BeaversEdge Top 25 For 2025: No. 1 Anthony Hankerson

NCAA Football: Oregon State at Boise State — Nov 29, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Oregon State Beavers running back Anthony Hankerson (0) runs for an 83 yard touchdown during the second quarter against the Boise State Broncos at Albertsons Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Losness-Imagn Images

In the months leading up to the start of fall camp, BeaversEdge.com will be counting down the Top 25 Oregon State football players on the 2025 roster. Want to give your two cents on the rankings? Subscribe to BeaversEdge.com to join The Dam Board and weigh in on the conversation. We finish with running back Anthony Hankerson, who comes in at No. 1.

Anthony Hankerson

Running Back

Bio

No. 0

5-foot-8, 200-pounds

Senior

Boynton Beach, Fla.

St. Thomas Aquinas -> Colorado -> Oregon State

2024 (JUNIOR)
• Played in all 12 games
• Tallied the 19th 1,000-yard rushing season at OSU, finishing with 1,082 yards on 232 carries. Ranks sixth for a single-season at OSU with 15 rushing touchdowns
• Ranks 18th for a single-season at OSU
• Finished with five games of 100 or more yards
• Averaged 4.7 yards per rush
• Totaled 27 catches for 151 yards
• Scored at least one touchdown in nine of 12 games
• Recorded five multi-score efforts
• Opened his OSU career with a career-best 155 rush yards on 24 carries in the opener against Idaho State. Ran for two scores
• Ran for 154 yards and three touchdowns on 28 carries versus Nevada
• Tallied 121 yards against San Jose State. Attempted 30 carries and scored a touchdown while catching three passes for 8 yards
• Ran for an 83-yard touchdown in the finale at Boise State, highlighting a 110-yard day on 11 carries. Tied for the fifth-longest run in OSU history
• Carried the ball 26 times in the double overtime win over Colorado State, finishing with 113 yards and two touchdowns
• Caught a career-high six passes for 36 yards against Oregon

COLORADO
• Played in 20 games over two seasons for the Buffaloes
• Totaled 593 rush yards on 146 carries – an average of 4.1 yards per
• Recorded four touchdowns, including three as a true freshman in 2022
• Caught 21 passes, finishing with 95 yards and one score
• Scored via the pass for the first time in Colorado’s loss to Oregon State in 2023

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS HIGH SCHOOL
• Rated three stars out of high school
• Ranked as the No. 41 running back in his class by ESPN
• Played in 44 games for head coach Rodger Harriot
• Finished his career with 3,420 rush yards on 519 carries. Scored 43 touchdowns and totaled 20 100-yard efforts
• Added 19 receptions for 153 yards and three touchdowns
• Named the Sun Sentinel Broward County Offensive Player of the Year as a senior
• Ran 165 times for 1,057 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior
• Sun Sentinel Broward County Player of the Year as a junior. Totaled 1,178 yards on 194 carries with 14 touchdowns
• Ran for 1,185 yards on 160 carries as a sophomore
• Also lettered in track and field, recording a personal best of 10.9 in the 100

Hankerson 2024 Recap

In his first season with Oregon State after beginning his career at Colorado, Hankerson delivered his best collegiate season to date. He played in all 12 games (seven starts) and tallied 1,082 yards on 232 carries (4.7 yards per carry) and 15 touchdowns. It was the Beavers’ 16th all-time 1,000-yard rushing season, and his 15 scores were the sixth-most in a single Beaver season.

Hankerson began the season in a near 50-50 timeshare split with running back Jam Griffin, but once Griffin went down with a season-ending injury in the Beavers’ fifth game against Colorado State, Hankerson stepped up.

After playing roughly 30-40 snaps per game over the first four games of the season, once Griffin went down, Hankerson averaged nearly 60 snaps per game over the final eight contests, including a career-high 75 against UNLV.

All but one (opener vs ISU, 155 yards) of Hankerson’s 100+ yard performances came with him as the featured back, as he had 113 yards against Colorado State, 154 yards against Nevada, 121 yards against San Jose State, and 110 in the finale against Boise State. He also had four games of at least two rushing scores, and one game (Nevada) with three. He also had a signature highlight in the finale against Boise State, breaking free for an 83-yard touchdown, tied for the fifth-longest run in Beaver history.

While the Beavers did have the emergence of Salahadin Allah (258 yards) once Griffin went down, it was largely Hankerson who handled the workload down the stretch of the season. He showcased his durability, staying healthy, and was a fan favorite for his toughness, grinding out extra yards by keeping his legs moving. He also showcased himself as a receiver, totaling 27 catches (second-most on the team) for 151 yards.

Oregon State’s offense as a whole struggled with consistency last season, but there were a few bright spots, and Hankerson was one of them. After having a previous career high of just over 300 rushing yards and 78 carries, Hankerson nearly quadrupled his yards and nearly tripled his carries.

Hankerson 2025 Outlook

Oregon State’s offense received a sizable boost in the offseason when Hankerson, along with so many from the 2024 team, announced he’d be returning in 2025. Returning a 1,000-yard rusher for the next season hasn’t happened for the Beavers since 2019, when they returned Jermar Jefferson after a 1,390-yard true freshman campaign.

It’ll be big for the new-look offense to have a reliable, consistent, and veteran presence in the backfield to lean on in Hankerson. The Beavers are notably deeper at the running back position this year, and there might not be quite as much pressure on Hankerson to carry the load, especially with Allah back, Jake Reichle back, transfer Marquis Crosby, and up-and-comers Cornell Hatcher, Skyler Jackson, and Kourdey Glass.

Hankerson will serve as the de facto leader of the running back room in his final campaign, and he’ll likely also serve as a key veteran mentor for the young guys in the room. Having that leadership aspect as a byproduct of Hankerson returning for his final year could really benefit the room top-down.

Look for Hankerson to have another strong season and potentially be around the 1,000-yard mark once again, while also reaching double-digit scores. I think the Beavers will still rotate running backs quite a bit, especially with more depth and seeing how new running back coach Ray Pickering operates, but expect Hankerson to be the lead guy all season long and play a part in an offensive resurgence.