As the start of college football season approaches Aug. 23, the white-hot spotlight typically shines on skill-position players such as QBs, wide receivers and running backs.
Whether bulldozing through traffic, exploding into the open field or catching passes out of the backfield, these five elite RBs are poised to deliver highlight-reel moments in 2025.
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Love (6-foot, 206 pounds) may be the best returning running back in college football. He rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and was a huge reason Notre Dame got to the national championship game against Ohio State.
NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay believes Love stands above all elite college running backs.
“[H]e’s a first-round running back based on his running skills,” McShay noted. “The agility, acceleration, vision … contact balance and the power all make him a first-round running back.”
Pro: “J Love” has breakaway speed, highlighted by his 98-yard touchdown run last season.
Con: His ball security and route running must improve.
Nate Frazier | Georgia Bulldogs
In his freshman season in 2024, the 5-foot-10, 205-pounder rushed for 671 yards and eight touchdowns and added 85 yards on 12 receptions. Expect those numbers to increase in his sophomore season.
Frazier is not NFL Draft eligible until 2027, but he understands that as an experienced player, it’s his job to be a leader and to continue to get better.
“This guy’s going to be special,” George linebacker Justin Williams said in the spring, per DawgNation.
Pro: Speed. Speed. Speed. Per UGA.rivals.com, in high school, “Frazier ran the 100-meter dash in 10.58 seconds. His ability to hit the hole and find a crease is a skill you can’t teach, and is a threat for a big play every time he touches the ball.”
Con: Ball security. He fumbled three times in the final six games of the 2024 season.
