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 7.
10. Jordan Scarlett, Florida: Gators coach Jim McElwain is stubbornly sticking to the strategy of using his stable of running backs, but Scarlett is still making the most of his portion of touches. He gained 8.4 yards a carry, finally eclipsed the 100-yard mark and scored a touchdown as No. 18 Florida cruised past Missouri, 40-14. Keep in mind Scarlett turned out such a performance while receiving less than a third of the Gators’ rushes. The sophomore does lead the team in carries and yards this season, but the committee of Mark Thompson (57 carries), Lamical Perine (48) and Jordan Cronkrite (26) will continue to limit his potential. However, Scarlett has more rushing touchdowns than those three combined, and he has undoubtedly been Florida’s best back in 2016. It’s up to McElwain to make better use of him.
This week: 12 carries, 101 yards, 1 touchdown
Season: 67 carries, 375 yards, 5 touchdowns; 2 receptions, 9 yards
9. Damarea Crockett, Missouri: You thought the distribution of carries for Scarlett was bad? Crockett is Missouri’s leading rusher this season despite having received 29 fewer carries than Ish Witter. In fact, Crockett got fewer carries than Witter in all but one game, a 79-0 bloodbath against FCS Delaware State. That was the case again in the Tigers’ 40-14 loss at No. 18 Florida, yet Crockett still produced more rushing yards against the Gators than any other player this year. The true freshman gashed a top 15 rushing defense for nearly 150 yards, and he’s now sixth among SEC running backs with 7.2 yards per carry. Crockett certainly warrants more carries, but coach Barry Odom’s pass-happy offense and apparent dedication to Witter as the primary back will probably prevent that from happening.
This week: 14 carries, 145 yards; 1 reception, 1 yard
Season: 54 carries, 390 yards, 3 touchdowns; 3 receptions, 11 yards
8. Nick Chubb, Georgia: I can’t for the life of me get a read on Chubb. Each of his big performances this season has been followed by a dud, the latest one as part of Georgia’s stunning 17-16 loss at the hands of Vanderbilt. When you remove his longest carry of 13 yards, Chubb averaged a meager 1.8 yards per carry. Yes, the Bulldogs’ offensive line was once again manhandled by a Commodores front that entered the game ranked 79th nationally in rushing defense, yet the junior hasn’t shown signs of his old self since Week 1. Chubb has moved up, down, in and out of these rankings more than any other back this season, which is indicative of his inconsistent season. But he still has the fourth-most rushing yards among SEC backs, which is good enough to secure a spot in these rankings for the foreseeable future.
This week: 16 carries, 40 yards
Season: 116 carries, 586 yards, 5 touchdowns; 2 receptions, 21 yards
7. Alvin Kamara, Tennessee: Kamara had a poor showing statistically as No. 9 Tennessee got throttled by No. 1 Alabama 49-10, but so did every other Volunteer not named Derek Barnett. Fellow running back Jalen Hurd returned from injury but averaged just 2.2 yards per touch to Kamara’s 2.8. The latter also scored Tennessee’s only touchdown of the day, which is a huge boost coming out of a game where every offensive player struggled. Kamara is still one of the most dynamic and complete backs in the SEC, and it’s not uncommon for the Crimson Tide to shut down running backs of his caliber. The junior is trending upward compared with Hurd, and that’s why he maintains a spot in the top 10 this week.
This week: 8 carries, 21 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 receptions, 7 yards
Season: 64 carries, 313 yards, 3 touchdowns; 22 receptions, 260 yards, 3 touchdowns
6. Kamryn Pettway, Auburn: With Auburn on an open date last Saturday, I couldn’t justify taking two spots on this list for both of the Tigers’ stud running backs. We’re rolling with Pettway here instead of Kerryon Johnson, though both are absolutely deserving of this spot. Pettway gets the nod based on his superior yards-per-carry mark (5.6 to 5.1) and because Johnson hasn’t played a full game since Oct. 1. When an injury forced Johnson to make an early exit from Auburn’s win against Mississippi State on Oct. 8, Pettway erupted for 169 yards and 3 touchdowns as the primary back. But it has been apparent all season that coach Gus Malzahn has no designs on a feature-back system, instead opting to have his sophomore duo split carries in a thunder-and-lightning timeshare. That shouldn’t change with Johnson reportedly on the mend, and both running backs will probably enjoy a spot here as the season progresses.
This week: Did not play (off week)
Season: 91 carries, 505 yards, 4 touchdowns; 2 receptions, 14 yards
5. Ralph Webb, Vanderbilt: The Commodores won a game in which their workhorse didn’t have a monster stat line. Welcome to the bizarro world that is the SEC East. Georgia kept Webb bottled up for the entire game — his longest rush was just 9 yards — but still fell to Vanderbilt 17-16 in an ugly game. The junior’s best play of the day came on 3rd-and-12 early in the fourth quarter, when he took a screen pass 37 yards to set up the go-ahead score. Webb is second in the conference in rushing yards, but it should be noted that he has 15 more carries than any other SEC back and averages just 4.7 yards a pop. I think he’s one of the most underrated players in the league, but his team is starting to hold him back more and more every week.
This week: 19 carries, 48 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 receptions, 44 yards
Season: 155 carries, 730 yards, 6 touchdowns; 13 receptions, 108 yards
4. Damien Harris, Alabama: Let me start by saying this: almost any of the Crimson Tide’s running backs would find themselves in these rankings if they received the bulk of the carries. But as long as Harris continues to get the lion’s share of the work, this spot is his. The sophomore has three talented running backs behind him, and quarterback Jalen Hurts is working wonders in the running game himself, but his status as coach Nick Saban’s favored back bodes well going forward. As for last week, Harris rushed for a quiet 94 yards as No. 1 Alabama thrashed injury-riddled No. 9 Tennessee, 49-10. His numbers won’t be gaudy if offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin continues to spread carries around, but Harris has been the most consistent back thus far.
This week: 14 carries, 94 yards; 1 reception, -7 yards
Season: 69 carries, 572 yards, 1 touchdown; 8 receptions, 74 yards, 1 touchdown
3. Trayveon Williams, Texas A&M: In terms of pure explosive ability, nobody in the SEC is better than Williams. His 8.6 yards per carry are second behind only LSU’s Derrius Guice, but it’s a high mark he has sustained on 20 more carries than the Tigers’ sophomore. Speaking of classifications, have we mentioned Williams is a true freshman? Not only has he firmly established himself as Texas A&M’s primary running back, he has taken the entire SEC by storm with 148.8 rushing yards per game in four conference outings. Williams is a receiving threat out of the backfield as well and is only more effective now that quarterback Trevor Knight has proved he’s a legitimate rushing option even in the SEC. By breathing life into a once-stagnant running game, Williams has helped the undefeated Aggies climb to No. 6 nationally and shown that he’s one of the SEC’s best backs despite his youth.
This week: Did not play (off week)
Season: 82 carries, 704 yards, 5 touchdowns; 13 receptions, 71 yards
2. Derrius Guice, LSU: Life after Leonard Fournette — a fast-approaching inevitability for LSU — is starting to look less and less bleak. Guice is an excellent back in his own right with a blend of burst, power and agility that rivals Fournette’s. On top of all that is the breakaway speed he displayed on his 61-yard touchdown run that sparked a 28-point third quarter in the Tigers’ 45-10 win against Southern Miss. Guice has made a strong case to be No. 1 in these rankings: In relatively limited playing time, Guice boasts an SEC-best 9.1 yards per carry and is tied for the most touchdowns among league running backs with six. But the only thing keeping him from the top spot is that his big outings came against Jacksonville State, Missouri and Southern Miss, which isn’t exactly the stiffest competition out there.
This week: 16 carries, 162 yards, 2 touchdowns; 1 reception, 7 yards
Season: 62 carries, 564 yards, 6 touchdowns; 4 receptions, 61 yards
1. Rawleigh Williams III, Arkansas: For the third week in a row, there’s a new SEC rushing yards leader. Williams moved into that position with a huge outing as No. 22 Arkansas outlasted No. 12 Ole Miss, 34-30, in a back-and-forth SEC West thriller. After struggling against the Razorbacks’ first two conference opponents, the sophomore finally looked like the running back that turned heads through the first three weeks of the season. Williams would have likely topped 200 yards on the ground if not for freshman Devwah Whaley, who effectively spelled him to the tune of 65 yards on 11 carries. Williams’ receiving touchdown is a plus as well, but the eye-popping rushing total is what lifted him into the top spot this week.
This week: 27 carries, 180 yards; 2 receptions, 18 yards, 1 touchdown
Season: 140 carries, 785 yards, 5 touchdowns; 8 receptions, 80 yards, 1 touchdown
Marcus covers SEC football for Saturday Down South.
