Heading into the 2026 season, running backs are gearing up to take center stage, particularly in the SEC. Three RBs from the conference are in ESPN analyst Greg McElroy’s Top 10 rankings at the position this week.

Missouri running back Ahmad Hardy leads the list, though McElroy acknowledged the uncertainty around his status for 2026. Hardy was shot in the leg while attending a concert earlier this month and Eli Drinkwitz said there’s a chance the star back could suit up this year. The program is taking things “day by day,” though.

Hardy leads the charge with three SEC running backs in the top slots of McElroy’s rankings. Here is his full Top 10, as revealed on Always College Football.

1. Ahmad Hardy, Missouri

After arriving at Mizzou last season, Ahmad Hardy emerged as one of the top running backs in the nation as he totaled 1,649 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns. Greg McElroy said the Always College Football crew discussed how to handle the uncertainty around his 2026 season, but said Hardy’s spot atop the rankings is a testament to his achievements last year.

“We were trying to figure out, how should we handle this situation?” McElroy said. “We don’t know right now if Ahmad Hardy will be available for the Missouri Tigers in 2026. But here’s where I land on this: The ranking stays. Ahmad Hardy is the best running back in college football heading into 2026. That’s a statement about who he is and what he proved last year.”

2. Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss

One of the key pieces to Ole Miss’ College Football Playoff run a season ago, Kewan Lacy comes in as Greg McElroy’s No. 2-ranked running back. He ran for 1,567 yards and an SEC-best 24 touchdowns as a sophomore. Even though new offensive coordinator John David Baker is now at the controls, McElroy doesn’t think Lacy will miss a beat, given the similar scheme.

“The system might shift just ever so slightly, but we know what they’re going to do,” McElroy said. “They’re going to feature Kewan Lacy not just as a runner, but also as a guy that’s going to get touches out of the backfield as a pass-catcher, as well. … If his workload can reduce and his production can sustain, he’ll be able to prove that week-in and week-out here in 2026.”

3. Jadan Baugh, Florida

In an up-and-down year for Florida, Jadan Baugh was a bright spot with 1,170 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He was a key retention for the new coaching staff, which is why Greg McElroy said Baugh could shine under new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner. In fact, there’s a new mantra around the facility.

“The phrase that’s being used inside the program is ‘Run The Baugh,’” McElroy said. “Look what Buster Faulkner did the last couple years at Georgia Tech. They run the ball unbelievably well. He creates run lanes. And there is a little uncertainty at quarterback right now. … The one thing that’s not [unresolved], when it comes to the Florida backfield, that’s Jadan Baugh.”

4. Mark Fletcher, Miami

Although he could have declared for the NFL Draft after Miami’s run to the national title game, Mark Fletcher is back for his senior season. He led the ACC with 1,192 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns while also totaling the most rushing yards in a single postseason. Even after his record-setting season, Greg McElroy thinks Fletcher is on an upward trajectory in 2026.

“To have the College Football Playoff single-postseason rushing record, that’s not a stat against directional schools. … He comes back from all of that, decides to pass on the NFL Draft,” McElroy said. “Says he wants to play just one more [season]. He wants that opportunity to take the ball and just be the man as a senior. … You listen to everybody that’s watched Fletcher this year, it sounds like he’s on a mission.”

5. LJ Martin, BYU

As a junior at BYU last season, LJ Martin broke out with a Big 12-leading 1,305 rushing yards to go with 12 touchdowns. He played through injury in the back part of the year and underwent surgery in December, but now that he’s getting back to full strength, Greg McElroy said the Cougars star will present plenty of challenges to defenses in 2026.

“I think if you look at where LJ Martin is, he’s a problem,” McElroy said. “He’s a problem for every single defender that comes to make a tackle on him. Look at BYU, everybody that’s back, you have a backfield weapon that the offense will be designed around. Most defensive coordinators will have a hard time preparing for this. So BYU’s season, it runs through LJ Martin.”

6. Caleb Hawkins, Oklahoma State

Following a huge freshman year at North Texas, Caleb Hawkins is reuniting with Eric Morris at Oklahoma State. He ran for 1,434 yards and an FBS-leading 25 touchdowns at UNT, which helped him become the No. 11-ranked player in the On3 Industry Transfer Rankings. As Hawkins makes the leap to Oklahoma State, Greg McElroy said his skill set should translate well.

“If you look at this young man, his game translates at every level,” McElroy said. “It’s not going to be an issue, I think, going from North Texas to Oklahoma State. I think he is going to be every bit as productive this year – assuming he’s healthy from start to finish – as he was a year ago.”

7. Nate Frazier, Georgia

Part of a two-headed monster with Chauncey Bowens in the Georgia backfield, Nate Frazier became the Bulldogs’ leading rusher with 947 rushing yards to go with six touchdowns as a sophomore. Back for his junior year, Greg McElroy sees him as a Top-10 running back in college football as he looks to take a leap in 2026.

“There’s a lot of question marks surrounding the receiving corps, but the offensive line, the run game, the quarterback position in Gunner Stockton, you know they’re going to try and establish the run,” McElroy said. “Defenses are going to have to load the box against Georgia this year, and Frazier, he’s probably going to have to make some guys miss. But he’s always done that. … He was one of the highest-graded backs in the entire country last year, and that was as a sophomore.”

8. Isaac Brown, Louisville

After initially planning to enter the transfer portal, Isaac Brown instead chose to stay at Louisville after an injury-ridden 2025 season. He ran for 884 yards and seven touchdowns across nine games, one year after topping the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman. But Greg McElroy predicted Brown could surpass that number and more if he’s at full strength in 2026.

“He is fully healthy in spring,” McElroy said. “It’s probably the best he’s looked in a couple years. He’s got a new quarterback in Lincoln Kienholz, who adds a little bit of mobility to the room, as well – which might open a few more holes for Brown. … At full health, this is a guy who could flirt with 1,400 yards in the ACC.”

9. Cam Cook, West Virginia

In one season at Jacksonville State in 2025, Cam Cook broke out for an FBS-leading 1,659 rushing yards to go with 16 rushing touchdowns. Now at West Virginia, Greg McElroy sees a strong fit with new head coach Rich Rodriguez, who’s known for his desire to run the ball effectively.

“If there’s one thing we know, it’s that Rich Rodriguez, the head coach, he wants to run the football,” McElroy said. “And he needs a dynamic, space-eating back that can handle 20 or 25 carries a game and contribute as a pass-catcher out of the backfield. Well, that is Cam Cook’s resume right there.”

10. Antwan Raymond, Rutgers

In his first year as Rutgers’ lead back after Kyle Monangai’s departure for the NFL, Antwan Raymond made the most of the opportunity. He ran for 1,241 yards and 13 touchdowns to lead the high-powered rushing attack, and Greg McElroy thinks he’s in line to be a Top-10 running back as a junior in 2026.

“You look at the speed, you look at the size, all that stuff – it’s not going to jump off the page to you,” McElroy said. “But the production and how difficult is he to get to the ground? He’s really good with his vision, he’s very elusive and he made a bunch of guys miss last year. … If he got the national spotlight every week, I think people would realize just how good this young man is because he’s probably the most under-exposed top-end back in the entire Power Four.”

Although the SEC is leading the charge, there isn’t a shortage of running back talent in college football this season. It’s shaping up to be a big year at the position.