The Farrell 50: Top Running Backs for 2023

Mike Farrell ranks the best running backs in college football for 2023, led by Quinshon Judkins…

August 3, 2023

Oct 29

The rating of the top RBs entering any season is always an annual treat. Sometimes they pan out and sometimes they flip. Who is this year’s slam dunk and which guy on this list will make me look dumb? Here’s my top 50 in order and ranked in tiers — it’s called the Farrell 50 and I’ve been doing it since 2010.

Tier One

1. Quinshon Judkins, Ole Miss

2. Raheim Sanders, Arkansas

3. Braelon Allen, Wisconsin

Dec 27, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Braelon Allen (0) runs the ball for a touchdown against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the second half of the 2022 Guaranteed Rate Bowl at Chase Field.

4. Will Shipley, Clemson

5. Nick Singleton, Penn State

6. Donovan Edwards, Michigan

7. Blake Corum, Michigan

8. TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Nov 19, 2022; College Park, MD, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson (32) carries the ball against Maryland Terrapins in the second quarter of their Big Ten game at SECU Stadium.

Tier Two

9. Jarquez Hunter, Auburn

10. Bucky Irving, Oregon

11. Trey Benson, Florida State

Nov 5, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles running back Trey Benson (3) runs with the football ahead of Miami Hurricanes safety James Williams (0) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium.

12. Miyan Williams, Ohio State

13. Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss

14. Carson Steele, UCLA

15. Devin Neal, Kansas

16. Damien Martinez, Oregon State

17. Trevor Etienne, Florida

18. Audric Estime, Notre Dame

Nov 5, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime (7) scores a touchdown against the Clemson Tigers in the fourth quarter at Notre Dame Stadium.

19. Roman Hemby, Maryland

20. Kendall Milton, Georgia

21. Richard Reese, Baylor

22. Montrell Johnson Jr., Florida

Florida Gators running back Montrell Johnson Jr. (2) runs with the ball during the first half against the South Carolina Gamecocks at Steve Spurrier Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, FL on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

23. Jaylen Wright, Tennessee

24. Jace McClellan, Alabama

25. CJ Donaldson, West Virginia

Tier Three

26. Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

27. Marquez Cooper, Ball State

28. Jawhar Jordan, Louisville

Dec 17, 2022; Boston, MA, USA; Louisville Cardinals running back Jawhar Jordan (25) runs the ball against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first half at Fenway Park.

29. George Holani, Boise State

30. Ja’Quinden Jackson, Utah

31. Kaytron Allen, Penn State

32. Jabari Small, Tennessee

Sep 1, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jabari Small (2) celebrates after running for a touchdown against the Ball State Cardinals during the first half at Neyland Stadium.

33. Devin Mockobee, Purdue

34. Ray Davis, Kentucky

35. Rodney Hammond Jr., Pitt

Rodney Hammond Jr. (6) and M.J. Devonshire (12) of the Pittsburgh Panthers react as the West Virginia Mountaineers walk off the field after falling to the Panthers 38-31 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on September 1, 2022. Pitt Vs West Virginia Backyard Brawl

36. Brian Battie, Auburn

37. Jonathon Brooks, Texas

38. Jovantae Barnes, Oklahoma

Tier Four

39. Sean Tyler, Minnesota

40. Jaydn Ott, Cal

Sep 24, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears running back Jaydn Ott (6) scores a touchdown against the Arizona Wildcats during the third quarter at FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium.

41. Anthony Grant, Nebraska

42. Logan Diggs, LSU

43. Samson Evans, Eastern Michigan

44. Austin Jones, USC

Nov 19, 2022; Pasadena, California, USA; Southern California Trojans running back Austin Jones (6) runs the ball against the UCLA Bruins during the second half at the Rose Bowl.

45. Treshaun Ward, Kansas State

46. Aidan Robbins, BYU

47. Noah Whittington, Oregon

48. La’Damian Webb, South Alabama

49. Blake Watson, Memphis

50. Alton McCaskill, Colorado

Category: College Football, NewsTag: Aidan Robbins, Alejandro Mata, Alton McCaskill, Anthony Grant, Audric Estime, Austin Jones, Blake Corum, Blake Watson, Braelon Allen, Brian Battie, Bucky Irving, Cam Lockridge, Carlton Smith, Chris Horton, CJ Donaldson, Coby Bryant, Devin Mockobee, Devin Neal, Farrell 50, Frank Gore Jr., George Holani, Holden Geriner, Jabari Small, Jace McClellan, Jarquez Hunter, Jaydn Ott, Jaylen Wright, John Emery Jr., Jonathon Brooks, Kaleb Johnson, Kaytron Allen, Kendall Milton, Logan Diggs, Marquez Cooper, Maruion Horn, Matt Perkins, Mike Farrell, Miyan Williams, Montrell Johnson, Nicholas Singleton, Noah Whittington, Quinshon Judkins, Raheim Sanders, Richard Reese, Rodney Hammond Jr, Samson Evans, Sean Tyler, Travis Williams, TreVeyon Henderson, Trey Benson, Ty Stamey, Will Shipley

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