For the reason that daybreak of time, faculty soccer has been a land of premier working backs. Actually, a working again has received the sought-after Heisman Trophy 45 instances – in 45 particular person seasons – because the award was first launched in 1935.
Simply final 12 months, Boise State working again Ashton Jeanty rushed for two,601 yards — the second-most for a participant within the historical past of the game — and 29 touchdowns, serving to him change into the runner-up for the 2024 Heisman Trophy Award and get chosen by the Las Vegas Raiders with the No. 6 choose within the 2025 NFL Draft. There are numerous nice backs in that historical past, however typically they solely begin for one or two years given the depth of a powerhouse program and/or gamers redshirting. On that observe, nonetheless, which gamers have essentially the most speeding yards within the historical past of school soccer?
The Prime 10 Speeding Leaders in FBS Historical past
10. Texas RB Cedrick Benson – 5,540 yards
Cedric Benson led the Massive 12 in speeding touchdowns in back-to-back seasons. (Picture by Ronald Martinez/Getty Photographs)
Throughout Benson’s 4 seasons in Austin (2001-04), he was the most effective working backs within the sport in each season. Benson averaged 1,385 speeding yards and 16 touchdowns per season, whereas main the Massive 12 in speeding scores in each his junior and senior seasons. The constant pressure that was Benson was later chosen by the Chicago Bears with the No. 4 choose within the 2005 NFL Draft.
9. Miami (OH) RB Travis Prentice – 5,596 yards
Travis Prentice was the 1998 MAC Participant of the 12 months. (Picture by Jonathan Daniel/Allsport/Getty Photographs)
Prentice has an argument for being one of the best participant in MAC soccer historical past. Throughout his three seasons at Miami (OH), Prentice dazzled, main the convention in each speeding yards and speeding touchdowns in every of his final three seasons with this system (1997-99), averaging a whopping 20.3 speeding touchdowns per season over that span. Prentice went on to be chosen within the third spherical of the 2000 NFL Draft.
8. USC RB Charles White – 5,598 yards
Charles White received the 1979 Heisman Trophy. (Picture by Heinz Kluetmeier/Sports activities Illustrated through Getty Photographs)
White did all of it at USC. He received a number of accolades, was the most effective backs within the nation and received a nationwide championship. A two-time All-American and two-time Pac-10 Participant of the 12 months, White led the Pac-10 in speeding yards in every of his remaining three seasons with the Trojans (1977-79), speeding touchdowns in every of his final two seasons and received the 1979 Heisman Trophy Award. In fact, he additionally received the Nationwide Championship with the Trojans within the 1978 season.
Royce Freeman led the Pac-12 in speeding touchdowns in his freshman and sophomore seasons. (Picture by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)
Freeman got here to Oregon and breathed fireplace from the soar. Throughout his first two seasons with the Geese (2014-15), Freeman rushed for 1,600.5 yards and 17.5 touchdowns per season, whereas main the Pac-12 in speeding scores in each years on an Oregon workforce that reached the 2015 Nationwide Championship Recreation. In all, Freeman rushed for five,621 yards and 60 touchdowns over his four-year collegiate profession spent completely in Eugene.
6. Memphis RB DeAngelo Williams – 6,026 yards
DeAngelo Williams led the nation in speeding yards in 2005. (Picture by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs)
Throughout his 4 seasons at Memphis from 2002 by 2005, Williams was one of the best playmaker in Convention USA and pound-for-pound nearly as good as any again in faculty soccer. In every of his final three seasons, Williams led the convention in speeding yards, speeding touchdowns in every of his final two seasons and yards per carry in every of his first two seasons. Moreover, he led your entire sport with 1,964 speeding yards in 2005 and was second with 1,948 speeding yards in 2004. A 3-time Convention USA Offensive Participant of the 12 months, Williams was chosen by the Carolina Panthers with the No. 27 choose within the 2006 NFL Draft.
5. Pittsburgh RB Tony Dorsett – 6,082 yards
Tony Dorsett received the 1976 Heisman Trophy. (Picture by Wealthy Clarkson /Sports activities Illustrated through Getty Photographs)
Dorsett was a pressure to be reckoned with, speeding for 1,000-plus yards and double-double touchdowns in every of his 4 seasons at Pittsburgh (1973-76). In 1976, Dorsett rushed for a nation-high with each 1,948 yards and 21 touchdowns, serving to him win the Heisman Trophy and main Pittsburgh to a Nationwide Championship. Dorsett was additionally a finalist for the 1975 Heisman Trophy and went on to be chosen with the No. 2 choose within the 1977 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, with whom he received a Tremendous Bowl in his rookie season and went on to have a Corridor of Fame profession.
Jonathan Taylor led the Massive Ten in speeding yards in every of his three seasons at Wisconsin. (Picture by Stacy Revere/Getty Photographs)
Jonathan Taylor had a number of performs referred to as for him at Wisconsin — like, so much. In every of his three seasons taking part in for the Badgers (2017-19), Taylor led the Massive Ten in each speeding yards and carries and led the convention in speeding touchdowns in every of his final two seasons. Moreover, Taylor led the nation with 2,194 speeding yards in 2018. Over his three-year collegiate profession, Taylor, a two-time All-American, rushed for two,058 yards and 16.7 touchdowns per season, ending within the high 10 in Heisman Trophy voting in all three seasons. He was the driving pressure of Wisconsin’s offense, and for a workforce that went 13-1 in his 2017 freshman season.
3. Texas RB Ricky Williams – 6,279 yards
Ricky Williams was a two-time Massive 12 Offensive Participant of the 12 months. (Picture by Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle through Getty Photographs)
Williams was an amazing pressure within the Longhorns’ backfield. Already a potent again in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Williams led the nation in each speeding yards and speeding touchdowns in each 1997 and 1998. In ’98, Williams rushed for two,124 yards and 27 touchdowns on a Massive 12-high 5.9 yards per carry en path to profitable the Heisman Trophy Award. A two-time All-American and two-time Massive 12 Offensive Participant of the 12 months, Williams was chosen by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 5 choose within the 1999 NFL Draft.
2. Wisconsin RB Ron Dayne – 6,397 yards
Ron Dayne was the 1999 Massive Ten Offensive Participant of the 12 months. (Picture by Richard Mackson/Sports activities Illustrated through Getty Photographs)
Good luck attempting to deliver down the 245-pound Dayne. A rumbling pressure within the backfield, Dayne led the Massive Ten in speeding yards in his freshman, junior and senior seasons and speeding touchdowns in his freshman and senior seasons. Throughout his 4 years at Madison from 1996 by 1999, Dayne rushed for 1,599.3 yards and 15.8 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry per season. In 1999, Dayne rushed for 1,834 yards and 19 touchdowns — which was tied for first within the nation — serving to him win the Heisman Trophy and Massive Ten Offensive Participant of the 12 months honors. Dayne was then chosen by the New York Giants with the No. 11 choose within the 2000 NFL Draft.
1. San Diego State RB Donnel Pumphrey – 6,405 yards
Donnel Pumphrey was a two-time Mountain West Convention Offensive Participant of the 12 months. (Picture by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Photographs)
Throughout his 4 seasons at San Diego State, Pumphrey simply saved working. After an environment friendly 2013 freshman marketing campaign, Pumphrey proceeded to steer the Mountain West in speeding yards in three consecutive seasons, speeding for 1,884.3 yards and 18 touchdowns per 12 months from 2014-16. In 2016, Pumphrey, who was the 2015 and 2016 Mountain West Offensive Participant of the 12 months, led the nation with 2,133 speeding yards and completed within the high 10 in Heisman voting. Pumphrey, whose 6,405 profession speeding yards are first in FBS historical past, was chosen within the fourth spherical of the 2017 NFL Draft.
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