We’ve reached the end of the regular season in college football. Conference championship weekend kicked off last night, and most of these prospects are done putting out tape in their college careers. It’s time for me to officially unveil my updated position rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft. 

After the bounty that was the 2025 running back class, this year isn’t on that level. But there are still some great prospects for teams looking for an upgrade at the position, with a couple of elite prospects at the top, a solid middle tier of Day 2 options and some intriguing Day 3 selections that could carve out roles on NFL teams early in their careers.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the rankings:

1: Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

A four-star high school recruit from St. Louis, Love made an immediate impact as a true freshman at Notre Dame in 2023, with 385 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Fighting Irish in a backup role. He exploded onto the scene in 2024, becoming a workhorse in the Notre Dame offense and racking up 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Love added 237 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns, garnering significant hype as a Heisman candidate and top draft prospect heading into his junior season. Entering the College Football Playoff, Love has 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns — averaging an identical 6.9 yards per carry to last season — and another 280 receiving yards and three more scores.

At 6-0, 206 pounds, Love has solid NFL size. The first thing that jumps off his scouting report is his speed. When he hits a crease, he can turn a three-yard gain into a 20-yarder in an instant, blowing past the second level to gash defenses for huge chunks. Love’s ability to house a seemingly innocuous run from anywhere on the field makes him incredibly dangerous, and he’ll immediately be one of the best big-play threats in the league as a rookie.

In traffic, Love keeps his feet moving and has strong contact balance, bouncing off hits and ripping through arm tackles in the hole. When he breaks into the open field, he’s both decisive and creative, making defenders look silly with his moves without spending too much time dancing around and letting backside defenders catch up. Love’s vision is another of his better traits, reading the defense well and patiently allowing his blocks to get set before hitting the right crease for a maximum gain. As a receiver, Love has strong hands and is a weapon after the catch, wasting no time creating extra yards after the catch.

The holes in Love’s game are mostly of the third-down variety. His pass protection technique needs work and blitzers can go through his chest a little too easily. Perhaps more noteworthy, while he lines up all over the formation and is comfortable splitting out wide or in the slot, Love’s route tree is severely underdeveloped. He mostly catches swing passes, screens, and quick slants, limiting how he could be used in that capacity in the NFL. It’s not that he shows major red flags as a receiver out of the backfield, but teams will want him to work on that part of his game.

There truly isn’t much not to like about Love’s profile. He’s athletic, quick, young and productive. There’s no reason to think he can’t continue to develop as a receiver and he’s already a complete player. As a prospect, Love has a firm first-round grade from me and most other evaluators. In a class without a ton of blue-chip talent at the top, he could easily be a top-10 pick.

2: Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

A four-star recruit out of Texas, Price tore his Achilles during the summer of 2022, just before his freshman season. He was forced to redshirt and played a moderate backup role in 2023 before stepping up into the 1B role to Love’s 1A in 2024, racking up 746 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. Price is reprising his change-of-pace duties behind Love in 2025, currently working on a 674-yard, 11-touchdown campaign while averaging six yards per carry. With Love getting the bulk of the attention from defenses, Price is sure to play a key role in Notre Dame’s presumed College Football Playoff run.

Well-built at 5-11, 209 pounds, Price plays with an appealing combination of speed and power. He runs like a bowling ball through contact, ripping through tackles and punishing defenders who get in his way. When he finds a little daylight, Price accelerates in a heartbeat, leaving would-be tacklers flat-footed as he races past them for huge chunks of yardage. When there’s an available cutback lane or alternative path to more yards, he’ll take advantage, executing quick jukes and moves to shake defenders and glide to the open areas of the field.

Price has true, game-breaking speed in the open field, consistently turning short runs into house calls when defenses don’t properly account for his speed. He’ll be an absolute weapon with the NFL’s new kickoff rules, as he’s already an incredibly dangerous returner in college with the traditional kickoff — expect to see Price as one of the most electric returners in the league right away. Price plays with patience and vision behind the line of scrimmage, and he’s shown a surprisingly sophisticated route tree in limited opportunities.

The main criticisms of Price’s game come from a lack of opportunity behind Love. With just 15 receptions in his college career, he’s simply not used as a receiving threat, a role that is typically occupied by Love when Notre Dame needs it. Additionally, Price can get too cute in the backfield at times, sacrificing the “boring” four-yard gain while trying to dance and find a bigger play, only to take an avoidable loss. That will need to be coached out of him at the next level.

How wild is it that Notre Dame has both of these guys at the same time? Price isn’t quite the same talent as Love, but it’s close, and if he were at another school he’d be putting up similar numbers. Price isn’t getting much first-round hype at the moment, but he could be the Jahmyr Gibbs of this class: a running back prospect the league loves more than the media consensus and goes much higher than we expect. Personally, I have a late-first-round grade on Price, and it wouldn’t shock me to see him taken on the first night. At the very least, he should be a priority pick early in the second round.

3: Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

A coveted five-star high school recruit who chose to stay in his home state, Singleton broke Saquon Barkley’s squat record at Penn State and has been featured on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List. He exploded onto the scene as a true freshman, tallying 1,061 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and earning third-team All-Big Ten recognition. While he had a quieter sophomore campaign, he reminded everyone who he is as a junior, with 1,099 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns to go with 375 receiving yards and another five touchdowns. He surprised many by returning to school for his senior season, and while his numbers aren’t as flashy this year — 549 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns plus 219 receiving yards and a touchdown — he’s still one of the most dangerous backfield threats in the country.

At 6-0 and 224 pounds, Singleton boasts great size for a running back. His speed is sensational, stressing defenses from the snap with his ability to hit the hole and get downfield in an instant. Singleton is one of the best one-cut runners in this class, putting his foot in the ground and dusting defenders one-on-one. He can stop on a dime and has nimble feet, picking his way through traffic at the line and finding the creases to maximize his runs. Patient at the line and with great contact balance, Singleton continuously falls forward and rips through arm tackles, picking up extra yards and rarely going down on first contact.

As a receiver, Singleton offers a ton of versatility. He has at least 24 catches each of the last three seasons, being a weapon out of the backfield and splitting out wide at times, as well. Unlike others in this class, he’s a legitimate route runner from the receiver position, running a sophisticated route tree and beating defensive backs one-on-one, creating separation and playing with strong hands. As a pass protector, Singleton shows advanced understanding of blitz packages and his role in picking them up, with great tape throughout his college career.

Singleton’s main drawback as a player is his limited lateral agility. He’s had a low missed tackles forced rate throughout his college career and it’s easy to see why when you turn on the tape. While he’s a fantastic athlete, his cuts aren’t that quick and he doesn’t possess the wiggle necessary to make multiple guys miss in a small space. It’s a limiting factor that has put a clear ceiling on his college production and will likely be an issue in the NFL, as well.

I liked Singleton as a solid second-round pick in the last draft, and nothing has changed that this season. Penn State had a rough year and the offense struggled, limiting most everyone’s production. Still, Singleton put out good tape this year, and he can be a lead back in an NFL timeshare right away. With true three-down ability and the kind of speed that stresses defenses on every play, he has a bright NFL future.

4: Jonah Coleman, Washington

A three-star recruit who committed to Jedd Fisch at Arizona, Coleman followed his head coach to Washington in 2024 after two seasons with the Wildcats. He put up the best numbers of his career as a junior, rushing for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns at 5.5 yards per carry, adding 177 receiving yards and making third-team All-Big Ten. Electing to forgo the draft and return to school for his senior season, Coleman has struggled a bit down the stretch of the season while dealing with an ankle injury. But he still put up 673 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns with 344 receiving yards and another pair of touchdowns.

Coleman is built like a tank at 5-9, 228 pounds. He punishes defenders in the hole, routinely driving through multiple tacklers before they manage to get him on the ground. Because he has a compact frame and lower center of gravity, he’s a naturally difficult target. Coleman has incredible contact balance, always falling forward for extra yards and never going down on first contact. He doesn’t sacrifice ball security for that either, with only one fumble in his college career. His vision is elite, reading the blocking scheme and defenses to find cutback lanes, rushing angles and open spaces on the field.

Although he doesn’t possess elite top-end speed, Coleman’s acceleration and short-area burst is very good. He surprises defenders with how quickly he gets to the second level and he can beat linebackers and safeties to the sideline for extra yards. I wouldn’t describe him as the most elusive back, but he can make people miss, sometimes making defenders look silly in a phone booth. As a receiver, Coleman has strong hands and doesn’t waste time turning upfield after making a catch, making him a weapon in both phases of the offense.

Speed isn’t Coleman’s strong suit and he does get caught from behind at times when breaking away in the open field, something that will only increase in frequency at the NFL level. He doesn’t dance away from defenders as well as others, preferring to play through contact and run through tackles at times. Coleman doesn’t play with good technique in pass protection despite having the frame to be successful at it, and his usage as a receiver is limited in college. All this could mean he’s limited to early-down work early in his NFL career.

A strong Day 2 prospect, Coleman is a ton of fun to watch. He should have an immediate role as the early-down workhorse in a running back rotation, but he isn’t limited to that. I like his upside as a three-down back long-term, and even if he never develops that part of his game, he’ll still be immensely valuable. Coleman will get you five or six yards when other backs would get you three or four, and that will play even in today’s NFL. His running style will endear him to fans of his new team right away.

5: Justice Haynes, Michigan

A four-star prospect who spent two years at Alabama, Haynes flashed a lot of potential with the Crimson Tide even though he was never in a featured role. On just 104 carries in two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Haynes scored nine touchdowns, and he was a hot commodity in the transfer portal last offseason. Now at Michigan, Haynes exploded as a junior, totaling 857 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on a staggering 7.1 yards per carry average. Haynes played in just seven games before suffering a season-ending foot injury, something to monitor if it lingers throughout the pre-draft process.

Measuring at 5-11, 210 pounds, Haynes runs with an intriguing blend of power and elusiveness. He’s decisive with the ball in his hands, making one cut and hitting the hole with purpose. His vision is exceptional, scanning the defense and making quick decisions. Haynes sheds arm tackles with impunity, keeping his momentum through traffic and using his smaller frame to his advantage with the way he runs. If you need a short-yardage back or something to grind out tough yards between the tackles, Haynes can be your guy.

Haynes is also a fantastic athlete, with quick feet and smooth hips. He can make defenders miss in a phone booth or in the open field, stringing moves together to create space and leave would-be tacklers grasping at air. When he needs to turn it up, he can go, accelerating quickly and leaving the second level in his dust. Haynes can stop and start on a dime and has the long speed necessary to house longer runs against NFL athletes.

While he shows some potential as a receiver, Haynes has very little receiving production to his name. He does have the profile of a successful third-down back, and he has good hands on tape, but the experience just isn’t there. As a pass protector, he doesn’t play with great technique, failing to anchor properly and sometimes whiffing on blocks altogether. He’ll need to show some growth in these areas to be an every-down player in the NFL.

Another solid Day 2 prospect, Haynes’ foot injury does complicate things a bit. But should he be medically cleared, there’s a lot to like on his tape. While he wasn’t used as a receiver in college, there’s reason to believe he can improve in that area, and he already plays with strength and athleticism as a runner. It’s a crowded middle tier of running backs here, but I like what Haynes offers.

6: Kaytron Allen, Penn State

A former four-star recruit from Virginia, Allen measures at 5-11, 217 pounds. He was part of the same high school class as Singleton and the duo arrived at Penn State together as a heralded tandem. He made an immediate impact as a freshman, rushing for 867 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding 188 yards and a touchdown through the air. After a strong sophomore campaign, Allen finally topped 1,000 yards as a junior, totaling 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns, with 153 receiving yards and a pair of scores. Allen’s best season came as a senior in 2025. Maybe the only member of the Penn State offense to improve his numbers, he had 1,303 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns and is in line to earn his first All-Big Ten recognition.

Allen is the premier short-yardage back in this class. His patience and vision are outstanding, waiting for blocks to set and defenses to overcommit before hitting the hole with purpose. He can read the field quickly and knows where to go to earn the most yards. When running through contact, Allen stays low and presents a difficult target to latch onto, regularly ripping through multiple defenders before he’s gang tackled. You don’t want to see Allen running at you in the hole, as he’s liable to smash through you and make you wish you’d made a different choice.

It’s not just power with Allen, as he plays with good burst and acceleration to hit creases with gusto and get to the second level of the defense. What sets him apart is his ability to make defenders miss in a phone booth. Allen is incredibly nimble on his feet and he has agile hips that let him shake tacklers in space and in traffic, dancing for extra yards and routinely leaving defenders in his dust. Combined with his power, he’s just a difficult player to tackle.

That said, Allen isn’t a fast running back, and he has a tendency to get caught from behind when he breaks off big runs. He won’t be housing many (any?) 80-yard scampers in the NFL. As a receiver, Allen can catch swing passes, but he’s not often utilized in that way and he has no real route tree to his name. Combined with his lackluster pass protection skills, he’ll be relegated to an early-down role as a rookie in the NFL.

Allen is a great Day 2 pick to make at running back. He’s perfectly suited to play a featured role as part of a two-headed backfield, just as he did in college. You’ll want to pair him with a third-down back, but Allen will always get you more yards than are blocked up and you couldn’t ask for a tougher runner. He’s a genuinely great short-yardage runner who will be a cheat code at the goal line right away in the league.

7: Mark Fletcher Jr., Miami

A four-star high school recruit who got attention from all the major programs, Fletcher stayed in his home state of Florida and made an immediate impact for the Hurricanes. With 514 rushing yards and five touchdowns in 2023, he followed it up with 607 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore in 2024. Now as a junior, Fletcher once again upped his production, with 685 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s had at least 100 carries in each collegiate season.

At 6-2, 225 pounds, Fletcher looks more like a tight end than a running back at times. His calling card is his strength and contact balance, relishing contact and punishing defenders who try to bring him down. He rarely goes down on first contact and it usually takes a second or third defender to finish the tackle, especially once Fletcher gets up to speed with some downhill momentum. Fletcher combines that strength with outstanding patience and vision, setting up his blocks and finding the rushing lanes to attack.

Despite his size, Fletcher showcases some shiftiness and wiggle to his game, with a few moves in his bag to create space and shake defenders. He’s a great pass protector, with the size and willingness to meet blitzers in the lane and has rapidly improving technique. Though his volume as a receiver is low, he has decent hands and can make some things happen in space.

Fletcher isn’t the fastest back, and he won’t create a bunch of breakaway runs in the NFL. He’s also hesitant behind the line at times, perhaps being too patient and nullifying some of the advantages his size creates when he’s more decisive. His pad level tends to rise a little high, making it easier for tacklers to slow him down.

While Fletcher has some limitations to his game, he has immediate utility as a short-yardage and early-down workhorse back. I like him as an early Day 3 pick, maybe a fourth-rounder, and he will be a headache for defenses with his size/speed combo right away. Early in his career, he’ll likely be primarily a short-yardage back, but I can see his role growing with time.

8: Hollywood Smothers, N.C. State

A three-star recruit from Charlotte, Smothers spent a year at Oklahoma before entering the transfer portal and joining the Wolfpack in the 2024 offseason. He barely played as a true freshman with the Sooners but he earned a significant role as a sophomore in Raleigh, with 571 rushing yards and six touchdowns to go with 263 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Smothers continued on his upward trajectory as a junior, totaling 939 rushing yards and six touchdowns, adding 189 receiving yards and a touchdown. Smothers averaged 6.4 and 5.9 yards per carry as a sophomore and a junior, respectively.

Smothers isn’t a big back at 5-11, 195 pounds. But he gets north/south quickly, slamming through the hole and immediately stressing the defense. He pairs that with strong contact balance, staying low and running through arm tackles with violence. That combination of sudden acceleration and leg drive makes him a difficult tackle, and as you’d expect, he forces a ton of missed tackles. Shifty in the hole and with great short-area burst, Smothers can shake defenders and make them miss to pick up extra yards.

With patient vision and an advanced ability to squeeze through small creases in the defense, Smothers routinely maximizes the blocked yardage and then some. As a receiver, he runs a diverse route tree and can line up across the formation. He has soft, reliable hands and has some nice, difficult catches on his tape. For a smaller back, he does a great job of protecting the football, too.

Where Smothers’ limitations show up are in two main areas. First, he’s small. As much as he tries, he struggles in pass protection, which limits his third-down viability. Second, he isn’t fast enough to consistently threaten the defense vertically or sideline-to-sideline. This shows up when he tries to bounce runs to the outside or break away down the field — he gets caught from behind too often.

I like Smothers’ upside as an early Day 3 pick. His production as both a runner and receiver is noteworthy, and there’s so much to like about the way he runs. The guys in this range project to be a part of a running back committee or serve in a depth role, and that’s true of Smothers. But he has a lot to offer teams as part of a one-two punch at the position, and his quickness will play in the NFL.

9: Quintrevion Wisner, Texas

A four-star recruit from Glenn Heights, Texas, Wisner mostly played special teams as a true freshman in 2023. He broke out in a big way as a sophomore though, becoming the Longhorns’ featured back and totaling 1,064 rushing yards and five touchdowns, adding 44 receptions for 311 yards and a touchdown. The Texas offense as a whole took a step back in 2025, but Wisner was still heavily involved, with 597 rushing yards and three touchdowns to go with 22 receptions for 146 yards and a score.

Standing at 6-0, 194 pounds, Wisner isn’t particularly fast or athletic. He’s arguably the best receiving back in this class, however, with excellent college production and the tape to back it up. Wisner has soft hands and good route-running chops, able to beat man coverage out of the backfield or from the slot. Texas lined him up all over the formation, taking advantage of the mismatches he creates and letting him operate in space with the ball in his hands. There are a lot of ways teams can get Wisner involved in the offense.

As a runner, Wisner has good vision and patience to set up his blocks and find the hole. He doesn’t hesitate behind the line, however, and he makes decisive cuts when he needs to, getting upfield and avoiding negative plays. When he does make his cut, Wisner accelerates quickly and gets north/south, keeping his head on a swivel for cutback lanes and playing with a good feel for setting up the defense. On top of that, he’s an excellent pass protector, winning consistently with good technique and the football IQ to make the right play.

Wisner isn’t overly fast, and he won’t house many long runs in the NFL. He has a tendency to go down on first contact too often, not falling forward as much as you’d like. Wisner is fairly small for an NFL back and that could become an issue against blitzers and when matched up against linebackers in coverage.

Depending on where he goes, Wisner can have an immediate role in the NFL as a third-down back. Teams will like his reliability in pass protection and his ability as a receiver — plus he’s shown the ability to handle a major workload as a runner, too. Wisner has value as a mid-Day 3 selection, and he could make a team picking in the fifth round very happy.

10: Demond Claiborne, Wake Forest

A rare four-year player at the same school in this era, Claiborne was a four-star recruit from Virginia who played a limited backup role as a true freshman. He flashed a lot of potential as a sophomore as both a runner and returner, but truly broke out as a junior in 2024. As part of his third-team All-ACC season, Claiborne had 1,049 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns to go with 254 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Continuing where he left off, he put together 905 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.

Claiborne is undersized at 5-10, 195 pounds. But he’s a true jitterbug, dancing around defenders with ridiculous lateral agility and quick feet. He can make multiple cuts faster than defenders can react, shooting through the smallest gaps in the defense for chunk plays. In traffic, Claiborne plays with strong contact balance, running through arm tackles and bouncing off hits to keep moving forward. When he wants to get vertical, he plants his foot and motors, with easy acceleration through gaps.

With more patience behind the line than many with his skill set, Claiborne is good at setting up his blocks and picking his spots. He’ll wait for blocks to materialize and find the right angles to attack, keeping his feet moving but rarely overcommitting to the wrong hole. As a receiver, Claiborne has natural hands and turns upfield quickly, with some versatility to split out wide when needed. He’s also an excellent kick returner, with two touchdowns in his career, and could find immediate special teams value as a rookie.

Now, Claiborne doesn’t have the top-end speed you’d like to see for a back his size. He gets caught from behind too often, limiting his ability to create big plays when they’re open. As a pass protector, Claiborne is extremely limited, both by his size and technique. When he gets to the second level, defenders bring him down easier than you’d like to see, and he’s definitely a victim of being undersized when facing a linebacker in the hole.

Claiborne is a classic Day 3 running back with upside. Early in his career, he’ll likely play a lot of special teams, maybe mixing in as a receiving back in some pass situations. But his lack of pass protection ability will likely prevent him from being a regular third-down back, at least right away. There’s still a lot to like with his game, and his ability to shake defenders and earn tough yards at his size gives him a path to productivity.