Top 10 Big 12 Running Backs Since Conference Realignment
It is hard to believe that the Big 12 has been around since 1996. Of course, since then teams have come and gone but the conference finally settled down in 2012. Since then, the current ten teams have remained intact.
Going into the 2021 football season, marks the tenth season of the current alignment within the conference. So, I figured for ten years, why not ranks the ten best Big 12 running backs since 2012?
Before I begin, there is no single criteria for my list. It’s a combination of stats, talent, and awards. Meaning these are the best Big 12 running backs that have played since the 2012 season began in my opinion. Of course, everyone will have their own criteria when it comes to running backs so I am sure people will have different views of my list. Keep in mind, while this list goes back to 2012, there were some running backs who played in 2012 and before that so their full career will be counted. And in case you missed it, I already ranked the top ten Big 12 quarterbacks since 2012!
1. Oklahoma RB Samaje Perine (2014-16)
Despite just playing three years, Samaje is seventh on the Big 12 career rushing list. He was a tough, hard-nosed runner who burst onto the scene with a phenomenal freshman season with over 1,700 yards averaging a whopping 6.5 yards per carry. While he never matched that freshman season, putting together a 4,000 plus yard career is tough in just three seasons and I should mention that he is the all-time leading rusher in Oklahoma history. He has earned the right to be number one in my opinion.
2. Oklahoma State RB Justice Hill (2016-18)
I think people forget just how good Justice Hill was during his time in Stillwater. When you rush for over 3,500 yards in three seasons, that is pretty darn good to me and of course, he had the talent to back it up. He was a solid back for the Cowboys and played a big role along with Mason Rudolph’s arm during his time there.
3. Oklahoma RB Joe Mixon (2015-16)
Yes, Joe Mixon only played two seasons, but they were quite impressive. He was a small back with plenty of moves to weave past defenders and was dangerous as a pass catcher out of the backfield. Joe played second fiddle behind Samaje Perine but every time he carried the football, he averaged an eye popping 6.8 yards per carry. He ended his time at Oklahoma with over 2,000 yards on the ground and almost 900 receiving yards with 26 total touchdowns in just two years. From a pure talent standpoint, no other back may be better than Joe Mixon.
4. Baylor RB Shock Linwood (2013-16)
He is fourth all in the Big 12 career rushing list and has the most yards from a Big 12 running back since 2004. He may not have been the ideal running back for some, but boy did he fit those Art Briles offenses to a “T”. He was a small back who had good speed and had some shiftiness to him. Plus, he averaged over 6.7 yards per carry twice in his four seasons at Baylor. He was a big play guy who may have had some wide-open lanes but to me, he has earned a right to be in the top five.
5. Oklahoma State RB Chuba Hubbard (2018-20)
When you think of Chuba Hubbard, you think of pure Canadian speed. He was fast as lightning as had a stellar 2019 season racking up over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns. While his other two seasons were not nearly as good, Chuba was an extremely good running back who had a second gear like very few players have. I just wish we got to see him more than just one full season as the main back in the Cowboys offense.
6. Texas RB D’Onta Foreman (2014-16)
D’Onta is the only Doak Walker Award winner on this list as he had a memorable 2016 season rushing for over 2,000 yards and 15 touchdowns in his final season in Austin. He played on some bad Texas teams and if he were used more in previous seasons, he probably would be a top five guy on this list. He was a hard-nosed runner who had some sneaky quickness to him despite being a big back. He finished his career at Texas with just 2,774 yards with over 2,000 of them coming in a single season.
7. Oklahoma State RB Joseph Randle (2010-12)
Out of all the OSU running backs on this list, Randle is probably the least flashy but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t productive. He posted two 1,200 plus yard seasons in Stillwater and was even effective in the passing game for the Cowboys offenses in the early 2010’s. He didn’t have breakaway speed, but he had solid vision and was a tough runner who always had a knack for finding the endzone in goal line situations as he rushed for a career 40 touchdowns in his three seasons at OSU.
8. Iowa State RB David Montgomery (2016-18)
This was a man who helped Iowa State become the football program they are today. David didn’t have much to work with his first two seasons, but he still managed to run for nearly 3,000 yards in his career. His yards per carry or touchdowns numbers did not due him justice. Anyone who watched him play knew he had to really earn every yard he got as he was always near or at the top when it came to broken tackles. He truly was a machine when he carried the football.
9. Iowa State RB Breece Hall (2019-Present)
Some may think he is too young to be on this list due to him only playing two seasons so far but after watching last year, I think he has earned his stripes to be on here. In his freshman season, he ran for 897 yards and nine touchdowns before putting together a monster sophomore campaign in which he rushed for over 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns. To me, he is the best back in college football today and he will likely help lead the Cyclones to a second straight Big 12 title appearance.
10. Texas Tech RB DeAndre Washington (2011-15)
This was a tough list to crack but I could not leave DeAndre off this list. He didn’t do a ton in his first two seasons, but he was the total package for the Red Raiders in 2014 and 2015. In those final two years he rushed for over nearly 2,600 yards and had 713 receiving yards. If you were looking at a back to run it out of the backfield and catch passes like a wide out, Joe Mixon and DeAndre were two of the best to do it over the last ten years.
Honorable Mentions
Kansas RB Pooka Williams Jr. (2018-20)
Kansas RB James Sims (2010-13)
Kansas State RB John Hubert (2010-13)
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