Ranking the SEC's top 10 running backs: Can Auburn's Tank Bigsby lead league in rushing?
Auburn football enters the 2022 season with some questions, but not at running back.
Tank Bigsby is the best running back in the SEC going into the fall, according to a poll of sports journalists who cover the league for the USA TODAY Sports Network.
The Tigers' top rusher garnered seven of a possible 16 first-place votes to head a list of the top 10 SEC running backs. Ole Miss placed two rushers on the list.
A total of 16 running backs from 13 schools received votes in the poll: Vanderbilt was the only school without a player to get at least one vote. Ten points were awarded for a first-place vote down to one point for a 10th-place vote. Four rushers received at least one first-place vote.
The USA TODAY Sports Network is counting down to SEC Media Days, scheduled for July 18-21 in Atlanta, by revealing its top players at each position grouping.
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Here is a look at the top 10 running backs:
1. Tank Bigsby
Auburn, junior (139 points, 7 first-place votes)
Bigsby's combination of skill and power makes him the centerpiece of Auburn's offense and one of the top running back prospects for the 2023 NFL Draft.
2. Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Kentucky, senior (134 points, 7 first-place votes)
Rodriguez faces questions after a spring arrest on DUI charges, but is the top returning rusher in the SEC (1,379 yards, 9 touchdowns).
3. Jahmyr Gibbs
Alabama, junior (108 points, 1 first-place vote)
Gibbs has the home-run speed to scare defensive coordinators and make a difference in his first year in the SEC after transferring from Georgia Tech.
4. Devon Achane
Texas A&M, junior (107 points)
A star on the Aggies track team, Achane was second on the team with 910 yards and first with nine touchdowns last season and should take over the starting role.
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5. Zach Evans
Ole Miss, junior (86 points, 1 first-place vote)
A former five-star recruit who averaged more than 7 yards per carry in two seasons at TCU, Evans is a multitalented back who should be the focal point of the Ole Miss offense.
6. Jabari Small
Tennessee, junior (82 points)
Small returns as the starter and primary ball-carrier after rushing for 796 yards (5.6 average) and nine TDs last season.
7. Kenny McIntosh
Georgia, senior (59 points)
With Zamir White and James Cook in NFL, McIntosh gets chance to be the lead back after rushing for 328 yards and amassing 222 receiving yards in 2021.
8. Dominique Johnson
Arkansas, junior (43 points)
Johnson is the most experienced returner in an Arkansas running back room full of talent.
9. John Emery Jr.
LSU, senior (35 points)
Emery, a former five-star recruit, is poised to break out after a strong spring.
10. Ulysses Bentley IV
Ole Miss, junior (29 points)
A first-team All-AAC running back in 2020, Bentley ran for 1,523 yards and 15 touchdowns over the last two years at SMU.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Ranking the top 10 running backs in SEC football entering 2022
