Historic college football programs surging for nation’s No. 1 running back

South Bend, Indiana, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley and Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman chat before the game at Notre Dame Stadium. | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

The 2025 College Football Playoff field has settled into a 12-team bracket with Indiana (13-0), Ohio State (12-1), and Georgia (12-1) occupying the top seeds and a strong mix of Power Five contenders below them.

Other programs include No. 9 Alabama and No. 8 Oklahoma, who will meet Friday night in Norman, along with No. 10 Miami (set to face No. 7 Texas A&M), No. 6 Ole Miss (matching up with No. 11 Tulane), and No. 5 Oregon (to play No. 12 James Madison).

Interestingly, three teams featured in the CFP bracket are also reportedly in the mix for the class of 2027’s top-ranked running back, Kemon Spell.

Spell recently told Rivals' Hayes Fawcett that his recruitment is officially down to five finalists: Georgia, Ohio State, Miami, USC, and Notre Dame.

Spell, listed at 5-10, 210 lbs, is the consensus No. 1 running back in the 2027 cycle across major services and a top-10 overall prospect on industry composites. 

He exploded onto the national radar as a younger prospect, recording a breakout 2024 sophomore campaign in which he rushed for 1681 yards and 24 TDs on 157 carries (10.7 yards per carry).

He verbally committed to Penn State in August 2024 but decommitted after Penn State’s dismissal of James Franklin in October 2025, reopening a wide national scramble. 

Multiple outlets and evaluators now list him as a top prize for contenders across the Big Ten, SEC, and independent power programs. 

Spell reportedly told Fawcett that he plans to take official visits to each before deciding.

Kemon Spell, McKeesport running back, soaks up the atmosphere of the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns at Ohio Stadium. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For CFP contenders, a back like Spell helps sustain drives, convert third downs, and control the clock in pivotal late-season or championship matchups.

With no clear decision timeline, Spell’s eventual choice could meaningfully shift recruiting momentum, and each program’s postseason run could influence the outcome.

However, despite not being in the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame can point to RB Jeremiyah Love’s Heisman-caliber season as tangible proof of its ability to develop elite running backs, a factor that could carry weight with the class of 2027’s top recruit.

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