- Leonard Fournette- The number one spot here is a toss up between Fournette and McCaffrey but i'm gonna go ahead and give this one to the LSU running back. Last year Fournette ran through almost every defense that LSU faced only two teams managed to hold him under 100 yards and one of them was Alabama who had one of the best defenses ever last season. Fournette actually ran for over 150 yards in 9 of 12 games last year and finished third in the NCAA in rushing yards with 1,953 yards behind Heisman winner Derrick Henry, and Stanford back Christian McCaffrey. At this point you're probably mocking me for not having McCaffrey here at the number one spot but these rankings are for the upcoming season and I have a feeling that this time when LSU faces off against Alabama Fournette wont be held to only 31 yards again and there's always a chance McCaffrey could stumble in a a game or two. People forget that if Fournette had put up a strong performance in that game then he may have been invited to the Heisman ceremony instead of McCaffrey. I'ts not out of the realm of possibility that we could see both at the Heisman ceremony at the end of the year. This year I can easily see another big year from Fournette especially in another year where the offense will be relying on him to carry them. Look for a season with over 2,000 yards and anywhere from 25-30 touchdowns and a top 3 Heisman finish.
- Christian McCaffrey- After finishing second in Heisman voting last year McCaffrey is returning for his junior year in 2016 and will be looking to improve on a season in which he finished 1st in yards from scrimmage, 2nd in rushing yards, won ap player of the year and pac 12 offensive player of the year. He also set a Stanford school rushing record with 2,019 yards and the record for all purpose yards. Improving on a season like that is going to be tough and I don't know how he will do it considering the offensive line will have three new starters but i'm sure this all around playmaker will find a way to get it done. McCaffrey is so good he could lead the Cardinals straight into the playoff picture. I would also consider him a Heisman favorite and by the end of the year he could break away from Fournette and prove he is the number one running back in the country.
- Dalvin Cook- Coming off an injury plagued 2015 season in which he still managed to rush for over 1,600 yards and score 19 touchdowns good for 8th most behind studs like Heisman winner Derrick Henry and former Ohio State back Ezekiel Elliot. Cook will be back to full strength presumably and should be able to cash in on a near 2,000 yard season and over 20 touchdowns. With questions about quarterback production again this year Jimbo Fisher is sure to hand the ball of more to Cook than he did last year when he didn't finish in the top 20 in rushing attempts but now that he's healthy Fisher shouldn't hesitate to lean on his running back who is one of the most explosive backs in college football. If the offensive line can create holes for him then watch out because once Cook hits the open field he is borderline impossible to take down.
- Royce Freeman- Going into his junior season Freeman looks to lead the offense being only one of 6 returning starters the offense is going to lean on him most of the season. Last year Freeman rushed for 1,838 yards and with another season like that he can break 5,000 yards for his career and that's impressive feat. After rushing for over 100 yards in 11 of the 13 games he played in last year I don't think its crazy to say that Freeman is just as good as the other running backs on this list but is just overshadowed by former pac 12 member Christian McCaffrey. This year could be different look for another near 2,000 yard season from Freeman who will be looking to prove that he is the best running back in the nation.
- Samaje Perine- Just because he has to share a backfield with another talented running back doesn't mean Perine can't be a top 5 back in college football. During his freshman year when he wasn't splitting carries with Joe Mixon Perine rushed for 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns and broke the single game rushing record with 417 yards vs Kansas. His sophomore season saw him lose 37 carries, 364 yards and 5 touchdowns. His drop in production doesn't mean he dropped all his talent though Perine still led the big 12 in rushing touchdowns and was 3rd in rushing yards with 1,349. I would bet that Perine will be the best running back in the big 12 this season and will make you believe he is one of the nations top backs by helping Baker Mayfield destroy opposing defenses.
Honorable Mention- These are a few more running backs who you could argue are in the top 5 but to me haven't proven they are better than the top 5. Donnel Pumphrey, Nick Chubb, Wayne Gallman, Elijah Hood, Jalen Hurd