Ask Farrell: Who sits atop NFL Draft board at running back?
MORE ASK FARRELL: Which coach is reeling most after Week 1 loss?
Wisconsin’s Jonathan Taylor and Clemson’s Travis Etienne are arguably the two best running backs in college football and both had excellent first games for their respective teams in easy victories.
On only 12 carries, Etienne rushed for 205 yards and three touchdowns as he averaged more than 17 yards per touch in Clemson’s 52-14 win over Georgia Tech.
Taylor finished with 135 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries (8.4 yards per carry) in the Badgers’ 49-0 win over South Florida.
Both have made an early statement as not only Heisman Trophy contenders but two running backs who will be considered in the first round of the NFL Draft next spring.
So far in his Wisconsin career, Taylor has carried the ball 622 times for 4,306 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns. Etienne has 323 carries at Clemson for 2,629 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Taylor was widely considered the best running back in college football entering this season, but Etienne certainly made a statement in Clemson’s thrashing of Georgia Tech, and he could continue to make a case as the sport’s best back with a big showing against Texas A&M this weekend.
Plus, Etienne has taken far less of a pounding with nearly 300 fewer carries so far during his college career - even though he has scored nine more rushing touchdowns.
FARRELL'S TAKE
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell if he was in charge of an NFL team looking for a running back in the first round, would he be leaning more toward Taylor or Etienne with his selection?
"I'd be leaning towards Etienne right now because he can do more in space and in the passing game and he's more well-rounded. There is something to be said about a workhorse like Taylor, a guy you can rely upon and who gets stronger as the game wears on, but he also has a lot of tread on his tires and the NFL is moving more toward backs like Etienne who can do it all. He makes a team much more dangerous because he's a three-down back and a guy you have to account for in the passing game and the way offenses are spread out more and more at the NFL level, he's the guy I'd focus on."