Ranking the Top 15 FCS Transfer Portal RBs for the 2026 Season

With the transfer portal window and National Signing Day in the rearview, it's time to turn our focus to analyzing all the great talent that signed with FCS programs across the country.

We will be releasing positional rankings for the top FCS transfers ahead of the 2026 season. It will culminate in our annual FCS transfer portal rankings, which will be released in early March.

There are many different ways to evaluate players and prospects, and these rankings are not meant to guarantee that a player will be successful, but to give an indication of how much value and potential they bring for the 2026 season.

We move on to the running back position, focusing on Division I transfers from the FCS and FBS. We will circle back and take a look at some of the top Division II transfers later this month.

These rankings blend proven production with player potential. For the FCS, production is valued much more than potential; however, a large amount of value and consideration is given to the level of competition they have faced.

For example, we will be comparing players who may have experience in the Big Ten to players who found success in the NEC or Pioneer League, and that has to be factored in. The last thing we consider is the potential upside of a player.

It should also be noted that you will see several running backs on the list who may be on the same team. Where they are ranked has no bearing on who may win the starting job this fall. This is just a placement of where we currently see each player as a prospect heading into the season.

Below are the Top 15 transfer running back additions across FCS football ahead of the 2026 season, along with some notable honorable mentions.

15. Chris McMillian (North Alabama)

McMillian spent one season at Bowling Green, playing in nine games, mostly as a rotational back, while getting two starts. He finished with over 80 carries for nearly 350 rushing yards, demonstrating an ability to be a workhorse for the Lions next season. He also spent two seasons at Northeast Mississippi Community College, rushing for over 500 yards and three touchdowns.

14. Chauncey Sylvester (UC Davis)

Sylvester comes in here at No. 14 because of the fit in Tim Plough's system at UC Davis, giving him an extremely high ceiling. He was a former three-star recruit who played in five games as a redshirt freshman at Weber State.

In limited action, he still had over 300 rushing yards and five touchdowns, including a breakout performance against Portland State. His elusiveness makes him an excellent fit for this UC Davis offense.

13. Xavier Terrell (Northern Iowa)

Terrell is a smaller back at 5'8, 175 lbs., who showed flashes of brilliance over two seasons at Florida Atlantic in one of the toughest Group of Six conferences in the country. While he likely won't be an every-down back, Terrell has the ability to be an explosive weapon in UNI's offense. In three seasons, he rolled up over 460 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.4 yards per carry.

12. Justin Montgomery (West Georgia)

Montgomery is another Presbyterian transfer who followed head coach Steve Englehart to West Georgia. He finished with over 800 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Blue Hose.

He earned second-team All-PFL honors last season with over 700 rushing yards. His experience and continuity in this system put him firmly among the top transfer running back additions this offseason.

11. Jeremiah Coney (Stony Brook)

Virginia Tech running back Jeremiah Coney — Virginia Tech Hokies running back Jeremiah Coney (21) warms up before a game against the Boston College Eagles | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

At No. 11, we have another player who is a great system fit, raising his potential going into next season. Coney has spent his entire career at Virginia Tech, playing in 19 games for the Hokies. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry over the past two seasons.

10. Parker Jenkins (Lamar)

Jenkins is a former 4-star recruit who has flashed a ton of ability over the past three seasons. He played in 18 games at Houston, leading the Cougars with 464 rushing yards in 2023. Last year, he played in 11 games at East Carolina, finishing with 256 yards and two scores. He was named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist ahead of the 2025 season.

9. Matt Lawson (North Dakota)

Lawson showed a ton of potential as a true freshman in 2024 at Illinois State. He rushed for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, but decided to take a redshirt in 2025. Now he heads to North Dakota and will be fully healthy, ready to go, and has already proven he can be successful in the MVFC.

8. Lontrell Turner (Stephen F. Austin)

Turner is very familiar with the Southland Conference, spending multiple seasons at Incarnate Word. In 2024, he had over 500 rushing yards on 5.2 yards per attempt in a loaded running back room. He only played in five games last season, but showed his effectiveness in an upset win against Abilene Christian with 118 rushing yards.

7. Plez Lawrence (North Carolina Central)

Lawrence's season ended prematurely due to a season-ending injury, but he's put up great production in the MVFC despite not being surrounded by great talent at Indiana State. He's extremely versatile, putting up over 1,100 career rushing yards and over 350 receiving yards over the past three seasons.

6. Miequle Brock Jr. (Tarleton State)

Brock was one of the bright spots on what has been a very poor offensive team at Nicholls the last two seasons. He was named the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year in 2024 and followed that up with a second-team All-Southland season in 2025.

In only two years, Brock has rolled up over 1,000 career rushing yards at 5.2 yards per carry, while also being a special teams weapon with over 400 kick return yards. Brock has a chance to be an explosive weapon in a wide-open Tarleton State offense.

5. Omiri Wiggins (McNeese)

Louisiana Tech running back Omiri Wiggins — Louisiana Tech Bulldogs running back Omiri Wiggins (22) runs the ball against the Army Black Knights | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Omiri Wiggins led Louisiana Tech in rushing with 527 yards in 2024, following that up with another 468 rushing yards in 2025. He's averaged 4.8 yards per carry over his two seasons with the Bulldogs. He was also a Preseason All-CUSA selection before the 2025 season. Wiggins also spent a season at Coffeyville CC, rushing for over 700 yards as a true freshman.

4. Jaden Green (Cal Poly)

Green is coming off two incredible seasons at Lehigh, where he made an immediate splash by earning Freshman All-American honors in 2024. He continued to find success, earning All-Patriot League honors in 2025 despite splitting carries with All-American Luke Yoder.

He has put up some impressive statistical numbers, rushing for over 1,600 career yards on nearly 6.0 yards per carry, while also putting up over 800 kick return yards in only two seasons. The Mustangs struck gold here, adding a playmaker with postseason experience.

3. MJ Flowers (Tennessee Tech)

Flowers spent a season at UConn, but was previously one of the best young players at the FCS level at Eastern Illinois. As a redshirt freshman, he finished runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award and earned first-team All-Conference honors. He went back-to-back, earning first-team All-Big South/OVC honors again in 2024.

Flowers finished with over 800 rushing yards each season, but really can be dangerous as a receiving threat out of the backfield. He recorded over 500 receiving yards and 18 total touchdowns in two seasons with the Panthers.

2. Makenzie McGill II (Abilene Christian)

North Texas running back Makenzie McGill II — North Texas Mean Green running back Makenzie McGill II (0) runs for a touchdown against the Army Black Knights | Danny Wild-Imagn Images

McGill has played in 21 career games over his two seasons at North Texas. He's recorded 859 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry for the Mean Green. He was an All-AAC honorable mention as a true freshman, rushing for nearly 500 yards and 10 touchdowns. McGill has the potential to be an absolute weapon for an Abilene Christian offense that consistently has a good offensive line and leans on the run game.

1. Floyd Chalk IV (Southern Utah)

At the No. 1 spot, we welcome back a former FCS running back who has excelled wherever he has been, and now he finds himself on a team that consistently produces elite running back production. Chalk had over 1,000 rushing yards over his first two seasons at Grambling State before transferring to San Jose State.

At SJSU, he became a key piece to one of the most explosive offenses in the country. He had 721 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns for the Spartans in 2024, but struggled with injuries in 2025, limiting him to only four games. As long as Chalk can stay healthy, he should have a monster year at Southern Utah.

Honorable Mentions (No. 16-35):

Jahbari Kuykendall (Prairie View A&M)
Javious Bond (Mercer)
Jojo Uga (Lamar)
CJ Hester (Stony Brook)
Ihson Jackson-Anderson (Western Illinois)
O'Shawn Ross (Bryant)
Marcus Harris (Tennessee Tech)
Harrison Bey-Buie (Chattanooga)
Brenden Wyatt (North Carolina Central)
Noah Long (St. Thomas)
Dylan Paine (Montana)
James Jointer Jr. (Central Arkansas)
Brandon Johnson (Abilene Christian)
Carter James (Mississippi Valley State)
TJ Peyton Jr. (ETSU)
Josh Robinson (Western Illinois)
Khyair Spain (SEMO)
Tyrell Reed (SEMO)
Joquez Smith (New Hampshire)
Ernest Temple (Alcorn State)

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