Transfer portal breakdown: The 10 most impactful running back transfers of 2022

On3 imageby:Mike Huguenin07/15/22

MikeHuguenin

Here’s a projection of the 10 most impactful running backs to emerge from the transfer portal this offseason. This is not a measure just of sheer talent. Instead, it’s a mix of a player’s importance, his potential and, most important, his expected production. (On Thursday, we looked at the 10 most impactful quarterback transfers and at all the quarterback transfers expected to start this season on Wednesday.)

10. Dae Dae Hunter, Liberty

The particulars: Transfer from Hawaii
The skinny: There are numerous Power 5 running back transfers we could have here, but a lot of those will be involved in share-the-wealth situations that could keep their rushing totals somewhat down. That shouldn’t be the case for Dae Dae Hunter, who looked good in the spring in Liberty’s revamped offense. The offense had to be revamped because QB Malik Willis now is in the NFL. Willis led the Flames in rushing in each of the past two seasons. His replacement seems likely to be the well-traveled Charlie Brewer, who certainly can’t run like Willis. Hunter started 12 games in the past two seasons at Hawaii and rushed for 651 yards (averaging 6.45 yards per carry) in 2021. He also has solid receiving ability.

9. Nathaniel Peat, Missouri

The particulars: Transfer from Stanford
The skinny: Nathaniel Peat rushed for 665 yards in three seasons at Stanford, with the bulk of them (404) last season. He shared time with the Cardinal, and while he will share carries this season, he also figures to get most of the carries as Mizzou re-shapes its backfield. Tyler Badie rushed for a school-record 1,604 yards last season but now is in the NFL. Peat is returning home, as he is a native of Columbia, Mo. He has good speed (he won the Missouri state 100-meters title in 2018 in 10.75 seconds), and maybe he can use that speed to turn in some big plays like his predecessor; Badie was second nationally last season with 10 rushes of at least 30 yards and tied for the national lead with seven rushes of at least 40 yards.

8. Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State

The particulars: Transfer from Wyoming
The skinny: Xazavian Valladay was the second-leading rusher in Wyoming history (3,274 career yards) and twice reached the 1,000-yard plateau. Valladay was a second-team All-Mountain West Conference selection in 2021 and a first-team All-MWC pick in 2019. He also is an effective receiver out of the backfield. He’s joining a team that lost its top two running backs — Rachaad White was a senior who’s off to the NFL and DeaMontre Trayanum is off to Ohio State to play linebacker. Valladay figures to share carries with Daniyel Ngata, but Valladay’s experience will be vital for a rebuilt offense. In addition, his receiving ability is key: White was Arizona State’s second-leading receiver in 2021 and new QB Emory Jones frequently used his backs as receivers at Florida.

7. Montrell Johnson, Florida

The particulars: Transfer from Louisiana
The skinny: Montrell Johnson rushed for 838 yards and a team-leading 12 TDs in earning Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year honors last season. He shared time with the Ragin’ Cajuns (Louisiana had three rushers with at least 600 yards in 2021) and will do so again with Florida. But the Gators lost their top two running backs, and the leading returning rusher, Nay’Quan Wright, is coming back from a broken ankle suffered in the regular-season finale. In addition, Johnson had more yards and TDs last season than the combined career totals for the other backs on Florida’s roster. The hope is Johnson, Wright and holdover Lorenzo Lingard, a former five-star prospect who began his career at Miami, can team with QB Anthony Richardson to give the Gators a potent rushing attack.

6. Trelon Smith, UTSA

The particulars: Transfer from Arkansas
The skinny: Trelon Smith was part of a share-the-wealth backfield at Arkansas last season – the Hogs had four players rush for more than 500 yards – but figures to be more of a true feature back with the Roadrunners. He will be tasked with replacing two-time 1,450-yard rusher Sincere McCormick, a former C-USA player of the year. UTSA returns star QB Frank Harris and standout WR Zakhari Franklin, and the addition of Smith means the Roadrunners might have the best quarterback/running back/receiver trio in the Group of 5 ranks. UTSA is Smith’s third school; he began his career at Arizona State, then played two seasons at Arkansas before entering the transfer portal. He rushed for 1,308 yards and 10 TDs in his time with the Razorbacks, including 598 yards and five TDs last season.

5. Jarek Broussard, Michigan State

The particulars: Transfer from Colorado
The skinny: Michigan State struck transfer portal gold last season with RB Kenneth Walker III moving in from Wake Forest. Jarek Broussard isn’t going to be that prolific (Walker rushed for 1,636 yards and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s best back), but he’s still a vital addition. He led Colorado in rushing in each of the past two seasons; he was the Pac-12 offensive player of the year in 2020, when he rushed for 895 yards in six games in 2020 (149.2 yards per game, third nationally). Broussard did that in an offense that didn’t have much of a passing attack. Broussard isn’t as good between the tackles and won’t be a 22-carry-a-game guy like Walker. But he has good quickness and big-play ability, and figures to have more room to run because Michigan State does have a legit passing attack.

4. Travis Dye, USC

The particulars: Transfer from Oregon
The skinny: Travis Dye is the No. 5 rusher in Oregon history (3,111 yards) despite always sharing time. Dye rushed for 1,271 yards and 16 TDs last season; he also led the Ducks with 46 receptions in 2021 and had 83 catches in his career. He is a proven commodity in the Pac-12, and now will be featured in a much more wide-open offense than the one he was in at Oregon. He again will share time, but there’s no question he will be the feature back. Lincoln Riley had highly productive running backs while at Oklahoma, and Dye figures to be Riley’s first highly productive running back at USC. Dye is one of numerous key offensive newcomers grabbed from the transfer portal this offseason.

3. Zach Evans, Ole Miss

The particulars: Transfer from TCU
The skinny: For sheer talent, Zach Evans takes a backseat to very few college running backs. His issues have come off the field, like with his drawn-out recruitment. But, hey, who better to manage a mercurial temperament than Rebels coach Lane Kiffin? Evans started off strong last season, rushing for 559 yards and averaging 8.1 yards per carry in TCU’s first four games against FBS opponents. But he played in just one game after October 9, battling a foot injury and … well, no one really knows. He entered the transfer portal in November. If Evans is healthy and fully invested, he could run wild for the Rebels – like 1,500-plus yards. Ole Miss likes to run the ball and lost its top four rushers from 2021. Evans has a big-time burst, can run between the tackles and has promising ability as a receiver, too. Ole Miss also picked up SMU transfer RB Ulysses Bentley IV, but Evans is the clear-cut No. 1.

2. Christopher Brooks, BYU

The particulars: Transfer from California
The skinny: BYU has to replace 1,600-yard rusher Tyler Allgeier, and Christopher Brooks was snagged from the transfer portal to help in that regard. Brooks was headed to Purdue before he changed his mind and ended up in Provo. He’s a big (6 feet 1, 235 pounds), physical back who twice led Cal in rushing; he finished his four-season career in Berkeley with 1,734 yards and 14 TDs. Brooks rushed for a team-high 607 yards in 2021 in an offense that can kindly be called pedestrian. Allgeier had 276 carries last season, fourth-most in the nation; Brooks won’t have as heavy a workload, but he still will be the lead back in an offense predicated on the run. And he will be running behind a big, experienced line. He also is a good receiver, and that facet of his game will be put to good use. (In three of his four seasons at Cal, he was Chris Brown Jr. To honor his mom, he changed his last name to Brooks after the 2020 season.)

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama

The particulars: Transfer from Georgia Tech
The skinny: RB Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for a combined 1,206 yards and eight touchdowns, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, in two seasons at Georgia Tech. He should exceed both totals this season with the Tide. He’ll run behind a good line and be surrounded by elite skill-position talent, including Heisman winner Bryce Young. Gibbs will share carries, but he’ll also get more carries than the other guys because, hey, he’s the best back on the roster. Gibbs has good speed and is an excellent receiver (59 receptions in two seasons). His receiving ability is a skill that coordinator Bill O’Brien figures to use often. Coach Nick Saban was succinct when discussing Gibbs with reporters after the spring game: “Very good running back. Very good receiver. Very good third-down back. So a very good addition.”