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Ranking the Big Ten: Running back

As the 2019 season draws nearer by the day, it’s time to start taking a look at some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.

We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series with a look at the running back position, as once again the conference appears to be very strong at this position heading into the 2019 season.

Related: QB |

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1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin 

The big question this year is what will Jonathan Taylor look like running behind a Wisconsin offensive line that must replace four starters in 2019?

Taylor rushed for 2,194 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore, and 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns as a true freshman. It's as good of a start by a running back in college football as we've seen in years.

The 5-foot-11, 219 pound Taylor has averaged an astounding 22.4 carries (606 total carries) per game over the course of the 27 games he's logged for the Badgers the past two seasons. Last season, he had five games where he rushed for over 200 yards, which is very impressive, considering how limited Wisconsin's passing offense was in 2018.

2. J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State

Call it a sophomore slump. 2018 was still a 1,000-yard season for Ohio State's J.K. Dobbins, but his production level was nowhere near the 1,412 yards he put up as a true freshman in 2017.

Some of it may have had to do with the style difference at quarterback with Dwayne Haskins in 2018 and J.T. Barrett in 2017. Dobbins thrived playing with the dual-threat Barrett, but when defenses didn't key on Haskins as a runner, you didn't see near the big plays out of him in 2018.

Dobbins averaged 7.2 yards per carry in 2017, compared to 4.6 yards per carry in 2018. Playing with the much more mobile Justin Fields this season, the thought is Dobbins numbers should see a sizeable increase. He also no longer has to share the load in the backfield with Mike Weber.

3. Anthony McFarland, Maryland 

Most of the country had no idea who Maryland's Anthony McFarland was until he rushed for 298 yards helping the Terps nearly pull off an upset win over Ohio State.

The quick and shifty McFarland rushed for 1,034 yards this past season, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. The combination of him and Javon Leake give the Terps one of the best backfield duos in the Big Ten Conference. Both McFarland and Leake are looked at as high-level NFL draft prospects at running back. Having the dual-threat Josh Jackson playing quarterback for the Terps should also help both of them in 2019. It wouldn't be a surprise at all if both McFarland and Leake rushed for over 1,000 yards.

4. Reggie Corbin, Illinois 

Illinois running back Reggie Corbin may be one of the more underappreciated players in the Big Ten Conference.

Returning for his senior season, Corbin is the first Illinois running back to rush for over 1,000 yards since Mikel Leshoure in 2010. He finished last season with 1,084 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging 8.5 yards per carry.

Nebraska fans should be well aware of Corbin, as he was gashing the Blackshirts early before he left the game with an injury. Illinois also returns four of their five starters on the offensive line, so expect even bigger numbers from Corbin this season.

5.  Mohamed Ibrahim, Minnesota 

There may be no deeper backfield in the Big Ten than Minnesota's. The Gophers return 1,000 yard back Mohamed Ibrahim, who rushed for 1,160 yards and nine touchdowns a year ago.
However, they also bring back Shannon Brooks and Rodney Smith for a fifth and sixth year. Both Smith and Brooks suffered season-ending knee injuries a year ago but have a combined 4,000 yards and nearly 40 touchdowns in their career.

Bryce Williams is another impressive back returning for Minnesota. As a freshman, he rushed for 502 yards behind Ibrahim. This will be a very deep and talented backfield, with Ibrahim being the featured back out of the gates. The big question will be the health and durability of both Smith and Brooks.

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