Greg McElroy Named the Best Running Back in College Football Entering 2026

Greg McElroy considers this running back the best at the position group ahead of the 2026 college football season.

Jan 6, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; ESPN analyst Greg McElroy talks to the media during media day before the College Football Playoff national championship game against the Michigan Wolverines at George R Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Debates about the best player at each position across college football are among the most entertaining pastimes in the months leading up to each season.

At running back, the reigning Doak Walker Award winner will not return to college football in 2026. Following a campaign that featured 1,372 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, former Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

With Love gone, the argument for the best running back in college football comes down to a pair of SEC running backs in Kewan Lacy of Ole Miss and Ahmad Hardy of Missouri. Lacy is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he ran for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns, while Hardy ran for 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns a season ago.

A horrifying development occurred in the discourse around Hardy and Lacy last week when Hardy was shot in the leg at a concert in Laurel, Mississippi. While Hardy is out of the hospital and back on campus, Tigers' head coach Eli Drinkwitz said that Hardy's status for this season is currently unknown.

Former Alabama quarterback and current ESPN analyst Greg McElroy discussed the debate on a recent edition of his show "Always College Football." Despite the uncertainty, McElroy ranked Hardy as his No. 1 running back heading into the 2026 college football season.

"Here's the honest truth when it came to this ranking, and we grappled with this, we were trying to figure out how should we handle this situation. We don't know right now if Ahmad Hardy will be available for the Missouri Tigers in 2026," McElroy said.

"Here's where I land on this: the ranking stays. Ahmad Hardy is the best running back in college football heading into 2026. That's a statement about who he is and what he proved last year."

Before Missouri

The 5-foot-10, 206-pounder began his college football career with UL Monroe in 2024. Hardy's impact on the Warhawks was immediate; he ran for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns, finishing with over 100 rushing yards in all but four games.

The Sun Belt recognized Hardy as its Freshman of the Year in 2024. Hardy was the only true freshman named to the 2024 All-Sun Belt First Team.

Breakout season with the Tigers

Missouri Tigers running back Ahmad Hardy (29) rushes during the second quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Hardy made the jump from the Sun Belt to the SEC via the NCAA transfer portal in the 2025 offseason. The transition to the Power Four was a seamless one for Hardy; the 1,649 rush yards are a single-season record at Missouri. Notable performances include a 250-yard outing against Louisiana and a 300-yard outing against Mississippi State.

The SEC named Hardy to the All-SEC First Team offense, along with the aforementioned Lacy. Nationally, Hardy received All-America distinction from a variety of college football media entities.