Top 10 SEC running backs for 2021 season

John Shelton

May 20, 2021 at 10:00 AM·4 min read

SEC talent is always at the top of college football, and this year is no different, especially when it comes to running backs.

In 2020, the league’s rushers were led by Alabama Heisman finalist Najee Harris, who was drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in this year’s NFL draft.

But who will lead the rushing attacks for SEC programs in 2021?

We rank the top 10 SEC running backs for 2021 by production and overall ability:

No. 10: Dameon Pierce, Florida

Florida running back Dameon Pierce (27) looks for a way past Georgia defensive back Tyson Campbell (3) during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

2020 stats: 106 carries for 503 yards (4.7 avg.) with four touchdowns. 17 catches for 156 yards and a touchdown

No. 9: Trelon Smith, Arkansas

Dec. 5, 2020; Columbia, Missouri; Arkansas Razorbacks running back Trelon Smith (22) runs for a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 134 carries for 710 yards (5.3 avg.) and five touchdowns. 22 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown.

No. 8: James Cook, Georgia

Dec. 12, 2020; Columbia, Missouri; Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook (4) runs for a touchdown against Missouri Tigers defensive back Ishmael Burdine (24) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 45 carries for 303 yards (6.7 avg.) and three touchdowns. 16 receptions for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

No. 7: Jerrion Ealy, Ole Miss

Oct. 31, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee; Mississippi Rebels running back Jerrion Ealy (9) runs for a first down against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Vanderbilt Stadium. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 147 carries for 745 yards (5.1 avg.) and nine touchdowns. 15 receptions for 155 yards and a touchdown.

No. 6: Brian Robinson, Alabama

Jan. 11, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Brian Robinson Jr. (4) runs the ball against Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Tuf Borland (32) during the third quarter in the 2021 College Football Playoff national championship game. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 91 carries for 483 yards (5.3 avg.) and six touchdowns. Six receptions for 26 yards.

No. 5: Chris Rodriguez, Kentucky

Oct. 31, 2020; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (24) runs with the ball against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first half at Kroger Field. Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 119 carries for 785 yards (6.6 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. One reception for 12 yards.

No. 4: Isaiah Spiller, Texas A&M

Jan. 2, 2021; Miami Gardens, Florida; Texas A&M Aggies running back Isaiah Spiller (28) runs with the football for a touchdown against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first quarter of the game at Hard Rock Stadium. Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 188 carries for 1,036 yards (5.5. avg.) and nine touchdowns. 20 receptions for 193 yards.

No. 3: Zamir White, Georgia

Georgia Bulldogs running back Zamir White (3) scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The Georgia Bulldogs won, 22-21.

2020 stats: 144 carries for 779 yards (5.4 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. Six receptions for 37 yards.

No. 2: Kevin Harris, South Carolina

Dec. 5, 2020; Lexington, Kentucky; South Carolina Gamecocks running back Kevin Harris (20) scores a touchdown during the third quarter against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Arden Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

2020 stats: 185 carries for 1,138 yards (6.2 avg.) and 16 touchdowns. 21 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown.

No. 1: Tank Bigsby, Auburn

Auburn running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs into the end zone for a touchdown during Auburn football A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 17, 2021.

2020 stats: 138 attempts for 834 yards (6.0 avg.) and five touchdowns. 11 receptions for 84 yards.

Reuters
California Governor Newsom to propose clean vehicle rebate if Trump cuts EV tax credit
Trump's transition team is considering the elimination of the federal tax credit of $7,500 for EV purchases, in line with broader tax reform legislation, Reuters reported earlier this month. California has crossed the 2 million mark for sales of zero-emission vehicles, doubling since 2022. The CVRP, through which the state of California had provided up to $7,500 for the purchase or lease of a new plug-in hybrid, battery or fuel cell EV, was phased out about a year ago.
Associated Press
Former Kentucky sheriff pleads not guilty in the fatal courthouse shooting of a judge
A former Kentucky sheriff charged in a judge's shooting death pleaded not guilty Monday as he returned to the same courthouse where the two worked closely for years and where the attack occurred. A grand jury indicted former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines last week on one count of murder of a public official. Stines, who served as sheriff for several years, resigned after the Sept. 19 attack at the courthouse in Whitesburg, a small town about 100 miles (146 kilometers) southeast of Lexington, near the Virginia border.
USA TODAY
Many hoped it was Amelia Earhart's missing plane. It turned out to be a rock formation
A team of ocean explorers discovered what they hoped was Amelia Earhart's missing plane. It turned out to be a rock formation.
Associated Press
Special counsel moves to dismiss election interference case against President-elect Donald Trump
Special counsel Jack Smith asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss the case accusing President-elect Donald Trump of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, citing longstanding Justice Department policy shielding presidents from prosecution while in office. The move announced in court papers marks the end of the Justice Department's landmark effort to hold Trump accountable for what prosecutors called a criminal conspiracy to cling to power in the run-up to his supporters' attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Justice Department prosecutors, citing longstanding department guidance that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted, said the department’s position is that “the Constitution requires that this case be dismissed before the defendant is inaugurated.”
Reuters
US prosecutors ask judge to dismiss 2020 election subversion case against Trump -filing
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. prosecutors on Monday asked a U.S. judge to drop the criminal case accusing President-elect Donald Trump of seeking to overturn his 2020 election defeat, citing his impending return to the presidency following his successful 2024 campaign. Prosecutors working with Special Counsel Jack Smith cited a longstanding U.S. Justice Department policy that sitting presidents should not face criminal prosecution. The move represents a remarkable shift from the special prosecutor who obtained indictments against Trump in two separate cases accusing him of crimes that threatened U.S. election integrity and national security.
NBC News
Macy's says employee hid up to $154 million in expenses since 2021
Macy’s on Monday said an employee responsible for managing accounting for small package deliveries concealed up to $154 million in expenses over the course of nearly three years.
AFP
Egypt says over a dozen missing after Red Sea tourist boat capsizes
Egyptian authorities said more than a dozen people including foreigners were still missing after a tourist yacht capsized in the Red Sea on Monday, with 28 others rescued.It said 16 people are missing -- 12 foreigners and four Egyptians -- updating an earlier figure of 17 missing.
Associated Press
Court agrees with ban on medical marijuana advertising in Mississippi
Medical marijuana businesses in Mississippi don't have the right to advertise on billboards or other places because marijuana itself remains illegal under federal law, an appeals court says. The owner of a medical marijuana dispensary argued that the First Amendment protects the right to advertise because Mississippi law permits the sale of cannabis products to people with debilitating medical conditions. A three-judge panel of 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday rejected the arguments about advertising.
CBS News
White woman to be sentenced for fatally shooting Black neighbor
A white woman in Florida with a racist history will be sentenced on Monday for shooting and killing Ajike (A.J.) Owens, her Black neighbor, last year.
AFP
Steelmaker ArcelorMittal to close two plants in France: unions
ArcelorMittal, the world's second-biggest steelmaker, plans to close two plants in northern France, which together employ more than 130 people, unions said on Monday. ArcelorMittal is the latest company to announce plans to cut jobs and close plants in France, which is struggling with economic headwinds.
Associated Press
First right whales of season gorge on critical food off Massachusetts, giving hope for a strong year
Scientists who study a critically endangered species of whale that lives off New England said encouraging early signs suggest the animals could have a strong season for feeding and breeding. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world and it is thought to number about 370. The giant animals migrate, and usually arrive in Cape Cod Bay off Massachusetts early in the winter and stay until around the middle of May.
CNN
A disruptive Thanksgiving winter storm is coming with a side of the coldest air in months
A storm and the first punch of winterlike chill will combine to cause Thanksgiving travel headaches across the eastern half of the United States as Mother Nature serves up a smorgasbord of sloppy weather.
Associated Press
Is Outlook down? Thousands of Microsoft 365 users report outage issues
Thousands of Microsoft 365 customers worldwide reported having issues with services like Outlook and Teams on Monday. In social media posts and comments on platforms like outage tracker Downdetector, some impacted said that they were having trouble seeing their emails, loading calendars or opening other Microsoft 365 applications such as Powerpoint. Microsoft acknowledged “an issue impacting users attempting to access Exchange Online or functionality within Microsoft Teams calendar” earlier in the day.
USA TODAY
Russia captures British man fighting with Ukraine: Reports
Video posted on Russian social media channels showed a young bearded man in military clothing. The captive said he was a former British soldier.
AFP
Three Uzbeks held in UAE over Israeli rabbi's murder
Emirati authorities said Monday three suspects from Uzbekistan were in custody over the murder of a rabbi, a rare violent incident involving an Israeli citizen in the UAE, as his body was flown to Israel for burial.A spokeswoman for Israel's airport authority confirmed to AFP that his body had been flown home.
Politico
Trump backs Florida's chief financial officer as successor to Gaetz in Congress
He said that Jimmy Patronis has “been a wonderful friend to me.”
Reuters
Biden pardons turkeys Peach and Blossom during final Thanksgiving event
U.S. President Joe Biden pardoned Peach and Blossom, two white-plumed turkeys, on Monday, sparing them from Thanksgiving dinner tables, an annual tradition that also marked the start of the Democrat's last holiday season at the White House. This year's turkeys are named after the Delaware state flower, the peach blossom, which symbolizes resilience, Biden, a Delawarean, told a crowd of around 2,500 people on the White House South Lawn, as one of the turkeys gobbled in the background.
Yahoo News
Peach and Blossom escape fowl fate in Biden’s last presidential turkey pardon
National Thanksgiving turkeys, Peach and Blossom, received a pardon by President Biden on Monday in the annual White House tradition.
Reuters
Factbox-Trump's foreign policy: rethink NATO, troops to Mexico, end Ukraine war
On the campaign trail, he floated sending armed forces into Mexico to battle drug cartels and slapping expansive tariffs on friends and foes alike. Here is a look at the foreign policy proposals Trump has pledged to advance once he takes office on Jan. 20: NATO, UKRAINE AND EUROPEAN ALLIES Trump has said that under his presidency, America will fundamentally rethink "NATO's purpose and NATO's mission."
AFP
Trump ally Musk calls for US to replace fighter jets with drones
Billionaire Elon Musk, tapped by US President-elect Donald Trump to slash federal government spending, lashed out at modern fighter jets on Monday, saying that drones were the future of air combat. "Manned fighter jets are obsolete in the age of drones anyway.

Latest Stories