Dynasty Report: An Early Look at the 2025 Running Back Class (Fantasy Football)
The most glaring weakness of the 2024 class was by far its lack of top-tier talent and depth at the running back position. That was clearly reflected in the draft as only four were selected in the first three rounds. Even in the case of Trey Benson and MarShawn Lloyd, while they received day two draft capital, they lacked the dominant collegiate production profile that is usually predictive of success at the NFL level. Fortunately for dynasty managers, the 2025 running back class should be significantly better. In fact, we have already seen multiple prospects break out before their junior year. As a result, this group already projects to be deeper and more top-heavy than the 2024 class. And if we combine their production, efficiency, and projected draft capital, my rookie model currently projects five running backs to grade in the +80th percentile. For context, the 2024 class only had one prospect grade above that threshold in Jonathon Brooks.
In this article, we’ll dive into some of the running back prospects that could shake up the NFL landscape as soon as next season. Keep in mind that this is just a preview of some of the top prospects in the 2025 class. For more breakdowns, keep an eye on the weekly Dynasty Report where I will be highlighting one prospect per week in a segment called the Prospect Watch List!
Ollie Gordon II is arguably the most intriguing running back in this class after dominating in his sophomore season at OSU. He totaled over 2,000 scrimmage yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.4 yards per touch. Relative to the OSU offense, Gordon accounted for 41% of the team’s offense (yards and touchdowns) while finishing the season with an elite 2.02 Scrimmage Yards per Team Play. For context, his sophomore production ranks in the 92nd percentile among all drafted running backs since 2013. To put his production into even more perspective, Oklahoma State’s offensive line ranked 105th in run-blocking grade (55.3) per PFF, highlighting just how dominant he was last season. The only blemish in his profile so far was his lack of production as a true freshman, splitting touches with two other running backs in the OSU offense. Despite that, he still ranks as an 88th-percentile running back in my rookie model, which would firmly entrench him as a top-five running back in this class. And if he can replicate his elite production in 2024, I fully expect Gordon’s dynasty stock to only improve as he will likely declare for the 2025 draft.
Ashton Jeanty is currently my early candidate to be the RB1 of the 2025 class. As a true freshman, Jeanty was an immediate difference-maker at Boise State, totaling 981 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns in 14 games. And even though he only averaged 1.05 Yards per Team Play, that still ranks in the 78th percentile among all freshman seasons since 2013. What sets him apart, however, was his elite sophomore campaign in 2023. As you can see above, he averaged 2.43 Scrimmage Yards per Team Play, which ranks in the 98th percentile. He was by far the focal point of the offense, accounting for nearly 40% of the Boise State’s entire production. Even more impressive was his involvement as a receiver, averaging 23% of the team’s receiving yards. How unique is it for a running back to average over 20% of their team’s receiving yards? Since 2013, we have only seen four day-one and two running backs exceed that threshold in a single collegiate season: Christian McCaffrey, Rachaad White, Jahmyr Gibbs, and Dri Archer. Jeanty will likely join this list as teams will be clamoring for his dual-threat skillset in the 2025 draft. Assuming he continues to dominate at Boise State, Jeanty should be one of the top running backs in your rookie drafts next season.
Quinshon Judkins possesses an impressive blend of strength, elusiveness, and acceleration, which makes him a difficult running back to tackle no matter where he is on the field. In fact, according to PFF, Judkins leads all Power Five running backs in yards after contact (1,800) and forced missed tackles (154) over the last two seasons, translating to immediate production in his career. As you can see above, Judkins had an outstanding first campaign at Ole Miss. Not only did he account for over 25% of the team’s total production, but he also averaged 1.70 Yards per Team Play. To put that in perspective, there are only three running backs drafted with day one and two capital since 2013 who averaged more scrimmage yards per team play as a true freshman: Saquon Barkley, Nick Chubb, and Jonathan Taylor. In short, Judkins dominated in his first season with the Rebels. Unfortunately, while he was still productive as a sophomore (over 1,300 total yards), his production relative to his team’s offense declined. He averaged a 24% dominator rating, while his scrimmage yards per team play declined to only 1.41. While that is still a respectable season (68th percentile), I expected Judkins to at least match his freshman production in 2023. As a result, that places an even greater emphasis on him to produce in his junior year. However, after transferring to Ohio State, his production could be limited in 2024 as he will likely split touches with TreVeyon Henderson.
Speaking of elite freshman seasons, TreVeyon Henderson out of Ohio State belongs in that conversation as well, averaging 1.71 Scrimmage Yards per Team Play in 2021. This should not come as a surprise as Henderson was a five-star recruit and the number one running back prospect coming out of high school. Ironically, two of the most productive true freshman running backs over the last decade are now teammates at Ohio State, as Quinshon Judkins recently transferred to the Buckeyes this offseason.
Regardless, Henderson enters this year as one of the highest-graded running backs in my rookie model. Right now, he projects as a 92nd percentile running back (assuming day two capital), which currently places him as the RB2 of the 2025 class. Keep in mind, this grade includes his 2022 season in which he struggled through a foot injury that limited his production as a sophomore. Per Casey Smith of Sports Illustrated, Henderson played with a broken sesamoid bone that significantly impacted his ability to push off the turf. Naturally, his efficiency declined as he also split touches with Miyan Williams. The good news, however, is that Henderson bounced back significantly as a junior. As you can see above, he set career highs in nearly every metric, putting together a 79th-percentile junior campaign. Ideally, I would love to see Henderson continue to progress in 2024. However, we likely need to temper our expectations as Judkins is projected to command a sizable role in the Buckeyes’ offense alongside Henderson this season.
Similar to Henderson, Raheim “Rocket” Sanders was on his way to becoming one of the top running backs in the 2024 class. Even after a quiet true freshman season, Sanders would put together an impressive breakout campaign in 2022 in which he averaged 1.78 Scrimmage Yards per Team Play. That would rank in the 83rd percentile among all sophomore seasons since 2013. Naturally, there was still plenty of room for improvement as he entered his junior year. Unfortunately, he would suffer multiple injuries that would significantly impact his production in 2023. In their first game of the year, Sanders suffered a knee injury that would force him to miss several games early in the season. After attempting multiple returns, Sanders’ campaign would end prematurely as he suffered a torn labrum in their matchup against Florida International in November. In other words, injuries robbed us of what could have been an elite campaign by Sanders. And to no surprise, he decided to forgo the NFL draft and instead transfer to South Carolina. Fortunately, multiple reports indicate that he should be healthy to start the year. Assuming he can recapture his elite performance from his sophomore season, Sanders’ draft stock should bounce back significantly as he still projects to be a day-two pick in next year’s class.
The final running back on our list is Omarion Hampton, who is coming off a breakout campaign in 2023. After a quiet freshman season operating as the RB2 for the Tar Heels, Hampton took over as a sophomore and received 282 touches. That translated to over 1,700 scrimmage yards, 16 touchdowns, and an efficient 6.1 yards per touch. He accounted for nearly 28% of the team’s total production, averaging 1.80 Scrimmage yards per Team Play (85th percentile) and leading the nation in yards after contact at 1,072. Considering his offensive line also ranked outside of the top 100 in PFF’s run-blocking grade, it further puts into perspective how impressive his production was in 2023. In addition, what continuously stood out in his game was his unique acceleration and contact balance. Even at 220 pounds, Hampton is extremely elusive and can take it to the house from anywhere on the field. Keep in mind that UNC just lost Drake Maye. As a result, I expect them to lean even more on Hampton as their RB1, setting him up for an even better campaign in 2024. Assuming he can build on his breakout season, Hampton should easily be considered a top-five running back in this class.