CFW Preseason 2025 – The Top Running Backs and Other Positions
When it comes to running backs,
Penn State loaded with a dynamic duo
Teams playing Penn State this season better be prepared for a one-two punch on the ground. If Nicholas Singleton doesn’t rack up yards, running the ball down your throat, then Kaytron Allen will – or vice versa. One or the other, or both, will dazzle you. Simply put, they will overpower you.
Singleton is a Pennsylvania native, from Shillington, Pennsylvania. Allen was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. But he went to high school at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
Texas, Georgia, Texas A&M, Notre Dame, Oregon, Louisville, Baylor, Kansas State, Boise State and Navy have strong running back tandems, but none compare with Penn State.
The Running Backs – 2025
At preseason, there are four running backs receiving most of the love. They are Penn State senior Nicholas Singleton (6-0, 220), Notre Dame junior Jeremiah Love (6-0, 212), Pitt senior Desmond Reid (5-8, 175) and Oregon junior Makhi Hughes (5-11, 210).
Last year, Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards, averaging 6.4 yards a carry. He scored 12 touchdowns. Love rushed for 1,125 yards, scoring 17 touchdowns. He averaged 6.9 yards a carry.
Reid rushed for 962 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Hughes transferred to Oregon from Tulane during the offseason. Last year with the Green Wave, he rushed for 1,401 yards, scoring 15 touchdowns. He averaged 100 yards per game and 5.3 yards per carry.
ACC
Behind Pitt’s Desmond Reid, the ACC has four more good running backs led by Louisville sophomore Isaac Brown (5-9, 190). Last year, Brown rushed for 1,173 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. Following Brown is Georgia Tech senior Jamal Haynes (5-9, 190). He rushed for 994 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Two more running backs to keep an eye on in the ACC this season are NC State sophomore Hollywood Smothers (5-11, 185) and Miami junior Mark Fletcher (6-2, 225).
Big 12
The best running back in the Big 12 in 2025 appears to be Baylor sophomore Bryson Wahington (6-0, 203). Last season, Washington rushed for 1,028 yards, averaging 5.9 yards a carry.
Two more outstanding backs are Kansas State junior Dylan Edwards (5-9, 167) and West Virginia junior Jahiem White (5-7, 190). In 2024, Edwards averaged 7.4 yards per carry, while White averaged 5.7 yards.
Three other quality running backs in the Big 12 are BYU junior L.J. Martin (6-2, 220), Iowa State junior Carson Hansen (6-2, 220) and Kansas senior Daniel Hishaw (5-10, 220).
Big Ten
Along with Oregon’s Makhi Hughes and Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton, the best running back in the Big Ten is Penn State senior Kaytron Allen (5-11, 225). Last year, Allen runed for 1,108 yards. Washington senior Jonah Coleman (5-9, 225) follows Allen. Coleman rushed for 1,053 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry.
Three more good Big Ten running backs are Minnesota junior Darius Taylor (6-0, 215), Michigan junior Justice Haynes (5-11, 205) and Northwestern senior Cam Porter (5-10, 213). Last season Taylor rushed for 986 yards.
SEC
Two of the best running backs in the SEC are out of the Lone Star state – Texas junior Quintrevion Wisner and Texas A&M senior LeVeon Moss. In 2024, Wisner rushed for 1,064 yards, while Moss averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
Oklahoma has an outstanding runner in junior Jaydn Ott (6-1, 224). Ott transferred to OU from California during the offseason.
Four ore running backs to keep an eye on in the SEC are Georgia sophomore Nate Frazier (5-10, 205), LSU sophomore Caden Durham (5-9, 204), Alabama senior Jam Miller (5-10, 220) and Missouri sophomore Ahmad Hardy (5-10, 210).
AC
Navy’s running game is set with two of the best running backs in the AC – senior Alex Tecza (6-0, 204) and senior Eli Heidenreich (6-0, 201). UTSA has a solid runner in senior Robert Henry (5-9, 205).
Three other outstanding running backs in the AC are Tulane junior Maurice Turner (5-10, 190), Temple senior Jay Ducker (5-10, 195) and South Florida senior Cartevious Norton (5-11, 225).
C-USA
In C-USA, Liberty is looking good with two of the best running backs in the conference – sophomore Vaughn Blue (5-11, 195) and senior Julian Gray (5-11, 195).
Three other good runners to keep an eye on in C-USA are Delaware senior Jo’Nathan Silver (5-10, 200), Jacksonville State junior Cam Cook (5-11, 195) and Missouri State senior Shomari Lawrence (6-0, 207).
MAC
The best running back in the MAC is Buffalo senior Al-Jay Henderson (6-0, 210). Last year, Henderson rushed for 1,078 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Th other top running backs in the MAC are Ohio senior Seth Bangura (6-0, 210), Toledo senior Chip Trayanum (5-11, 227) and Western Michigan junior Jalen Buckley (5-11, 210).
MWC
In the MWC, Boise State is loaded at the running back position with not one but two great backs. They are freshman Sire Gaines (6-1, 225) and senior Malik Sherrod (5-8, 177).
The best back in the MWC may be UNLV junior Jai’Den Thomas (5-9, 180). Last season, Thomas rushed for 918 yards, averaging 5.6 yards per carry.
Three additional quality running backs in the MWC are New Mexico junior Scottre Humphrey (5-10, 201), Air Force senior Dylan Carson (6-0, 215) and Nevada sophomore Herschel Turner (5-9, 190).
Sun Belt
James Madison is stacked with two of the best runners in the Sun Belt Conference. They are junior George Pettaway (5-10, 199) and senor Ayo Adeyi (5-8, 193). In 2024, Pettaway rushed for 980 yards, averaging 6.0 yards a carry.
Two remaining strong running backs in the Sun Belt are South Alabama senior Kentrel Bullock (5-10, 203) and Texas State senior Lincoln Pare (5-9, 200).
Independents
Among the Independents, Notre Dame not only has Jeremiah Love, but also, the Irish have junior running back Jadarian Price (5-11, 209). Last year Price averaged 6.2 per carry.
Connecticut has a strong, dependable runner in junior Cam Edwards (5-11, 210). Edwards averaged 5.7 yards per carry last year.
TT’s Top 10 Favorite Running Backs at Preseason
1. Nicholas Singleton – Penn state
2. Makhi Hughes – Oregon
3. Jaydn Ott – Oklahoma
4. Jeremiah Love – Notre Dame
5. Jamal Haynes – Georgia The
6. Kaytron Allen – Penn State
7. Desmond Reid – Pitt
8. Quintrevion Wisner – Texas
9. Jahiem White – West Virginia
10. Isaac Brown – Louisville
However, I also like:
Jai’Den Thomas (UNLV), LeVeon Moss (Texas A&M), Hollywood Smothers (NC State), Dylan Edwards (Kansas State), Jonah Coleman (Washington), Bryson Washington (Baylor), Al-Jay Henderson (Buffalo), Alex Tecza (Navy), Cam Edwards (UConn), and George Pettaway (James Madison).
The Other Positions – 2025
Wide Receivers
With five each, the Big Ten and the SEC have 10 of the best wide receivers in the country. In the Big Ten, who else but Ohio State has two of the top receivers. They are sophomore Jeremiah Smith (6-3, 215) and junior Carnell Tate (6-3, 191). The other three top receivers in the Big Ten are Indiana senior Elijah Sarratt (6-2, 209), USC junior Makai Lemon (5-11, 195) and Washington junior Denzel Boston (6-4, 207).
Of the five top receivers in the SEC, two are from Auburn. They are sophomore Cam Coleman (6-3, 195) and junior Eric Singleton (6-3, 195). The remaining three top receivers in the SEC are Alabama sophomore Ryan Williams (6-0, 175), LSU junior Aaron Anderson (5-8, 188) and Florida sophomore Eugene Wilson (5-10, 189).
The ACC has two outstanding receivers. They are Clemson junior Antonio Williams (5-11, 190) and Georgia Tech senior Eric Rivers (5-11, 175).
The final two quality receivers in the country are Arizona State junior Jordyn Tyson (6-2, 195) from the Big 12 and Notre Dame senior Malachi Fields (6-4, 220) from the Independents.
Tight Ends
Two of the four best tight ends in the country are from the SEC. They are Vanderbilt senior Eli Stowers (6-4, 235) and Texas junior Jack Endries (6-4, 240).
The other two are NC State senior Justin Jolly (6-3, 251) from the ACC and Ohio State senior Max Klare (6-4, 236) from the Big Ten.
Centers
Two of the four best centers in the country are from the SEC. They are Florida senior Jake Slaughter (6-5, 294) and Alabama junior Parker Brailsford (6-2, 290)
The other two are from the Big Ten. They are Iowa senor Logan Jones (6-3, 285) and Oregon junior Iapani Laloulu (6-2, 325).
Offensive Linemen (Guards and Tackles)
With five each, the SEC and the ACC have 10 of the best offensive linemen in the country. In the SEC, Alabama has two of the best offensive linemen. They are junior Kadyn Proctor (6-7, 360) and senior Jaeden Roberts (6-5, 325). Other top offensive linemen in the SEC are Texas A&M senior Ar’maj Reed-Adams (6-5, 340), Missouri junior Cayden Green (6-5, 320) and
Arkansas senior Fernando Carmona (6-5, 325).
Of the five best offensive linemen in the ACC, two are from Miami. They are junior Francis Mauigua (6-6, 315) and senior Anez Cooper (6-4, 330). Also from the ACC are Clemson senior Blake Miller (6-6, 315), Georgia Tech senior Keylan Rutledge (6-4, 310) and Duke sophomore Brian Parker (6-5, 300).
The Big Ten has four outstanding offensive linemen and two are from Oregon. They are senior Isaiah World (6-8, 310) and senior Emmanuel Pregnon (6-5, 320). The other two linemen from the Big Ten are Penn State junior Olaivavega Ioane (6-4, 334) and Iowa senior Gennings Dunker (6-5, 316).
The Big 12 has a couple of top offensive linemen – Utah junior Spencer Fano (6-2, 302) and Colorado sophomore Jordan Seaton (6-5, 330). The final three guys making the list are Boise State junior Kage Casey (6-5, 316) from the MWC, Tulane junior Shadre Hurst (6-2, 293) from the AC and Notre Dame junior Aamil Wagner (6-6, 293) from the Independents.
Defensive Linemen (Ends and Tackles)
The SEC leads the list of best defensive linemen with eight players. Two of those eight are from Florida – senior Tyreak Sapp (6-3, 274) and senior Caleb Banks (6-3, 329), while two are from Alabama – senior L.T. Overton (6-5, 280) and senior Tim Keenan (6-2, 325). The other four from the SEC are South Carolina sophomore Dylan Stewart (6-5, 245), Texas sophomore Colin Simmons (6-3, 238), Auburn junior Keldric Faulk (6-6, 270) and Georgia freshman Christen Miller (6-4, 305).
The Big Ten steps in with five of the best defensive linemen and Penn State has two of them – senior Dani Dennis-Sutton (6-5, 265) and senior Zane Durant (6-1, 292). Also, from the Big Ten are Indiana senior Mikail Kamara (6-1, 265), Oregon junior Matayo Uiagalelei (6-5, 270) and Iowa senior Aaron Graves (6-4, 300).
From the ACC, Clemson has a couple of top-notch defensive linemen. They are junior T.J. Parker (6-3, 265) and junior Peter Woods (6-3, 315). Also, representing the ACC is Miami junior Rueben Bain (6-3, 270). The best defensive linemen from the Big 12 are Cincinnati senior Dontay Corleone (6-1, 325) and Texas Tech senior Lee Hunter (6-4, 325). Last but not least from the MWC is San Diego State junior They White (6-2, 245), a superb defensive lineman.
Linebackers (Inside and Outside)
The SEC stands out with eight of the best linebackers in the country, and two of those eight are from LSU – junior Whit Weeks (6-2, 225) and junior Harold Perkins (6-1, 220). Each of the other six are from a different school. They are Texas junior Anthony Hill (6-3, 237), Texas A&M junior Taurean York (6-0, 235), Ole Miss junior Suntarine Perkins (6-1, 210) Georgia junior C.J. Allen (6-1,235), Alabama senior Deontae Lawson (6-2, 230) and Oklahoma junior Kip Lewis (6-1, 226).
The Big Ten has four top linebackers, led by Ohio State senior Sonny Styles (6-4, 235). The other three from the Big Ten are Indiana senior Aiden Fisher (6-1, 233), Illinois senior Gabe Jacas (6-3, 275) and Oregon senior Bryce Boettcher (6-2, 230).
Three of the best linebackers are from the ACC – Pitt junior Kyle Louis (6-0, 225), Clemson senior Wade Woodaz (6-3, 235) and California junior Cade Uluave (6-1, 235). The Big 12 comes in with three of the top linebackers – Kansas State junior Austin Romaine (6-2, 240),
Texas Tech senior Jacob Rodriguez (6-1, 230) and Baylor junior Keaton Thomas (6-2, 224).
The remaining two top linebackers are Old Dominion senior Jason Henderson (6-1, 225) from the Sun Belt and Notre Dame junior Drayk Bowen (6-2, 238) from the Independents.
Defensive Backs (Cornerbacks and Safeties)
Among the best defensive backs, the Big Ten leads the country with seven. Two of those seven are from Ohio State – junior Caleb Downs (6-0, 205) and senior Davison Igbinosun (6-2, 193). The others from the Big Ten are Oregon junior Dillon Thieneman (6-0, 210), Indiana senior D’Angelo Ponds (5-9, 170), Minnesota sophomore Koi Perich (6-1, 200), Illinois senior Xavier Scott (5-11, 190) and Penn State junior A.J. Harris (6-1, 184).
The SEC has five top defensive backs and four of those five are from Georgia and Texas. They are Georgia senior Daylen Everette (6-1, 190), Georgia sophomore K.J. Bolden (6-0, 185), Texas senior Michael Taaffe (6-0, 180) and Texas junior Malik Muhammad (6-0, 178). The fifth player is Tennessee junior Jermod McCoy (6-0, 93).
In the ACC, Duke leads the way with two of the best defensive backs. They are senior Chandler Rivers (5-10, 185) and senior Terry Moore (6-1, 195). Also from the ACC are Clemson junior Avieon Terrell (5-11, 180) and SMU senior Isaiah Nwokobia (6-1, 202).
From the Big 12, Iowa State has a pair of top-notch defensive backs. They are junior Jontez Williams (5-11, 200) and junior Jeremiah Cooper (6-0, 190). Independent Notre Dame has an ace defensive back in sophomore Leonard Moore (6-2, 180).
Kickers
Of the five best kickers in the country, two are from the SEC. They are Georgia junior Peyton Woodring (5-10, 185) and Ole Miss junior Lucas Carneiro (5-11, 190). The other three are from the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC – Michigan senior Dominic Zvada (6-3, 180), BYU senior Will Ferrin (6-3, 175) and SMU senor Colin Rogers (6-4, 219).
Punters
Two of the five best punters in the country are from the SEC and two are from the Big Ten. From the SEC are Georgia senior Brett Thorson (6-2, 235) and Texas senior Jack Bouwmeester (6-3, 209). From the Big Ten are Michigan State junior Ryan Eckley (6-2, 208) and Iowa sophomore Rhys Dakin (6-4, 225). The fifth of the best punters is from the Big 12 – Baylor junior Palmer Williams (6-2, 201).
The next posting of College Football Week – CFW Week 0 Forecast – will be released on Thursday morning, August 21.
Touchdown Tom
August 15, 2025
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