The days of running backs bestriding the NFL as the giants of the league are long gone—but not quite extinct. Last year was evidence of that, as a gaggle of RBs led by Saquon Barkley signed with new teams and keyed successful seasons for those squads. Ashton Jeanty could push the needle even further back towards favoring RBs in 2025.
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The Boise State phenom rushed for 2,601 yards last season, the second-most in NCAA history. He also rushed for 29 touchdowns and is without a doubt the top RB prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class. He fell just short of earning the Heisman. But, he’s very likely to be just the third RB selected in the top 10 since 2018. If Jeanty can make good on his potential, that number is likely to grow in the coming years.
But it’s not just Jeanty: the 2025 RB draft class is a relatively strong one. And since the QB class is relatively weak, that means there could even be two or three running backs drafted early in 2025 after the first RB was taken 46th overall last year. CFB analyst Joel Klatt recently broke down his top five running backs in this class. His runner-up behind Jeanty is Ohio State running back TreVeyon Henderson.
“The reason I’ve got [Henderson at No. 2] and not [Buckeyes teammate] Quinshon [Judkins] is that I think TreVeyon is a little more dangerous as a pass catcher and you saw that really play out during the course of the playoff. His ability to be explosive and fast is huge. It’s not all he does though. He’s not just a home run hitter. He’s one of the best blockers I’ve seen in a long time.”
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Klatt was evidently a big fan of the backfield the National Champion Buckeyes fielded. His No. 3 back in this class is Henderson’s Ohio State teammate, Quinshon Judkins. While Henderson is the lightning, Judkins brought the thunder for the Buckeyes last year with 1,060 yards and 14 TDs in 2024.
“In some regards, he might even be a little out of sight out of mind because he was sharing carries with TreVeyon Henderson. But make no mistake about it, Q can get it done. He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s a power back. When you talk about four-minute offense to close out a game, look no further than that Penn State game. He closed out that game on the field and did not allow the Nittany Lions to get the ball back.”
In that Penn State game, which Klatt was referring to, Judkins had four carries in five plays to start the drive, going for 32 yards and two first downs to ice the game.
Coming in at No. 4 for Klatt was Omarion Hampton out of North Carolina. Hampton’s “versatility” is what draws Klatt to him. He’s able to be explosive and contribute in the passing game. Hampton finished 2024 with 2,033 yards and 17 TDs from scrimmage on 319 touches. Clearly, he can carry the load.
Wrapping up Klatt’s list at No. 5 is Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson. He was extremely productive for the Hawkeyes in his third year in Iowa City, putting up conference-leading marks of 1,537 rush yards and 21 rushing TDs. Klatt loves that he was coached in an NFL-style offense at Iowa. That means NFL skills like running in a zone scheme, vision, and cutback ability will “pay dividends” for the back in the NFL, according to Klatt.
