The NFL hasn't seen an incoming running back class quite like the current projected crop for the 2025 draft in ages.

So much discussion revolves around positional value or devaluation that those conversations mar what looks like the deepest running back class in recent memory.

To be clear, the incoming group doesn't have a Saquon Barkley or Bijan Robinson-level prospect. At the same time, the depth found within these up-and-coming ball-carriers will carry well into the draft's third day, with starters likely being found in nearly every round.

The previous statement isn't to say college football's top rushers lack star power.

Boise State's Ashton Jeanty is a serious Heisman Trophy candidate, who has still a shot at breaking Barry Sanders' official single-season rushing record. North Carolina's Omarion Hampton is another first-round possibility.

Jeanty, Arizona State's Cam Skattebo, Tennessee's Dylan Sampson, Penn State's Nicholas Singleton and Ohio State pair Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will all be featured in this year's expanded College Football Playoff.

All of those names are included among the top 12 running prospects selected to match with a potential NFL team as excellent fits to boost some of the league's rushing attacks. Plenty more could have been included.

This is merely the starting point, with bowl season on the horizon.

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

Ashton Jeanty is the workhorse for a Boise State Broncos squad that has earned a top-three seed and first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

For a 2025 class that isn't particularly strong at the top, the 21-year-old is good enough to be considered a top-10 overall talent.

First, the numbers are staggering. The two-time Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year leads major college football with 344 carries for 2,497 yards (and counting)—which ranks fourth of all time among single-season leaders—and 29 touchdowns. His average of 7.3 yards per carry is first among all ball-carriers with 160 or more opportunities.

As a prospect, Jeanty excels because of his patience and contact balance.

Going into the Mountain West Championship, the Boise State back had more rushing yards after contact than any other ball-carrier has amassed outright, according to Pro Football Focus (h/t Rivals). He also set the record for most rushing yards after contact and forced missed tackles in a season since PFF started to track the data.

In what could turn out to be a truly special position class, Jeanty has earned his status as RB1.

Team Fits: Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos

Omarion Hampton, North Carolina

Ashton Jeanty may be a 2025 NFL draft headliner, but North Carolina's Omarion Hampton isn't all that far behind the Heisman Trophy candidate as another special running back.

Hampton is somewhat a victim of playing for a mediocre program that dealt with the upheaval of coaching uncertainty thanks to Mack Brown's status.

Even with the program falling apart faster than a crunchy taco, though, he produced at a high level as the nation's second-leading rusher with 1,660 yards.

His best traits are an ability to get downhill and run behind his pads while not being a typical 220-pound plough horse. He has the ability to break off long runs and double as a legitimate threat out of the backfield. In fact, the running back led the Tar Heels this season with 38 receptions (which is as much of an indictment of the team as it is a positive for the player).

The 21-year-old brings an NFL-caliber build, physicality and the chance to be a true three-down back, which places him in the first-round conversation.

Team Fits: Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers

Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes' season didn't go quite as expected, but everything is still in front of the team and its talented backfield.

Quinshon Judkins joined the Buckeyes this fall after two seasons with the Ole Miss Rebels, where he posted back-to-back seasons with 1,100 or more rushing yards while being named first-team All-SEC twice.

In joining the Buckeyes, the 21-year-old was moving to a team with national championship aspirations and raising his overall profile as RB1 in a loaded backfield.

Ohio State fell twice, including to the archrival Michigan Wolverines, but it still has a chance at a national championship thanks to the expanded College Football Playoff.

Judkins, meanwhile, can still be on one of the first backs off the board in next April's draft.

As expected, his workload decreased while sharing a backfield with TreVeyon Henderson. Judkins has over 100 fewer carries than in either of his initial two campaigns while sitting at 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. But he's still a patient runner, with excellent lateral agility and the ability to break off chunk plays.

Fewer opportunities this season shouldn't hide his potential as a lead back at the next level.

Team Fits: Las Vegas Raiders, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals

Kaleb Johnson, Iowa

A significant difference could be seen in Kaleb Johnson this season compared to his first two years with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

"He's running smarter, better, stronger," head coach Kirk Ferentz said last month, per John Steppe of The Gazette. "Everything about it is better right now. He has a great attitude. He's really fun to be on the field with and fun to be in here with or anywhere else. He's a good young man. Yeah, it's been fun to watch his maturity and growth take place."

The reigning Big Ten Running Back of the Year carried the ball 260 times for 1,242 yards through his first two collegiate campaigns. He exploded this fall with 1,537 yards on 240 carries. He also scored at least one touchdown in every single game this season.

When Johnson gets rolling, the 225-pound back plants decisively and gets downhill while running behind his pads. He should fit in nicely with zone-heavy schemes that require backs with enough patience and vision to press the hole and then immediately explode through the openings.

Team Fits: Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers

Dylan Sampson, Tennessee

Dylan Sampson of the Tennessee Volunteers is the youngest and, arguably, most explosive runner counted among this group.

Yes, the Vols' offense is predicated on spreading the field and creating space, but Sampson's 1,485 rushing yards led the SEC by a significant amount. Opponents loaded with talent knew he was getting the ball as the focal point of this year's offense. Yet, the 20-year-old still managed over 1,000 rushing yards against SEC competition, including 100-yard games against the Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs.

"He is an elite runner," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart told reporters when asked about Sampson. "The runs they run are sometimes nontraditional. They run some runs that other people don't run because of the space in the box. He's very patient. He hits small creases. He's hard to tackle.

"... The SEC's the hardest league in the world to run the ball in, because they've got the most (big) sized defensive linemen. And he continues to do it at a crazy pace to me.

He added: "And I know where he's from, in Louisiana, they do nothing but have great backs from there. He reminds me so much of his run skill set of Kamara, of Alvin. He's very smooth and elusive."

Team Fits: Denver Broncos, Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints

RJ Harvey, UCF

UCF's R.J. Harvey may be the least-known of college football's top backs because he's produced at a high level for a below-.500 squad over the last two seasons.

As the Knights stumbled to a 10-15 record across their two seasons in the Big 12 that cost head coach Gus Malzahn his job, Harvey was the one consistent presence in the team. He ran for 2,993 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2023 and 2024 combined.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic noted last week that his production during that stretch is comparable to Boise State's Ashton Jeanty. In fact, the first-team All-Big 12 performer had as many or more carries of 10 and 20 or more yards than the Heisman candidate going into this past weekend's action.

The senior back also leaves the program as the Knights' all-time leader in career touchdowns scored.

Harvey presents tremendous short-area quickness to make defenders miss in small spaces, which allows him to create chunk plays. He may not be as big and physical as others in the class, though he's handled over 200 carries in back-to-back campaigns. He still has the potential to be selected on Day 2 and immediately emerge as a quality lead back.

Team Fits: New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts

TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State

Bleacher Report scout Dame Parson best described TreVeyon Henderson's plight as an NFL prospect.

"Henderson's draft stock will be tricky," he said. "He's not the bell cow anymore. To make matters worse, Henderson recently struggled to find any room to work against the Michigan Wolverine's defensive front. He was held in check and kept from breaking into the open field, where his speed can be a factor."

To Parson's point, Henderson looked like the potential RB1 for the 2024 class, but he decided to return to Columbus for another season.

In doing so, he opened up the possibility of not building upon last season's success. With Quinshon Judkins joining the program, he became the Buckeyes' top ball-carrier. Henderson's 108 carries are by far the fewest of anyone on this list.

Yet, the big-play ability Henderson still brings to the table makes him an excellent change-of-pace option in a running back rotation.

A year working alongside Judkins could prove to be highly beneficial when entering the professional ranks where teams often need multiple backs to be effective.

Team Fits: Houston Texans, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos

Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

Not all NFL organizations are looking for workhorse ball-carriers. Some prefer all-purpose backs.

Penn State's Nicholas Singleton fits the bill as a running back capable of contributing in multiple phases while creating formational flexibility.

"Putting me and the running backs in different positions," Singleton told CBS Sports when asked about the differences under new Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. "Being complete backs. Like I said, catch the ball out of the backfield and be in the empty position. Stuff we didn't do in the past."

The 227-pounder has contributed 2,651 rushing yards over the last three seasons, but his growth in the passing game is where he really established himself in 2024. He is the type of back who can line up wide, run routes and serve as a legitimate receiving threat. His 37 receptions for 335 yards and five touchdown catches are all career highs.

None of this takes away from the fact that Singleton is a talented runner with home run capabilities. As such, he'll be able to immediately help some NFL offense.

Team Fits: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, New Orleains Saints

Cam Skattebo, Arizona State

If you grew up watching the likes of Mike Alstott or Marion Barber III, Arizona State's Cam Skattebo is the back for you. He is a truck, who will almost certainly make his fair share of appearances on "Angry Runs" after becoming an NFL running back.

The 5'11", 215-pounder took full advantage of the open transfer portal by making the leap from an FCS program in Sacramento State—where he won the 2022 Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year award—to helping leading the Arizona State Sun Devils to their first Big 12 championship.

All the while, Skattebo has been productive. Over his four seasons between the two programs, the first-team All-Big 12 performer has 4,243 rushing yards and 41 touchdowns.

However, this power back isn't simply a sledgehammer. He has soft hands as a receiver, with 104 career receptions for 1,287 yards.

"Nobody respects the fact that I'm the best running back in the country," Skattebo told Chris Vannini of The Athletic. "I'm going to stand on that… Whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem."

Team Fits: Pittsburgh Steelers, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans

Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech

The Texas Tech Red Raiders aren't known for their legacy of running backs. At this point, the program is still more renowned for its glory years running the Air Raid under head coach Mike Leach. However, Tahj Brooks is a different type of back.

The 22-year-old has posted back-to-back 1,500-yard rushing campaigns on his way to becoming Texas Tech's all-time leading rusher.

The senior prospect is built differently than everyone else in this class; he's a 230-pound workhorse with 576 carries over the last two seasons. He has the power to slam it between the tackles and stay in the game as a pass protector if necessary.

The upperclassman may be a little stiff, but he can get north and south without any excess to provide an offense with a no-nonsense runner.

Brooks has an outside chance to be the highest-drafted Red Raiders runner since the Green Bay Packers selected Donny Anderson in the first round of the 1965 NFL draft. No other Texas Tech ball-carrier has gone higher than the third round since that point.

Team Fits: Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs

Kyle Monangai, Rutgers

In fear of typecasting an incoming prospect, Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai resembles former collegiate teammate Isiah Pacheco.

The two are built similarly and both run so hard.

"We see the field a little differently, but I think one thing we have in common is the toughness and like the anger and power in which we run," Monangai told Steve Serby of The New York Post. "You gotta play angry a little bit just 'cause I'm not the biggest guy on the field so I gotta be the one delivering the blow more than the other guy."

At 5'9" and 210 pounds, the first-team All-Big Ten performer is a bowling ball. He also has the swivel hips to not just run through tackles but also avoid them if possible.

Monangai has amassed 2,541 rushing yards over the last two seasons, leading the Big Ten Conference last season and finishing second this year.

The senior prospect hasn't provided much as a receiver throughout his collegiate career. Still, he's a capable ball-carrier, who will likely hear his name called in the middle rounds with the potential to develop into a lead back depending on the situation.

Team Fits: Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders

Brashard Smith, SMU

Tyrone Tracy Jr. became a trendsetter. The New York Giants' rookie running back made the conversion from wide receiver to running during his final season with the Purdue Boilermakers before becoming a fifth-round draft pick.

SMU's Brashard Smith is following a similar trajectory.

He spent three seasons as a wide receiver for the Miami Hurricanes before joining the SMU Mustangs as a transfer and becoming their offensive focal point as a running back.

The 21-year-old carried the ball 217 times for 1,270 yards and 14 touchdowns. He'll have a chance to add to those numbers with the Mustangs appearing in the College Football Playoff. He also tied for second on SMU with 35 receptions.

"Brashard's a home run guy," SMU head coach Rhett Lashlee told reporters last month. "... I think that's what coaching is, is just put guys in position to do what they do best and let them play and don't put them in a box. There has to be some guidelines, there's got to be some structure and discipline, but let them go play. It's a player's game, and we're going to trust those guys to the end."

Team Fits: Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Indianapolis Colts