2023 NFL Draft Watch: 5 Running Backs Handed Keys To Backfield

Who are the running backs that could emerge after potentially earning starting roles on their team? Here are five that could skyrocket up the 2023 NFL Draft boards.

Author:
Alex Buck
Publish date:
Jul 19, 2022 6:00 AM EDT

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The conveyer belt of college football talent is forever in motion. Analysts and fans have a plethora of new talent to watch develop with each passing season. Players who have shown promise emerge from the shadows of their former teammates, keen to create their own highlight reel for pro scouts and franchise owners. Many talents quickly become household names as they step into the primary role for their respective colleges. Those are the players I'm focusing on today. Here are five running backs who've been handed the keys to their respective backfields this year, ready to make their mark.

Some are already names you'll recognize from explosive runs and impressive yardage in 2021, while others are yet to put their stamp on the game at the collegiate level but certainly possess the talent to do so.

Five Running Backs Who've Been Handed the Keys to the Backfield

5. Kenny McIntosh, Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs' history with elite-level Running Backs is out of this world. So it seems fitting to start with the next man set to burst onto the scene in Athens.

McIntosh has been with the Bulldogs for three years now. He'll head into the 2022 season, ready for a primary role. The senior Running Back has had to be patient, working behind Zamir White and James Cook in the 2021 campaign. Those guys are both suiting up on Sundays, leaving their 270+ combined carries and 18 rushing touchdowns last year up for grabs.

McIntosh worked as the third option in the run game but played a more significant role as a pass-catcher. James Cook had 27 receptions, but Kenny McIntosh was close behind with 22 of his own. He's able to create separation out of the backfield and has some remarkably impressive hands. Once he picks up the football, his juke-ability and twitchy play style serves him well. He'll continue to pick up targets in the passing game, where he can do some of his best work. This season is about displaying what he can do as a true ball carrier between the tackles as he builds a resume for the pro scouts.

Look for the Senior's ability to change direction in a split second, making the first man miss at the line of scrimmage. He's got a strong burst step that allows him to hit the gap fast. On tape, that often causes an oncoming linebacker to resort to throwing out an arm tackle in the hope of slowing him down. At six-foot-one, he plays fast, shifty, and can glide through small gaps to create positive gains. College football fans should look forward to Kenny McIntosh getting a full season of work.

4. Blake Corum, Michigan

It was easy to lose count of the times Corum emerged from traffic and scampered to the house in 2021. Michigan was bullying teams on the ground last year behind one of college football's stronger offensive lines.

Hasaan Haskins held the primary role. Between the two, they ran the ball over 400 times, amassing 31 touchdowns. Haskins 1,327 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns landed him with the Tennessee Titans in the 4th round of the 2022 NFL draft. Now it's Corum's turn to hold down the lead back spot, with the backing of Sophomore Donovan Edwards.

Blake Corum has an effortless ability to change direction. He can slide through tight gaps in the defense at five-foot-eight before exploding for big yardage. He totaled 444 yards of breakaway yardage on designed runs last season. His tape shows how difficult he can be to keep out of the end zone if you don't bring him down early.

Corum will look to build on a 2021 campaign of 144 rushes for 944 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground in 2021, and with the potential for twice as much work in an offense designed for him to succeed, the sky is the limit.

3. Kendall Milton, Georgia

It's not surprising that Georgia needed to feature on this list twice. McIntosh is likely taking over from James Cook as the primary passing down back. Zamir White's role is then open for Milton.

Milton is the better true running back of the revamped Georgia backfield, and I'd expect to see him taking the lion's share of carries between the tackles.

The former 5-star recruit has far less tape in college football situations than any other name on this list. However, there's certainly a buzz of anticipation for him stepping into the lead back's shoes. At six-foot-two, he's on the taller side but offers Georgia a sturdy and athletic replacement for Zamir White's production. This will be Milton's third year with the Bulldogs, and he's certainly bulked up since arriving on Campus with that 5-star tag.

Milton can power through linebackers but possesses a strong ability to re-route and improvise when the gap doesn't open up, with excellent lateral quickness and agility. The combination of Kendall Milton and Kenny McIntosh should result in the Georgia Bulldogs being dominant on the ground again in 2022.

2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

The former Georgia-Tech Running Back announced earlier this year that he'd be transferring to Alabama. The Tide reload better than anybody, and following the departure of 5th-year Senior Brian Robinson Jr, they hit the portal for fresh talent to add to their backfield. Gibbs will take the lion's share of carries for the Tide in 2022.

Gibbs totaled 746 yards and four touchdowns on the ground for Georgia Tech in 2021. He added another 470 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Alabama knows what they're getting in the portal. Jameson Williams came over after struggling for game time at Ohio State, only to become a college football phenomenon and a first-round draft pick after just one year.

Gibbs will inherit the strength of the Tide's offensive line and line up alongside Bryce Young on Saturdays. He'll be a keen contributor in the past as a natural pass catcher who picked up receptions in numerous scenarios at Georgia Tech.

Combine his work in the passing game with an ankle-breaking run style and elite-level speed on the ground, and there are Alabama fans already calling for the Heisman to make its way back to Mobile.

1. Devon Achane, Texas A&M

Achane has a lot of buzz around him long before the 2022 campaign kicks off. The ability he's put on display is impressive. Achane has a whole highlight tape of big plays, and long yardage runs to his name already. This year, he steps into the limelight after playing a secondary role to Isaiah Spiller in 2021.

While he might not have been the premium back, the one-two punch of Spiller and Achane was dangerous last year. Spiller was out in front with 1,016 yards and six touchdowns on 178 attempts, but Achane was every bit as electric. He took 130 carries for 885 yards and nine touchdowns. That resulted in an average yards per attempt of 6.8 compared to Spillers' 5.7. That plus 261 yards in the passing game has football fans eagerly anticipating what the young back can do in a primary role.

Devon Achane has a nice patient hop-step out of the backfield before shooting through the gap. When he hits the open field, he's one of the most electric backs in college football and is rarely caught. He picks up speed in an instant and quickly runs away from secondaries. Achane has shown some great work as a returner too. I'd be willing to predict that by the end of the 2022 season, there'll be plenty of strong grades on draft boards for the Aggies star.