PFF Leaves Sean Tucker Off List of Top Returning Running Backs in 2022
Pro Football Focus (PFF) released its list of the top 10 returning running backs for the 2022 season. Somehow, Syracuse running back Sean Tucker was not included. Tucker ran for more yards than every player on the list in 2021, and was one of only two to be named an All American last season along with Kansas State's Deuce Vaughn.
The individual who put together the list was Anthony Treash, Senior College Analyst at PFF. All Syracuse reached out to Treash to get his side of the story on Tucker’s exclusion.
“This group of returning running backs is probably the best PFF College has seen in a given year,” Treash said. “With exception to Kenneth Walker, all of the top performing players at the position last year are returning. So this isn’t PFF saying ‘Tucker isn’t that good’ rather ‘Tucker is a good running back but is in a loaded group returning.’ Other positions are a lot weaker than running back. These returning player rankings should be viewed as ‘you need to pick one player at X position to go help you win a game this week, who are you picking and in what order.’
“Tucker put up unreal volume numbers this past year and exceeded expectations, but those 10 edged him out in a lot of our metrics for their career and have higher ceilings — Tucker’s value generated according to PFF Wins Above Average (metric) wasn’t nearly as high as many would expect.”
That explanation suggests that Tucker’s numbers were more of a product of a lot of attempts rather than ability. I strongly disagree with that suggestion. Tucker averaged more yards per carry than the number one guy on the list, Deuce Vaughn. He also has more yards per carry than Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Zach Charbonnet and Tank Bigsby. So that argument falls apart right there.
The other backs on the list (with 2021 rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in parenthesis) were as follows:
Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (1,404, 18)
Bijan Robinson, Texas (1,127, 11)
Blake Corum, Michigan (952, 11)
Treveyon Henderson, Ohio State (1,248, 15)
Zach Evans, Ole Miss (648, 5)
Devon Achane, Texas A&M (910, 9)
Braelon Allen, Wisconsin (1,268, 12)
Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama (746, 4)
Zach Charbonnet, UCLA (1,137, 13)
Tank Bigsby, Auburn (1,099, 10)
Sean Tucker's numbers were 1,496 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. Tucker was named to four of the five All-American teams that are required to be called a consensus All American.
This is not to say that any of those running backs are bad or should not be considered as a top returning back. Nor is this meant to disparage any of their abilities. But leaving Tucker off the list of top 10 returning running backs for next season is simply ludicrous.
Tucker ran for more yards than everyone on this list, had more than 200 more than nine of them and only three ran for more touchdowns. The only other player on this list to be named to one of the five All-American teams was Vaughn.
Where Tucker falls on the list can be debated and reasonable people can disagree. But Sean Tucker should be on the list, at a minimum.
