The Big Ten is always loaded with running backs, and the upcoming season is no exception. Here are the five best RBs in the conference heading into 2025:
The Big Ten is always loaded with running backs, and the upcoming season is no exception. From Seattle to Happy Valley and everywhere in between, there will be great running backs all across the conference. But which ones are the best of the bunch?
Here are our top-five running backs in the conference heading into the 2025 season.
5: Justice Haynes, Michigan
Of Michigan’s running backs, I am giving the nod to Justice Haynes solely based on his experience level — Jordan Marshall is a fantastic player in his own right, but Haynes has two full seasons worth of experience and was the most coveted running back in the transfer portal this offseason.
Haynes ran for 616 yards and nine touchdowns his first two seasons in college at Alabama. He also caught 17 passes for 99 yards in 2024, showcasing some versatility in his game. Now that he’s in line for more touches, he very well could move up this list by season’s end if all goes well.
4: Darius Taylor, Minnesota
After playing in just six games as a true freshman in 2023, Darius Taylor stayed healthy last season and broke out for 986 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, as well as 54 receptions for 350 yards and two scores. The Detroit native is a workhorse running back that will continue to be a major focal point for the Golden Gophers.
DARIUS TAYLOR CANNOT BE STOPPED ♂️
His 3️⃣rd TD of the day is an 80-yard rushing TD #B1GFootball on @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/lso5BHrt9m
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 14, 2024
3: Jonah Coleman, Washington
A guy that has gotten better each of his three years in college, Jonah Coleman could be in for a huge senior year. As a junior, he rushed for 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns on 5.5 yards per carry, while also catching 23 passes for 177 yards (he had at least one reception in every game last year). Heading into the new season, Coleman is definitively one of the best running backs this conference has.
1A/1B: Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Penn State
It’s rare for a program to have the two best running backs in any conference, especially one as elite as the Big Ten, but that’s just what Penn State has in Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. The seniors decided to forgo the NFL Draft and run it back for one more chance at a conference and national championship.
Singleton ran for one yard shy of 1,100 last season and 12 touchdowns, while Allen compiled 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns. They both also excelled in the pas game, with Singleton racking up 41 catches for 375 yards and four touchdowns, and Allen having 18 receptions for 153 yards and two scores.
The best backs in the Big Ten both reside in Happy Valley, as unfortunate as that is to say.
Honorable mentions: Jordan Marshall (Michigan), Makhi Hughes (Oregon), Aidan Laughery (Illinois), Roman Hemby (Indiana), Eli Sanders (USC).
Who are your top-five running backs in the Big Ten this year? Let us know down in the comments section below!