Jennifer Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Freeman, Griffin lead the charge.
Phil Steele has broken down who he thinks are the best running back units in college football, and the Oregon Ducks are among the top groups in the nation.
There’s an embarrassment of riches at the running back spot in 2016, with the likes of Leonard Fournette, Royce Freeman, Nick Chubb and others lining up in backfields across the country. Steele awards the top two spots to LSU and Stanford, respectively, with the Ducks not far behind at No. 3:
Royce Freeman is 230 pounds and rushed for 1,365 yards (5.4 ypc) in 2014 and 1,836 (6.5 ypc, 17 touchdowns) in 2015. Taj Griffin is in the Taser back spot and rushed for 570 yards (7.4 ypc). Kani Benoit had 364 yards (7 ypc), while Tony Brooks-James adds depth.
Georgia and Florida State come in at No.4 and No. 5. Other schools of note on the list include USC (No. 8), Virginia (23), Arizona State (29), UCLA (30), Washington (43) and Arizona (48).