1. Arkansas
Arkansas’ Darren McFadden and Felix Jones were the top two rushers in the SEC last fall, when both picked up over 1,000 yards on the ground. In 2005, McFadden became only the second freshman in SEC history to rush for over 1,000 yards (the other was Georgia’s Herschel Walker). As a sophomore last season, McFadden ran for 1,647 yards at 5.8 per carry with 14 touchdowns, and finished 10th nationally with 117.6 yards a game. In coach Houston Nutt’s “wildcat” formation, McFadden takes the snap from center and pilots the offense. His 2006 numbers also include 7-of-9 passing with three touchdown tosses. He won the Doak Walker Award and was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Jones averaged a whopping 7.6 yards per carry, running for 1,168 yards and six touchdowns. Third-string tailback Michael Smith also returns after averaging 7.1 yards on 35 carries with three more scores. Fullback Peyton Hillis was slowed by injuries last fall, but he is also a weapon running the ball or catching it out of the backfield.

2. West Virginia
The Mountaineers’ blazing-fast tailback Steve Slaton ran for 1,744 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2006, averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He finished fourth on the Division I-A rushing chart with 134.2 yards per game and second in all-purpose yards at 161.9. He surpassed the 200-yard mark against Marshall and Pitt (and against Georgia in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl), and against the Panthers he ran for 215 yards and caught passes for 130. He was a consensus All-American and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Freshman Noel Devine, a late signee from Fort Meyers, Fla., could give West Virginia the best one-two tailback punch east of Fayetteville. Devine’s high school highlight tape looks like something out of the Dreamworks Studio. Owen Schmitt gets lots of carries from his fullback position. He averaged 5.4 yards and ran for seven scores in 2006.

3. Clemson
Clemson coaches are searching for creative ways to get both of their explosive tailbacks — James Davis and C.J. Spiller — on the field at the same time. Davis was named the 2005 ACC Rookie of the Year after running for 879 yards and nine touchdowns. Last year he was first-team All-ACC after running for 1,187 yards and 17 scores. He tore up the Georgia Tech defense with 216 yards and two TDs on 21 carries in a 31–7 Tiger romp on Oct. 21. He averaged 5.8 per carry for the year. As a freshman last year, Spiller picked up 938 yards at 7.3 per carry with 10 touchdowns. He exceeded the 100-yard mark five times, including 154- and 155-yard outings in consecutive November games against NC State and South Carolina.

4. Texas A&M
The Aggies finished eighth nationally in rushing last fall, averaging 207 yards per game overland, and the top three ground gainers are back for 2007. No. 3 is quarterback Stephen McGee, but the top two are running backs Jorvorskie Lane and Mike Goodson. Lane, a 274-pound human battering ram, is the best short-yardage back in America. An All-Big 12 returnee, he rumbled for 725 yards and tied a 79-year-old school record with 19 rushing touchdowns. Goodson led the Aggies in rushing with 847 yards, topped the Big 12 with 6.7 yards per carry and was named the league’s Freshman of the Year. He ran for 127 yards against Oklahoma and averaged 5.7 per carry with a 41-yard touchdown run against Texas’ vaunted rushing defense.

5. Rutgers
Brian Leonard was making a name for himself at running back for the Scarlet Knights. Then Ray Rice arrived and Leonard went to fullback. Leonard is now playing in the NFL, but Rice — first-team All-Big East and second-team All-America in 2006 — is back for 2007. A powerfully built, 5'9", 200-pounder with breakaway speed, Rice set a new Big East record with 1,794 rushing yards last fall. He finished third in the nation with 138 yards per game, averaged 5.4 per carry and scored 20 times. Rice is the first player in school history to run for 200-plus yards in each of four different games — all on the road. After only two years, he is already third in school history with 2,914 rushing yards. Kordell Young backed up Rice as a freshman last year, showed a nice burst and should share more of the load in 2007.

Next Up:
6. Tennessee
7. Michigan
8. Oklahoma State
9. Southern Miss
10. Oregon

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