As we discussed in our article covering the top returning Big 12 wide receivers, the conference has evolved to place an emphasis on running the football. While some of the last bastions of Mike Leach remain, most Big 12 offenses bring a balanced to run-heavy attack. The position, in short, no longer offers a throwaway category worth skipping in Summer football previews. The featured Big 12 backs may be among the best in the nation this season, not just in the conference. With that intro, we are ranking the top returning Big 12 running backs for the 2025 college football season.
The Top Returning Big 12 Running Backs
Indeed, we only need to look back to the NFL Draft in April to see several big-time Big 12 alumni earning spots in the NFL draft. RJ Harvey from UCF led all running backs in terms of draft position, earning a Round 2 selection. Cam Skattebo earned a fourth-round selection with his impressive 2024 campaign. DJ Giddens, Ollie Gordon II, Devin Neal, and Tahj Brooks also moved on after hearing their names called in the 5th and 6th rounds of the draft.
While the conference lost a significant amount of production, it also gained some star power. We focus only on running backs who played in the Big 12 last season, not those who came into the conference through the transfer portal.
Number Three – LJ Martin, BYU Cougars
The junior back for BYU has consistently improved over the last two seasons. LJ Martin offered the Cougars steady production in 2024. In 10 games, Martin racked up 137 carries and rumbled for 718 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged just over five yards per carry and nearly ten yards per reception, where he added two scores.
If Martin stays healthy, he should easily eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the Cougars this season. To date, Martin flashes exceptional vision downfield. Coupled with the instinct that allows him to find holes, Martin should electrify in the Cougars’ backfield again in 2025.
Number Two – Jahiem White, West Virginia Mountaineers
Jahiem White shared the backfield the last two seasons with CJ Donaldson, who has since transferred to Ohio State. Playing in Head Coach Neal Brown’s vanilla offense, White carved up opposing defenses with his low center of gravity, patience, and quickness each of the last two seasons. Even as the second option in the backfield, White eclipsed 800 yards in both his freshman and sophomore campaigns.
In 2023, White boasted nearly eight yards per carry. While he regressed last season in that department, he still danced for nearly six yards a carry in 2024. Impressively, he finished the 2024 season ranked third among Power Four running backs in forced missed tackle rate.
With Head Roach Rich Rodriguez back in Morgantown to bring back his spread option offense, known for moving the point of attack further downfield, White may well have his best efforts in front of him. Rodriguez certainly prioritized retaining White this offseason.
Number One – Bryson Washington, Baylor Bears
In his redshirt freshman season, Bryson Washington dominated touches out of the Baylor backfield and made the most of the opportunity. Washington amassed 1,028 yards on the ground, adding 217 through the air. He finished just shy of six yards per carry and ten yards per reception. Washington totaled 13 touchdowns, one through the air and the rest on the ground.
Washington should see the same, or slightly increased, volume in his third season in Dave Aranda’s run-heavy offense. Despite his skill set and production, Washington enters the season with little fanfare. Add a chip to those sturdy shoulders, and Washington has plenty of reason to prove himself one of the best running backs in the nation this season.
Honorable Mentions
We considered several other returning backs for our list of the top returning Big 12 running backs. After transferring from Colorado, Dylan Edwards made huge leaps forward last season at Kansas State. For the Wildcats, Edwards averaged nearly seven-and-a-half yards per carry over 74 attempts. We already named him on our list of best returning specialist players. Edwards has a knack for finding space as a return man on special teams. We expect him to earn additional volume in the backfield, too.
Finally, we considered workhorse Carson Hansen out of Iowa State. He gave the Cyclones 151 carries for 752 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. Indeed, he had a slightly better season in 2024 than LJ Martin. That said, Martin has the slight edge based on consistency over the last two seasons. Both should improve in the 2025 season.
Main Image: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
The post Ranking the Top Returning Big 12 Running Backs appeared first on Last Word on College Football.