Don’t try and tell these offensive weapons that running backs don’t matter. At the college football level, they absolutely do. And these boys have been the best of the bunch as the top 10 rushing yard leaders following Week 2 of the 2023 college football campaign.
College Football Stats: Top 10 Rushing Yard Leaders
All stats provided by CFB Stats and correct as the close of college football Week 2. Looking for more college football stats? Check out the Top 10 Passing Yard Leaders and Top 10 Receiving Yard Leaders.
1) Audric Estime, Notre Dame
Rushing yards: 345 | Yards per carry: 8.02 | Rushing TDs: 4
Not even the weather can stop Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Audric Estime. On a sodden field and following a substantial weather delay, the Fighting Irish freak frolicked in the open field, taking Notre Dame’s first play of the second quarter for an 80-yard score. He ended the game with 134 yards and two scores.
2) Kimani Vidal, Troy
Rushing yards: 331 | Yards per carry: 7.88 | Rushing TDs: 0
Rinse and repeat for the Troy Trojans, whose offense continues to run through Kimani Vidal. The 5’8″, 215-pound brute continues to feature right at the top 10 rushing yard leaders after leading the team with 17 carries for 83 yards in a 42-13 defeat to Kansas State.
3) Marcus Carroll, Georgia State
Rushing yards: 291 | Yards per carry: 6.19 | Rushing TDs: 6
The Georgia State Panthers once again rode Marcus Carroll to victory, with his 24 carries, 107 rushing yards, and three touchdowns helping the Panthers overcome UConn 35-14. Carroll’s performance helped him climb up to second amongst the top rushing yard leaders after Week 2.
4) Jalen Buckley, Western Michigan
Rushing yards: 281 | Yards per carry: 7.39 | Rushing TDs: 2
Jalen Buckley is legit. Just ask the Syracuse defense that couldn’t contain him on a 75-yard touchdown run to open the scoring in what turned out to be a one-sided 48-7 loss for the Broncos. After proving himself versus Power Five opponents, Buckley remains one of the top rushing yards leaders in college football.
5) Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
Rushing yards: 271 | Yards per carry: 6.45 | Rushing TDs: 5
North Carolina has a deep running back rotation, but Omarion Hampton emerged from it to enter the top rushing yards leaders after the Tar Heels Week 2 win over Appalachian State. Hampton paced the team with 234 yards and three touchdowns, one of which tied things up for the Tar Heels in overtime.
6) Jaydn Ott, Cal
Rushing yards: 270 | Yards per carry: 6.75 | Rushing TDs: 3
Another 20 carries, 78 yards, and a touchdown in Cal’s narrow defeat to Auburn ensure that Jaydn Ott continues to sit amongst the top rushing yards leaders in college football. Ott’s production, and Cal’s result, might have been different if not for his third quarter exit following a hit where he landed awkwardly on his head.
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7) Corey Kiner, Cincinnati
Rushing yards: 258 | Yards per carry: 7.82 | Rushing TDs: 1
Cincinnati’s Corey Kiner joins the rushing yard leaders for the 2023 college football season after a monster performance that helped Cincinnati beat Pitt on the road. The 5’9″, 215-pound junior back exploded for 153 yards and one touchdown in the 27-21 win.
8) Deion Hankins, UTEP
Rushing yards: 255 | Yards per carry: 5.54 | Rushing TDs: 1
Despite a rough outing in the 38-7 defeat to Northwestern, UTEP running back Deion Hankins remains one of the most ferocious rushers in the nation. His 27 yards on seven carries isn’t typical of his normal standard and was just enough to keep him within the rushing yard leaders heading into Week 3 of the season.
9) Shomari Lawrence, FIU
Rushing yards: 254 | Yards per carry: 6.68 | Rushing TDs: 2
Clad in their latest exquisite uniforms, FIU pounced over former CUSA foe North Texas for an impressive 46-39 win. Shomari Lawrence formed one half of a ground-and-pound duo with Kejon Owens, adding 89 yards and a score to his season total and cementing his place inside the top rushing yard leaders.
10) Jo’Quavious Marks, Mississippi State
Rushing yards: 250 | Yards per carry: 5.81 | Rushing TDs: 3
You don’t automatically associate Mississippi State with top-tier rushing talent, but under new head coach Zach Arnett, Jo’Quavious Marks is doing the business. The senior back handled a bell cow workload in the home of the Cowbells, with 123 yards and a score helping the Bulldogs beat Arizona.
