Greg McElroy explains ranking for Isaac Brown on Top 10 college football running back list

Greg McElroy is extremely high on Louisville running back Isaac Brown entering the 2025 season. The ESPN analyst ranked Brown at No. 8 on his list of the top 10 RBs in college football after a huge year in his trust freshman season.

McElroy pulled out an interesting nugget on the Cardinals back, explaining that he is just the second freshman along with Nick Chubb to rush for more than 1,000 yards, 10 touchdowns and average seven yards per carry. Chubb left Georgia as the second-leading rusher in program history and of course went on to enjoy a career in the NFL.

“So pretty impressive,” McElroy said. “Total numbers for him last year were 1,173 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns and 7.1 per. That’s cooking. …Now Chubb, of course in that offense, it was very run-heavy. It was fullbacks, two tight ends and while Sony Michel and others did take a little bit off his plate, there were some injuries that allowed Chubb that much opportunity to create great production.

“This was a Louisville offense that was really, really good but they only rushed for 185 yards a game. So it’s not like Louisville is a team that’s gonna average 300 on the ground. Isaac Brown was there to kind of complement a passing attack and to create balance for Jeff Brohm and his offense.”

Brown also managed to make an impact in the receiving game with 30 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown. He was ust a three-star recruit coming out of Homestead (FL) High School but certainly looks to be a gem of a find for the Louisville coaching staff.

McElroy was certainly impressed by what he saw out of Brown in 2024, but noted there are still some areas where the running back could improve. As with all young players, adding a strength should be a major priority this offseason.

“One thing I’ll be really curious to see is how much stronger will he get?” the ESPN analyst said. “We know he’s gonna continue to be able to create great speed. I know he’s going to be able to break off big plays. But will he be able to continue to strengthen his lower body. Will he be able to be a little bit better in pass protection? Are those areas of growth that can help make him a more well-rounded back?

“I think those are clearly focus points of the coaching staff and you listen to the people that surround Louisville’s program, those are the coaching points right now, but now it’s about putting it into action and I’m super confident that Brown will be able to do that.”