2026 NFL Draft Running Back Rankings including Penn State’s Allen, Singleton and Notre Dame’s Love, Price

Its Day 2 of Eric Froton’s (@CFFroton) rankings of the year’s top draft-eligible running backs. These are the best of the best: the Top 7.

Penn State and Notre Dame dominate these rankings with each school placing two backs on the board.

How do the four rank in the Top 7? Who else is among the Top 7?

Running Back No. 7 – Seth McGowan, Kentucky

Seth McGowan (6’1/215) is a shifty runner with NFL-caliber burst who piled up 730 yards and 12 touchdowns on 166 carries, flashing a solid 77.2 run grade despite modest efficiency markers. McGowan is sudden and bouncy with real lateral agility, capable of sticking his foot in the ground and making the first defender miss, but his frenetic style can lead him to freelance outside the blocking script and leave yardage on the field. The creation numbers are middling (2.72 YAC, 50.3 ELU) and the explosive output was surprisingly limited (14.7% breakaway rate, long of 20), suggesting the traits don’t always translate to consistent chunk gains. In the open field he’s tough to square up and strong enough to finish through contact, yet his receiving profile (five drops on 26 targets) reinforces that he’s not a natural pass-game asset. McGowan projects as a developmental NFL back with rotational upside—dangerous in space and capable of highlight plays—but he likely would have benefited from returning to school and posting 1,000-yard proving season to stabilize the résumé.

Running Back No. 6 – Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

A sturdy, linear runner whose game is built on size and straight-line speed rather than nuance, NicholasSingleton (6’0/220) grinded out 546 yards on 124 carries (4.4 YPC) with a 77th-percentile run grade this season. Singleton is a strict one-cut back who follows the script almost to a fault, rarely deviating from the design and showing limited cutback vision or lateral deception when confronted 1-on-1 in the hole. The creation metrics reflect that rigidity—2.69 YAC, 19 missed tackles, and a middling 47.3 elusiveness rating—pointing to a runner who can crack linebackers but doesn’t consistently make them miss. Big plays tend to be structure-driven rather than self-created, as evidenced by isolated explosives behind clean blocking rather than sustained tackle-breaking sequences. Averaged at least 1.52 yards per route run in each of his last three campaigns, flexing out to a slot or wide alignment 20% of the time as PSU’s preferred passing down back. Singleton projects best in a gap-heavy NFL scheme that values downhill decisiveness and physical finish over improvisation, with his ceiling tied to how much yardage he can generate once the blocking isn’t pristine.

Running Back No. 5 – Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Kaytron Allen (5’11/219) emerged as Penn State’s true workhorse, stacking 1,303 rushing yards (6.2 YPC) and 15 touchdowns with a dominant 91.3 run grade while handling 85 more carries than his backfield mate, Singleton. Allen wins with patience and polish, using pace steps to let blocks develop before exploding downhill, consistently finding creases in zone concepts and getting skinny through the hole before finishing runs with authority. His feet are remarkably nimble for a 219-pound back, creating favorable tackling angles with hop steps, spins, and subtle lateral slides that fuel a strong 3.77 YAC and 57 missed tackles on 210 attempts. The jump in breakaway rate (27.4%-to-40.4%) underscores improved second-level burst, though his game is more controlled violence than pure home-run speed. Allen projects as a tone-setting NFL early-down back who can anchor a committee, punish defenses between the tackles, and grind out tough yards with vision, balance, and smart tempo.

Running Back No. 4 – Emmett Johnson, Nebraska

Emmett Johnson (5’11/200) is a high-volume, all-purpose workhorse who handled 251 carries for 1,450 yards (5.8 YPC) and 12 touchdowns, earning an impressive 88.1 run grade while keeping the offense on schedule. He’s more efficient than explosive, as his 2.95 Y/CO and 28% breakaway rate are modest marks, but Johnson consistently finds daylight and maximizes creases with sharp, lateral darting ability through interior gaps. Where he separates himself is in the passing game, hauling in 46-of-54 targets for 370 yards with an elite 87th% drop grade and consistent slot usage that highlights true three-down utility. Johnson’s 8.0 career YAC and 21 missed tackles on receptions underscore a back who can create in space, even if he lacks top-end home-run juice as a runner. The NFL projection is a versatile RB2/committee piece who can handle volume, catch the football at a high level, and win with feel and functional elusiveness rather than pure explosion.

Read More: Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) NFL Mock Draft No. 1

Running Back No. 3 – Jadarian Price, Notre Dame

Jadarian Price (5’11/210) is a decisive, zone-scheme hammer who pairs low pad level with burst, ripping off 6.0 YPC and 11 touchdowns in 2025 while stacking back-to-back 80-level run grades. His calling card is creation through momentum—an excellent 4.28 career YAC, 73 missed tackles on 281 carries, and a gaudy 51.2% breakaway rate that shows what happens when he hits the B-gap with conviction. Price is a one-cut runner who reads blocks cleanly and gets downhill in a hurry, flashing enough edge speed to bounce outside, though he’s more linear than elusive and doesn’t rely on pacing or dance. The receiving résumé is light (15 career catches), but he’s been efficient when used, suggesting functional hands rather than featured upside. Price projects as a decisive, scheme-fit NFL runner whose best work will come in zone concepts where he can press, plant, and explode through developing lanes.

Running Back No. 2 – Jonah Coleman, Washington

Jonah Coleman (5’9/228) is built like a human bowling ball and has produced like one for four straight seasons, posting 84th-percentile run grades every year of his career. His breakout sophomore campaign at Arizona (93.4 run grade, 6.8 YPC, 55% breakaway rate) announced elite tackle-breaking chops, and he carried that identity to Washington with 67 missed tackles on 192 carries and a stellar 4.12 career yards-after-contact average. Coleman’s quick feet and low center of gravity allow him to shrug off contact and churn through traffic, while his receiving résumé—80 catches on 90 targets over the last three seasons—cements true three-down utility. His 1.73 yards per route in 2025 ranked second in the 2026 draft class behind only RB1 Jeremiyah Love, underscoring legitimate pass-game value beyond checkdowns. A knee injury dulled some late-season dynamism, but when healthy, Coleman profiles as a compact NFL feature back capable of anchoring a committee with contact balance, receiving polish, and sustained efficiency.

Running Back No. 1 – Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame

Jeremiah Love (6’0/214) is the unquestioned crown jewel of the 2026 running back class, coming off a nation-leading 94.1 run grade in 2025 while ripping off 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns at a blistering 6.9 yards per carry. Love’s explosiveness is unmatched—his 52.9% breakaway rate ranked #1 in the Power Four, and his 4.50 YAC trailed only one back nationally, underscoring a rare blend of vision, burst, and contact balance. He’s not just a home-run hitter but a complete offensive weapon, adding 27 receptions for 280 yards and three scores with superb 1.83 yards per-route production that stresses linebackers in space. The elusiveness spike from 2024 to 2025 reflects a runner who not only dodges first contact but finishes with authority, combining lateral twitch with downhill violence. A Doak Walker winner, unanimous All-American, and Heisman finalist, Love projects as a true NFL RB1 whose explosive profile can tilt defensive structure from Day 1.

Tomorrow, we’ll publish Froton’s breakdown of Fernando Mendoza and the other top quarterbacks eligible for this year’s NFL Draft.

Previous Breakdowns:
Wide Receivers 1-10
Wide Receivers 11-20
Tight Ends 1-10
Running Backs 8-15

Enjoy the day and good luck as you prep for your team’s draft in 2026.