- Jeremiyah Love is the jewel of the working again class: Love enters his first yr of draft eligibility with a powerful case to be RB1 within the 2026 NFL Draft. He was a key piece of Notre Dame’s 2024 nationwide championship run, posting a stellar 91.8 speeding grade.
- Jaydn Ott will look to return to prime type: Ott was considered one of school soccer’s most electrical underclassmen at Cal, incomes 90.1 and 89.5 speeding grades as a freshman and sophomore. His 2024 marketing campaign was a step again, as he dropped to a 70.8 speeding grade after struggling an ankle harm in Week 1 that clearly restricted him as he tried to play via it.
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Our early rating collection for the 2026 NFL Draft rolls on after kicking issues off with quarterbacks. Now, it’s time to show our consideration to the working again class — a gaggle that guarantees loads of intrigue.
Value on the place is usually within the eye of the beholder, closely influenced by the offenses they’re drafted into. With that in thoughts, there’s at all times a little bit of “favourite taste” when rating backs. Here’s how my record stacks up getting into the season.
1 . Jeremiyah Love, NOTRE DAME
Love enters his first yr of draft eligibility with a powerful case to be RB1 within the 2026 NFL Draft. He was a key piece of Notre Dame’s 2024 nationwide championship run, posting a stellar 91.8 speeding grade. A former highschool observe state champion, Love’s pace reveals up on tape — he logged seven runs over 20 mph final season, per PFF’s in-game athleticism monitoring.
He’s greater than only a home-run hitter, although. Love excelled in PFF’s secure metrics, forcing 0.38 missed tackles per try and averaging 4.4 yards after contact per carry — each above the 94th percentile for working backs.
2. JAYDN OTT, OKLAHOMA
Ott was considered one of school soccer’s most electrical underclassmen at Cal, incomes 90.1 and 89.5 speeding grades as a freshman and sophomore. His 2024 marketing campaign was a step again, as he dropped to a 70.8 speeding grade after struggling an ankle harm in Week 1 that clearly restricted him as he tried to play via it.
When wholesome, Ott shows wonderful imaginative and prescient and endurance, notably behind man/hole run-blocking ideas — traits that translate nicely to the NFL. He’s additionally a confirmed pass-catching risk, topping 215 receiving yards in all three of his collegiate seasons. Now at Oklahoma, if Ott can return to his 2023 type whereas going through SEC competitors, he has the instruments to be one of many prime backs within the 2026 class.
3. NICHOLAS SINGLETON, PENN STATE
At 6-foot, 220 kilos, Singleton pairs elite dimension with uncommon athleticism. A former Gatorade Player of the Year in highschool and all-county observe sprinter (100m, 200m, 4×100 relay), he’s already been clocked at a sub-4.4 40-yard sprint at over 220 kilos, per Bruce Feldman. On tape, Singleton delivers loads of “wow” moments, flashing each breakaway pace and punishing energy.
However, his effectivity metrics — missed tackles pressured and yards after contact — are decrease than anticipated for a again along with his bodily profile. That mentioned, he’s a confirmed receiving risk, topping 300 yards via the air in every of the previous two seasons. If Singleton can elevate his consistency and effectivity, his elite traits may push him into the RB1 dialog.
4. JONAH COLEMAN, WASHINGTON
Coleman has been a PFF favourite all through his school profession. Across three seasons — two at Arizona and one at Washington — he earned speeding grades of 86.7, 93.4 and 88.7. He’s additionally posted three consecutive seasons with a missed tackles pressured per try common of 0.35 or larger, touchdown him within the 98th percentile for that metric.
At 225 kilos, Coleman runs with authority and excels behind his pads. However, he seems to lack the top-end athleticism that usually separates NFL backs. Still, that hasn’t slowed his manufacturing on the school degree, and he may show able to overcoming these bodily limitations within the execs as nicely.
5. QUINTEN JOYNER, TEXAS TECH
Joyner’s spot within the prime 5 is extra about projecting his future potential than rewarding previous manufacturing. At USC final season, he performed behind Woody Marks and noticed simply 64 whole speeding makes an attempt. But in that restricted pattern, he earned a 90.0 speeding grade with elite effectivity, forcing 0.33 missed tackles per try and averaging 4.5 yards after contact.
Joyner’s quick footwork and playmaker’s mentality make him a pure at slipping previous defenders. Now at Texas Tech, we’ll see if he can maintain that degree of effectivity with a full workload.
6. C.J. BAXTER, TEXAS
At 6-foot-1, 231 kilos, former five-star recruit Baxter has all of the instruments for a breakout season. He appeared in 12 video games with six begins as a real freshman in 2023 earlier than a torn ACL sidelined him for all of 2024. His manufacturing to this point isn’t eye-popping (74.6 speeding grade in 2023), however his upside is plain. Baxter pairs delicate palms within the passing sport with a uncommon mix of easy motion and explosive burst, giving him quick play pace at prototypical NFL dimension.
7. DEMOND CLAIBORNE, WAKE FOREST
Claiborne is barely undersized by NFL requirements at 5-foot-10 and 195 kilos, however he makes up for it with pro-level prime pace as soon as he finds open area. In Wake Forest’s lengthy mesh, RPO-heavy offense, he typically walks the road between endurance and hesitancy. But when he commits, his burst is plain.
While mild for a move blocker, Claiborne reveals robust imaginative and prescient in safety and takes pleasure within the function. He’s additionally a succesful receiver, incomes a 73.4 receiving grade in 2024, and has fumbled simply as soon as on over 375 profession carries. To rise into the highest tier of this working again class, he’ll have to generate extra manufacturing after contact, as he’s averaged solely 3.1 yards after contact per try in his profession.
8. MEKHI HUGHES, OREGON
Hughes was extremely productive in his two seasons with Tulane, incomes speeding grades of 89.2 and 90.9 throughout 527 whole carries whereas piling up over 2,700 speeding yards. His effectivity metrics have been strong, with a profession common of 0.24 missed tackles pressured per try and three.9 yards after contact per carry.
However, he leaves room for enchancment as a receiver. He’s recorded 4 drops on 26 profession targets and posted receiving grades beneath 55.0 in every of the previous two seasons. On the bottom, he’s a traditional one-cut again, well-suited for inside and mid-zone ideas, with a bodily, pinball-like working model that retains defenders on edge.
9. KAYTRON ALLEN, PENN STATE
“Fat Man,” as his mom playfully nicknamed him as a toddler — a reputation that’s caught ever since — is an influence again via and thru. At 5-foot-11, 220 kilos, he runs behind his pads with authority, and when he delivers successful, defenders really feel it. He’s constantly averaged over 3.0 yards after contact per try all through his profession, because of his robust leg drive.
However, his sport is considerably one-dimensional. He lacks wiggle and elite top-end pace, traits that would restrict his ceiling on the subsequent degree. Still, with single-season speeding grades above 84.0 in every of his three years, he profiles as a dependable short-yardage and rotational again in an NFL offense.
10. LE’VEON MOSS, TEXAS A&M
Moss, a former highschool observe sprinter within the 100m and 200m, brings that top-end pace to the soccer discipline. He posted in-game athleticism scores above 81.0 in every of the previous two seasons and appears tailored for an outdoor zone speeding scheme, the place he earned a 79.1 speeding grade in 2024. His 4.4 yards after contact per try (94th percentile) additionally underscores his spectacular contact stability.
A season-ending knee harm in November 2024 halted his breakout marketing campaign, and returning to type can be crucial. But earlier than the harm, Moss was exhibiting flashes of NFL-caliber skill.