In order to measure the SEC’s best running backs in 2016, SDS updates a fresh top 10 each Monday. The criteria involves a mix of talent, recent past performance, 2016 production and outlook.
Here’s how the Top 10 looks after Week 4.
10. Kamryn Pettway, Auburn: Just as I predicted last week, Pettway and teammate Kerryon Johnson continued to jockey for spots in these rankings. His 3.6 yards per carry were decent against a fierce LSU defensive front, but it was still a quiet outing in light of his 100-yard performances each of the past two weeks. The 240-pound Pettway had a lot to do with wearing No. 18 LSU down in the second half of Auburn’s wild 18-13 win. But he got five fewer carries than Johnson, and they’ll continue to split touches however coach Gus Malzahn sees fit. As long as they’re both top 10 SEC rushers, it should stay fairly even.
This week: 17 carries, 61 yards
Season: 52 carries, 336 carries, 1 touchdown; 1 reception, 5 yards
9. Damien Harris, Alabama: Harris was just one of several SEC running backs to suffer an injury of some sort last weekend. He left the game in the first quarter and is now “day-to-day,” according to coach Nick Saban, after sustaining a hard hit to his leg. Bo Scarbrough saw limited touches thanks to a thigh bruise, giving freshman Joshua Jacobs the opportunity to rush for 97 yards and 2 TDs on 11 carries. Harris’ brief appearance due to unfortunate circumstances won’t damage his stock in these rankings too much, and I’m still confident he’s the Crimson Tide’s best back when healthy.
This week: 4 carries, 18 yards
Season: 40 carries, 345 yards, 1 touchdown; 4 receptions, 15 yards
8. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn: Johnson’s 93 rushing yards are the most LSU has allowed to an opposing running back in a single game this season. As if that wasn’t enough, the sophomore also torched the visiting Tigers in the passing game as Auburn held on for a dramatic 18-13 upset of No. 18 LSU. He and classmate Kamryn Pettway are still splitting carries pretty evenly, but Johnson gets the edge in these standings given his status as Auburn’s leading rusher in terms of yards and touchdowns. He surprisingly has the seventh-most yards among SEC running backs through the first month of the season and would rank even higher if Pettway didn’t warrant touches of his own. Finishing as the team’s leading receiver in a big SEC West game doesn’t hurt Johnson’s stock either.
This week: 22 carries, 93 yards; 4 receptions, 68 yards
Season: 78 carries, 371 yards, 4 touchdowns; 8 receptions, 70 yards
7. Nick Chubb, Georgia: Two factors limited Nick Chubb’s productivity last weekend: No. 12 Georgia’s ever-growing deficit in its 45-14 loss at No. 23 Ole Miss, and an ankle injury late in the second quarter. The junior still ran for 4.8 yards a carry when he was on the field, but his 222-yard performance in the season opener that launched him into Heisman Trophy contention feels like a distant memory now. Chubb hasn’t rushed for more than 80 yards in a single game since then. Backups Sony Michel and Brian Herrien looked decent in what was essentially a full half of garbage time, and while coach Kirby Smart declined to reveal the severity of Chubb’s injury, those two could see more touches if Chubb needs to be eased back into the mix.
This week: 12 carries, 57 yards
Season: 83 carries, 422 yards, 3 touchdowns; 1 reception, 12 yards
6. Rawleigh Williams III, Arkansas: Williams’ coming-out party as the Razorbacks’ premier back took a bit of a hit in their biggest game yet. No. 10 Texas A&M’s 45-24 win against No. 17 Arkansas marked a season-low for Williams in rushing (79 yards), and he also had a costly fumble at the goal line while trying to put his team ahead 17-7 in the second quarter. The sophomore rectified the mistake with an 8-yard scoring plunge on the very next possession, but he still found the going a little tougher in SEC play. Tougher rushing defenses await down the road in conference play, and Williams will need to rise to the occasion if the Razorbacks want to prove they can contend in the SEC West.
This week: 17 carries, 79 yards, 1 touchdown; 1 reception, -4 yards
Season: 88 carries, 433 yards, 4 touchdowns; 4 receptions, 11 yards
5. Jalen Hurd, Tennessee: Here’s your weekly reminder that the wheel route is one of the most underrated plays in football. Hurd reeled in one such pass for a touchdown to spark No. 14 Tennessee’s huge 38-28 comeback win against No. 19 Florida. He also nearly hit the 100-yard mark on the ground against what was statistically the nation’s best defense entering last weekend, which easily goes down as his best performance this season given the competition. On one particular run in the fourth quarter, Hurd broke two tackles and managed to keep his balance with one arm before carrying the entire Gators’ defense to the 5-yard line. After a disappointing start to the season, the junior can soar back to the top of these rankings if the Volunteers maintain this high level of play.
This week: 26 carries, 95 yards; 2 receptions, 25 yards, 1 touchdown
Season: 91 carries, 365 yards, 2 touchdowns; 4 receptions, 32 yards, 1 touchdown
4. Stanley “Boom” Williams, Kentucky: The emergence of freshman Benjamin Snell Jr. has reduced Williams’ carries, but he’s still making the most of his touches. Williams gained 50 more yards than Snell on one fewer rush and found the end zone as Kentucky picked up a crucial 17-10 win against South Carolina. He’s fifth among SEC running backs with 8 yards per carry this season and is quickly becoming one of the conference’s most consistent running backs on a week-to-week basis. As the Wildcats try to figure out their quarterback situation, coach Mark Stoops should continue to lean on the explosive junior to keep the offense going.
This week: 15 carries, 123 yards, 1 touchdown
Season: 58 carries, 464 yards, 2 touchdowns; 3 receptions, 23 yards
3. Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M: Say what you will about quarterback Trevor Knight’s ability to run the offense, but Williams has almost just as much to do with Texas A&M’s surge into the AP top 10. The true freshman leads the SEC in yards per carry (9.7) and has helped the Aggies become the nation’s 10th-best rushing offense after two years of finishing in the bottom half of the FBS in that category. With his longest rush at just 33 yards, he truly ran close to an average of 12.8 yards a pop as No. 10 Texas A&M pulled away from No. 17 Arkansas for a 45-24 win in Texas. Williams is even tied for the third-most receptions on a team rife with talent at receiver, and he’s a weapon coach Kevin Sumlin is not afraid to deploy despite the running back’s youth. The future looks quite bright for Williams.
This week: 12 carries, 153 yards, 2 touchdowns; 3 receptions, 5 yards
Season: 40 carries, 389 yards, 3 touchdowns; 10 receptions, 57 yards
2. Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt: Say it with me again, for the third straight week: SEC overall rushing leader (not yards per game) Ralph Webb. The junior is Vanderbilt’s superman, and he looked the part when he soared into the end zone from three yards out on the final play of regulation to force overtime. His heroics helped the Commodores secure a much-needed 31-30 win at Western Kentucky after a blowout at the hands of Georgia Tech on Sept. 17. Webb, who has scored almost half of his team’s touchdowns, is unquestionably Vanderbilt’s most valuable player. His yards per carry line isn’t the sexiest, but there’s something to be said for Webb doing the most with arguably the least amount of help around him.
This week: 27 carries, 95 yards, 3 touchdowns; 2 receptions, 4 yards
Season: 94 carries, 472 yards, 5 touchdowns; 8 receptions, 42 yards
1. Leonard Fournette, LSU: Fournette had his moments, but this was no repeat of last year’s LSU-Auburn game. Auburn kept him bottled up for the most part on a relatively low number of touches for coach Les Miles’ workhorse. Fournette appeared to reinjure the ankle that has hampered him this season and, as a result, was a non-factor in the wild final sequence that helped Auburn cling to an 18-13 victory against No. 18 LSU. Still, it’s worth noting the junior leads the SEC in rushing yards per game despite the Tigers’ complete lack of a passing threat. Fournette will always have tremendous upside, but if his ankle injury persists, coaches will keep him on his apparent pitch count and his potential may never be met during what is likely his final year in Baton Rouge.
This week: 16 carries, 101 yards; 2 receptions, 4 yards
Season: 67 carries, 386 yards, 2 touchdowns; 9 receptions, 69 yards
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
