Early look at Top Devy RBs for the 2022 Draft

Devy leagues are becoming a popular in fantasy football circles. As we dive into devy, here are some running backs to look out for.

 

Many times, landing spots for a player drives where a player is drafted in a fantasy football dynasty draft. A new and exciting trend in fantasy football is Devy, or development leagues. In this setup, team managers pick players in college and they have the rights of that player whenever they head into the NFL. In this article I will be looking at some players to watch out for who will be draft eligible in 2022. First we will look at Running Backs.

(Disclaimer: The 2020 college football landscape was different because of the COVID pandemic. Some teams faced delays, while others had to cancel games entirely.)

Breece Hall – Iowa State

Breece Hall burst onto the scene in his freshman year at Iowa State, being named on the second-team Big 12 Team. In 2020, Hall led the NCAA with 1,572 yards and was a 1st-Team All-American and Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. Per PFF_College, Hall had 66 runs over 10 yards and his running was well distributed in all directions.

Hall is capable out of the backfield as well, as he had over 20 catches both of his college seasons. A majority of Hall’s catches occurred within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. There was not much downfield receiving; but he is very good in open space. He has good balance and breakaway speed, and is a truly three-down back at the next level. Hall looks to be the top running back for the 2022 NFL Draft Class. 

  

Isaiah Spiller – Texas A&M

Isaiah Spiller is not far behind Breece Hall and exhibits a lot of the same traits. In his freshman year, Spiller was named on the All-SEC freshman team with over 900 yards and 10 TDs. Spiller added to his impressive freshman season, with rushing for over 1000 yards and 9 TDs in 2020. 

Spiller is an excellent receiver out of the backfield as well, with 49 catches and almost 400 yards in two years.  One of his better abilities is his breakaway speed, as he had over 55 runs of 10+ yards. His best trait however is his ability to break tackles and run over defenders. Spiller also has more refined route running than Hall and does more than just be a safety valve to the QB. It will be very interesting to see the share of snaps for Spiller as Texas A&M has two Top-15 RBs coming in the 2021 class. But the comparison between Hall and Spiller will be something to watch out for this coming year. 

 

Kyren Williams – Notre Dame

Kyren Williams did not get very much action his freshman year, but helped lead the Irish to the playoffs because of his great play in 2020. He rushed for over 1100 yards and 13 TDs, while also adding 35 catches and over 300 yards. He carried the offense with a 5.3 avg yards per cary and 30 runs greater than 10 yards on the season. 

As 2020 showed, Williams is comfortable catching the ball and is a hard runner with a little wiggle in the open field. He does not have breakaway speed like Hall or Spiller, but has the burst to break off long gains. One area where Williams could improve in is being a more patient runner. Sometimes he tends to rush his reads and doesn’t allow blocks to be set up. Williams does not have the upside of Hall or Spiller but could be a Day 2 pick with a strong 2021 season. 

Zamir White – Georgia

Zamir White did not start his college career how he would have liked. He redshirted his freshman year due to an ACL tear in both knees in his senior year of high school; as well as in a scrimmage at Georgia. In 2019, White finally saw the field at Georgia but was behind star RB D’Andre Swift.

In limited opportunities he rushed for over 400 yards and was named to the preseason watch list for 2020. As the lead back, White rushed for over 700 yards, 11 TDs and averaged 5.4 yards per carry. White has decided to return to Georgia for his Jr year, in hopes up helping draft stock. This seems to be a good decision based on limited film and his injury history.

Zamir White is a tough runner between the tackles but does not have great ability in making people miss or catching passes out of the backfield. He is a tough runner and is a player to watch out for on what should be a very explosive Georgia offense in 2021. 

 

Jerrion Ealy – Ole Miss

Jerrion Ealy is a very interesting prospect and is a different type of back compared to the others listed because of his ability to line up outside of the backfield. In 15% of his snaps, Ealy has lined up in the slot or out wide, per PFF_College. 

Ealy can line up all over the field and has great breakaway speed with over 40 runs of 10+ yards. In his two years at Ole Miss, Ealy has rushed for over 1,400 yards and 15 TDs. Ealy is the type of running back that the NFL is moving towards because of his versatility at the position. Being able to be a pure runner, and receiver at as a running back is huge. With Elijah Moore leaving for the NFL Draft, Ealy should be showcased more in the Ole Miss offense and is one to watch for this coming year. 

Sleepers

 

Kevin Harris – South Carolina

Kevin Harris did not receive much playing time his freshman year and was not expected to have much production in 2020. Marshawn Lloyd was coming to South Carolina as a Top-5 running back in the nation and was thought to lead the backfield. An injury to Lloyd helped Harris receive an opportunity and he took full advantage. 

Harris ran for over 1,100 yards and 15 TDs, while adding 21 receptions. Lloyd will be back and healthy in 2021, but with the season Harris had, he will be involved as well. Harris does not have blinding speed but shows enough to get big chunks of yards. In 2020, Harris had 31 runs of over 10+ yards. Keep an eye out for Harris, as another strong year could move him up draft boards in 2022. 

Mohamed Ibrahim – Minnesota

Mohamed Ibrahim is a typical four-year college player. Ibrahim is not much of a receiving threat as he only has 14 catches for 92 yards in 3 years at Minnesota. Although he lacks breakaway speed, he runs hard and shows great burst. In his career, Ibrahim has 73 runs of 10 or more yards, and averages 5.5 yards per carry. With over 500 carries and 31 TDs, Ibrahim has a nose for the endzone and at the next level would be a middle-to-late round pick. He would most likely be part of committee where he would do most of the work on 1st and 2nd down. 

Make sure to check out these running backs next year in college football. Whether you play Devy or Dynasty fantasy football formats, this names will be important to know. Getting one of these young running backs could set up your team for the future and help make sure you are in the running to dominate your fantasy football league.