Debate – Best RBs I’ve ever seen.

We are a short 40 days away from the greatest sports on the world returning to grace us with its greatness. As we prep ourselves for another great season, I am give a run down of the greatest players in NCAA history at their respective positions. I hope this sparks debates and build hype into the season. Enjoy and tell me who you would rank in your top 5.

 

1. Reggie Bush
USC (2003-05)
Stats: 433 att., 3,169 yds, 25 TD, 95 rec., 1,301 yds, 13 TD, 2,081 ret. yds, 3 TD

 

 

Words cannot describe some of the things I seen Reggie Bush do on the football and the major level in college. This top spot is very debatable considering the guys on the list, but Reggie is one of the best players in NCAA history that just happen to play the RB position. I’m sure he would have made the top 5 WR list because he was that talented. He possessed a unique skill set to the evolving running back position. Sort of a first of his kind, the all-purpose talent was unstoppable with the ball in his hands. He was like Peter Warrick but at RB.

He played a prominent role on the 2003 National Championship team before providing 908 yards rushing, 509 yards receiving, nearly 1,000 return yards and 15 total touchdowns during USC’s 2004 romp to a second national title. He exploded as a junior, rushing for 1,740 yards on a ridiculous 8.7 yards per carry and scoring 19 total touchdowns, losing a shot of his third national title by losing to Vince Young. He earned his second consecutive Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year award as well as the Doak Walker, Walter Camp and Heisman Trophy. His career 7.3 per carry average is fourth all-time and I do not care he had to return his trophy. Greatness is never forgotten.

 

2. Adrian Peterson

Oklahoma (2004-2006)

Stats: 747 att., 4,045 yds, 41 TD, 24 rec., 198 yds, TD

A three-time first-team All-Big 12 runner finished No. 2 in the Heisman Trophy voting as a true freshman in 2004, AP set the stage for what he was going to be in this world as a football player and that hasn’t stopped till this day. His 1,925 yards was an NCAA record for a true freshman and it earned him unanimous All-American honors. Injuries and a man name Reggie Bush keeps him from being number one on this list. Every generation we see a guy come along and just makes defenders look small and boyish, Bo Jackson type game changer, AP was our version. Guy has only been short of a 1,000 yards once in his life and that was the year he tore his ACL.

 

3. Darren McFadden

Arkansas (2005-2007)
Stats: 785 att., 4,590 yds, 41 TD, 46 rec., 365 yds, 2 TD (2, 2)

Going to keep it short and sweet on the career of McFadden. When it comes to pure breakaway speed and big play ability, nobody compares to what McFadden did. Wanna know who made the Wildcat offense famous? Go back and watch McFadden and Felix Jones make teams look silly trying to stop.

McFadden finished second in Heisman balloting in back-to-back seasons, coming up just short to Troy Smith in 2006 and Tim Tebow in 2007. McFadden won the Doak Walker and SEC Offensive Player of the Year awards in both consensus All-American seasons. His 4,590 yards is No. 2 all-time in SEC history to only Herschel Walker. He helped lead Arkansas to the SEC Championship Game in 2006 but came up short against eventual national champion Florida.

 

4. Ricky Williams

Texas (1995-98)
Stats: 1,011 att., 6,279 yds, 72 TD, 85 rec., 927 yds, 3 TD

The weed smoking power back to me put Texas back on the national map with his outstanding talent as a RB. His two-year junior and senior seasons probably will never be matched as he posted back-to-back seasons with at least 1,800 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns. Ricky had also broke the all-time NCAA rushing record, which a year later was broken by Ron Dayne. Ricky was a two-time consensus All-American, a two-time Doak Walker Award winner, a two-time Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and claimed the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award and Heisman Trophy as a senior.

 

5. LaDainian Tomlinson

TCU (1997-00)

Stats: 943 att., 5,387 yds, 43 TD, 43 rec., 267

One of my favorite players all time on the college and pro level, I’m not sure he gets his just due for how amazing he was college. LT had one of the greatest careers in NCAA history. L.T. took over the national scene as a junior with 1,974 yards and 20 touchdowns, including the NCAA single-game rushing record of 406 yards against UTEP. His senior year he came out with another 2,158 yards and 22 scores, winning the Doak Walker, his second WAC Offensive Player of the Year award, consensus All-American honors and a fourth place finish in the Heisman voting. He is the primary reason people know about TCU football and his legend will leave on as one of the best running backs I have ever seen in college football but NFL as well.

 

Honorable Mention:

 

Ron Dayne

Edgerrin James

Trent Richardson

Darren Sproles

Larry Johnson

Steven Jackson

Jamal Lewis

Marcus Lattimore

Javid Best

 

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