Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) reacts after the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.

nfl

Top 5 Running Backs To Watch At The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine

It's time to watch the 2025 running back class in action at the NFL Combine!

Dec 31, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) reacts after the game against the Penn State Nittany Lions in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium.

Today, we enter day 3 of the on-field workouts at the 2025 NFL Combine and so far we have witnessed some great performances. The day belongs to the top running back prospects ready to take the next step in their footballing careers. A good showing here at the Combine will no doubt help raise their stock, which means half the battle is won before the draft.

Who will shine on the all-important day, only time will tell. But for now, let us see the players who are expected to shine the brightest as they get set for their physical workouts.

Which Running Backs Are Expected To Do Well At This Year’s NFL Combine?

The 2025 draft class is considered to be one of the better classes in recent times for the running back position. The running game is suffering at the hands of teams approaching a more pass-first type of offense, yet last season we saw Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry run riot in the league and a fully healthy Christian McCaffrey is expected to get back to his best in 2025. The question is, will there be anyone from this year’s class to deliver similar results?

1) Omarion Hampton

Omarion Hampton has played three years of collegiate football with the North Carolina Tar Heels football team. As a true freshman in 2022, he saw limited time on the field but became a regular presence from 2023. He rushed for over 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns in both his sophomore and junior seasons.

Averaging 5.7 yards per carry in his collegiate career, Hampton finished with 3,565 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns earning First-team All-American and First-team All-ACC in both 2023 and 2024. Hampton has a physical and powerful style of running which should work well in short distances and red zone areas. He is difficult to bring down due to his strength and good body control even after contact.

2) Kaleb Johnson

Kaleb Johnson played for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2022 to 2024. He had a brilliant 2024 campaign as he finished with 1,537 rushing yards with an average of 6.4 yards per carry and 21 touchdowns along the ground. He earned Consensus All-American, Big Ten Running Back of the Year, and First-team All-Big Ten honors in 2024.

Johnson’s biggest advantage is his size and strength, which he uses well to break tackles and gain additional yards. He is an explosive but patient running back with great vision and toughness.

3) TreVeyon Henderson

TreVeyon Hendrson is a senior out of Ohio State having played for the Buckeyes football team since 2021. He has had great production for 3 of his 4 years in college. Overall, he finished with 3,761 rushing yards with an average of 6.4 yards per carry and 42 touchdowns on the ground. He also added 853 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns through the air. Henderson became a CFP national champion in 2024 with the Bulldogs.

Henderson is another one of those explosive and patient runners with good vision and change of direction skills. His acceleration comes in handy once he finds gaps and is able to vary his speed as he waits for blockers to do their job. Henderson is also a reliable pass protector.

4) Quinshon Judkins

Quinshon Judkins is the teammate of TreVeyon Henderson and played for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024. Prior to that, he played for Ole Miss in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Judkins has rushed for over 1,000 yards in each of his three seasons, finishing his college career with 3,785 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns.

Judkins was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2022, is a 2-time First-Team All-SEC in 2022 and 2023, and CFP national champion in 2024. The former Buckeye has a good burst and explosiveness. Other qualities that make him a top athlete are his exceptional vision, pass catching reliability, as well as a useful stiff arm technique.

5) Dylan Sampson

Dylan Sampson is a junior who played from 2022 to 2024 for the Tennessee Volunteers. Although his freshman and sophomore seasons were nothing much to talk about, Sampson’s stock has risen significantly with a hugely productive 2024. Out of his 2,486 total rushing yards and 35 touchdowns, 1,485 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns came in 2024 itself. He earned top honors in 2024, such as First-team All-SEC, SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and Second-team All-American.

Sampson’s biggest advantage is his ability to see lane development as it happens and has a feel for the game. He understands the blocking scheme and uses cuts to gain more yards. He has been extremely effective in gaining yards after contact as well.

Also Read: Jaxson Dart Could Jump Shedeur Sanders As QB2 in the NFL Draft

Top Running Back Prospects Who Won’t Be Participating In The Drills

Running back Ashton Jeanty from Boise State announced that he will not be participating in the workouts at the 2025 NFL Combine. Jeanty is widely considered to be the first running back to be drafted in the 2025 NFL draft.

NFL

nfl combine 2025

nfl scouting combine 2025

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!