Top 5 running backs in college football for 2019

D'Andre Swift
D'Andre Swift

#2 Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin

Jonathan Taylor
Jonathan Taylor

Following the greatest rushing season of any freshman in NCAA history, Taylor only improved on his numbers, recording 2,194 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns on 7.1 YPC last season. He converted 96 carries into first downs or touchdowns in 2018 and led the FBS with 61 rushes of 10+ yards.

While he measures in an inch short of six feet and right around 220 pounds, Taylor is a big dude and his running style is built on explosiveness and power. Once you give him an opening to burst through, he can really load up and bring the thunder on that second level.

Not every defender is ready for that and that is why more than half of his yards came after initial contact. However, for a guy who makes things happen with that first explosion through the line and his power, Taylor has pretty sweet feet to make guys miss in tight spaces and slightly switch up his running tracks.

With an average of 300 carries through his first two years as a Badger, he has been the team’s clear-cut workhorse and big-play machine to rely on, with no signs of slowing down. The reason I have him behind Swift is the fact he only caught eight passes in each of his two years at Madison and while he has cut that number in half last year, he has fumbled the ball 12 times already.

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