The 10 best seasons by sophomore RBs in SEC history
Although it’s not uncommon to see a first-year player contribute immediately at running back, some of the best seasons in SEC history at the position have come from sophomores.
LSU’s Derrius Guice and Arkansas’ Rawleigh Williams III each broke the 1,300-yard rushing mark last season, and there are several rising sophomore running backs who are capable of surpassing that barrier in 2017.
Benjamin Snell, Damarea Crockett and Trayveon Williams form a very talented trio, and Rico Dowdle is another rising sophomore with the potential to earn a spot on this list. That’s easier said than done, though, as many of these seasons have stood the test of time.
For clarification purposes, our list is determined solely on total rushing yards from a player’s sophomore season. Feel free to debate any players who didn’t make the cut in the comments below.
If you missed out on our list of the best sophomore seasons from quarterbacks, click here.
No. 10: Rawleigh Williams III, Arkansas (2016)
Sophomore stats: 245 Att., 1,360 YDs, 5.6 Avg., 12 TDs
Williams was often a workhorse for the Razorbacks, and finished third in the SEC in rushing yards last season. The highlight of his sophomore campaign was a 16-carry, 205-yard, 4-touchdown outing against Mississippi State, in which 191 of those yards and all four touchdowns came in the first half.
Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
No. 9: Madre Hill, Arkansas (1995)
Sophomore stats: 307 Att., 1,387 YDs, 4.5 Avg., 15 TDs
Before Darren McFadden arrived, Hill owned several school rushing records, including single-season rushing yards and rushing attempts. His sophomore season was the best by an Arkansas running back at the time, and his six touchdowns against South Carolina are tied for the second-most in a game in NCAA history.
No. 8: Derrius Guice, LSU (2016)
Sophomore stats: 183 Att., 1,387 YDs, 7.6 Avg., 15 TDs
Had Guice been LSU’s primary running back, he would have easily been much higher on this list. With fewer than 200 carries, Guice led the SEC in rushing yards and yards per carry. Against Texas A&M he set the school’s single-game rushing record with 285. He became the fourth running back in SEC history with multiple 250-yard performances, joining Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker and Moe Williams.
No. 7: Knowshon Moreno, Georgia (2008)
Sophomore stats: 250 Att., 1,400 YDs, 5.6 Avg., 16 TDs
After a stellar freshman season, expectations were high for the Georgia running back. As the starting back on the No. 1 team in the country, Moreno entered the year as a Heisman Trophy contender. He responded with a career season and led the SEC in rushing. Moreno was a second-team All-American selection and finished second for the Doak Walker Award, which is given to the nation’s best running back.
Credit: Amanda C. Melton – University of Georgia Athletics
No. 6: Jeremy Hill, LSU (2013)
Sophomore stats: 203 Att., 1,401 YDs, 6.9 Avg., 16 TDs
As a redshirt sophomore, Hill became an absolute nightmare for SEC defenses. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry, best among SEC players with more than 100 attempts, and had seven games with 100 yards or more. For his efforts, Hill was a first-team All-SEC selection.
Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
No. 5: Bobby Humphrey, Alabama (1986)
Sophomore stats: 236 Att., 1,471 YDs, 6.2 Avg., 15 TDs
At the time, Humphrey set Alabama’s single-season rushing record with his 1,471-yard breakout campaign in 1986. Humphrey helped Ray Perkins enjoy his only 10-win season with the Tide.
No. 4: Darren McFadden, Arkansas (2006)
Sophomore stats: 284 Att., 1,647 YDs, 5.8 Avg., 14 TDs
One of the most exciting running backs in SEC history, McFadden was virtually unstoppable as the lead figure in Arkansas’ “Wildcat” formation. He finished second in the Heisman voting after the season and became the first sophomore to win the Doak Walker Award. McFadden became the first SEC running back since Moe Williams in 1995 to reach the 1,600-yard threshold.
No. 3: Mark Ingram, Alabama (2009)
Sophomore stats: 271 Att., 1,658 YDs, 6.1 Avg., 17 TDs
Ingram’s sophomore season ended with the first Heisman Trophy in Alabama’s history and the first national championship title of the Nick Saban era. The workhorse running back had five games with over 100 yards and 2 touchdowns en route to briefly setting the Tide’s single-season rushing record. Saban’s offenses have become known for a dominant running game, but Ingram was the first to forge that reputation.
No. 2: Herschel Walker, Georgia (1981)
Sophomore stats: 385 Att., 1,891 YDs, 4.9 Avg., 18 TDs
Widely considered the best running back in SEC history, and for many, the best college football has ever seen, Walker dominated defenses for three years at Georgia. Although he led the Bulldogs to a national championship as a freshman and won the Heisman Trophy as a junior, Walker’s best statistical season came as a sophomore. In only three years, Walker gained nearly 700 yards more during his college career than the next-closest running back in the SEC record books. There may never be another Herschel Walker.
His SEC single-season rushing record stood until 2015.
Credit: University of Georgia Athletics
No. 1: Leonard Fournette, LSU (2015)
Sophomore stats: 300 Att., 1,953 YDs, 6.5 Avg., 22 TDs; 19 Rec., 253 YDs, 1 TD
In his sophomore season, Fournette became the unstoppable force that everyone believed he could be. The LSU star led the country with 162.75 yards per game, and he finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting. On 85 fewer carries, Fournette broke Walker’s long-standing SEC rushing record for sophomores. Granted, the eras in which they played are vastly different, but Fournette’s peak season is on par with anyone who ever played the game.
