am sure there are some takes in here that will seem ridiculous in 12 months time. Who did I miss? What does your top 10 look like? let me know in the comments below.