2026 Senior Bowl Preview: Running Backs

The 2026 Senior Bowl kicks off next week with practices featuring some of the best prospects in the country. We take a look at the RBs currently scheduled to participate in the Senior Bowl in this preview. Who are the top names to watch in Mobile? Are there any sleepers that could vault themselves into a high draft selection like so many before them? All-rookie team candidates like RJ Harvey, Bhayshul Tuten, and Woody Marks made their impact at the Senior Bowl before heading to the league.

American Team

1. Kaelon Black | Indiana

2. Jonah Coleman | Washington

3. Rashul Faison | South Carolina

4. Jam Miller | Alabama

5. Jayden Ott | Oklahoma

6. Adam Randall | Clemson

7. Mike Washington, Jr | Arkansas

Big Name

Jam Miller

Miller stuck around at Alabama despite the charcuterie of NFL running backs populating the room in Tuscaloosa. He finally got a chance to start full-time last season under Kalen DeBoer. While his production won’t remind anyone of the heyday of the big guns at Alabama, he was still productive during his tenure. He rushed for over 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns on 275 attempts in that time frame. However, he must prove to scouts in Mobile that he’s past the injury that derailed parts of his 2025 campaign. The Lone Star State native needs a big week to get on the board earlier than the middle stages of Day 3. Can he do it?

Top Prospects

Jonah Coleman

Coleman began his career at Arizona, where he truly broke out during the 2023 season, rushing for 871 yards and five touchdowns. He then followed head coach Jedd Fisch to Washington, where he further polished up his CV, rushing for over 1,800 yards and 25 touchdowns in two seasons. His production in 2025 fell off a ways compared to his 2024 season, but he still rushed for 15 touchdowns. The biggest test for him during the Senior Bowl and offseason process is his speed and lateral agility. If he can prove that he has enough burst and explosiveness, he can be one of the top backs in the class.

He isn’t a home-run hitter in the classic sense, but a brute-power runner who forces defenders to make business decisions. The Huskies’ star is a bruiser who projects as a bell-cow-type rusher. His contributions in the pass game merit a mention as well, catching 87 balls for 838 yards in his career. Coleman will be the first Washington running back to participate since Chris Polk in 2012.

Sleepers

Kaelon Black

Black started his career with James Madison and was one of many JMU transfers that made it to Bloomington under Curt Cignetti. He’s a bigger back who needs to test well to offset some concerns about speed and agility. He isn’t the most explosive runner, relying on steady gains to maximize his yards. How well can he shine away from the sunny confines of Cignetti’s program? Black was the second leading running back on the reigning national championship team with 1,040 yards and 10 touchdowns. Teams will question how his frame will impact him at the next level. Mobile isn’t the best testing ground for big and well-built rushers, so he’ll need to show off underused quickness. If he does that, an early Day 3 selection isn’t out of the question. Black is just the second runner to participate in the Senior Bowl since 1953.

Adam Randall

Randall converted from wide receiver to running back before the 2025 season, and that decision has paid off in spades. He rushed for over 800 yards and 10 touchdowns in his lone season as a running back for the weary Tigers program. While he’s a running back in the draft class, there are elements of his receivers still left in him. He’s a crafty receiver who can fool defenders with his routes. Given his past, he’s one of the better receiving threats out of the backfield. However, it can be a curse at times as he runs too high like a receiver. If he can show off a modicum of explosiveness, his name should be considered one of the best sleepers in the class.

The former Clemson star back is big for the position, listed at 6’2 230, and he uses his size well against smaller defenders. He’s just scratching the surface of his talents. A team with McVay/Shanahan offensive principles could use him as a true dual-threat weapon.

National Team

1. Kaytron Allen | Penn State

2. Seth McGowan | Kentucky

3. Le’Veon Moss | Texas A&M

4. Nick Singleton | Penn State

5. J’Mari Taylor | Virginia

Big Name

Le’Veon Moss

The Moss story is one of unfulfilled potential thanks to timing and injuries while at Texas A&M. He needs a redemption arc in his tale. Fortunately for him, the stiffest testing ground for any prospect beckons for such an arc. Moss is a very explosive athlete with home-run speed when he gets into the open field. While not De’Von Achane, he’s in a similar vein of athleticism. A&M was consistently a mess while he was in College Station, so perhaps he wasn’t nearly as developed as teams would like. Injuries cut his past two seasons short after promising starts, so teams will extensively pore over his medical files. When healthy, he has the potential to be a Day 2 selection.

The Aggies strangely didn’t use him in the passing game, given his considerable talents. He was well on his way to posting his first 1,000-yard season in 2025 until injury knocked him out in the middle. The uber athlete has great size for the position as well. Moss needs a great week on and off the field to recover some stock. Moss is the first Aggie to play in the Senior Bowl since 1993.

Top Prospects

Kaytron Allen

Allen is one of the best running backs in Penn State history, an illustrious list that includes a who’s who of legends. He’s increased his production annually, which is a great sign for teams. He’s the hammer back between the pair of PSU runners who are scheduled to partake in Mobile. He doesn’t have the awe-inspiring athleticism like his teammate, but has enough speed and agility to carve out a role at the next level. Allen is a short-yardage bruiser by nature, but possesses the vision and instincts to bust out of the middle of the tackle box. He’s underrated as a lateral athlete. If he can address the athleticism concerns in Mobile and beyond, there’s a chance that he develops into a middle Day 2 selection. Allen is first all-time in program history for rushing yards with 4,180 and third all-time in touchdowns with 39.

Nick Singleton

Singleton could’ve been a Day 2 selection in last year’s draft, but he elected to return for his senior season and saw his production slip by almost half. The prolific touchdown maker finished with 45 in his career, which ranks first in school history, ahead of the indomitable Saquon Barkley. He’s an explosive athlete with the deep speed to make any run from anywhere a home run. His speed and athleticism, combined with plus instincts, warrant a look on early Day 2 for teams needing a running back. The Penn State legend is a true dual-threat running back with almost 1,000 receiving yards, and he’s a natural pass-catcher. He’s one of the best backs in the class and should do well at the Senior Bowl environment.

Sleeper

J’Mari Taylor

Taylor transferred from FCS North Carolina Central to Virginia and stepped in seamlessly for the Cavaliers. He led the team and finished third in the ACC in rushing yards with 1,062. Virginia also used him in the passing game, notching 43 receptions for 253 yards and one touchdown. He’s a smaller back at 5’9 204, but has enough speed and athleticism to offset the size concerns. A bulldog of a runner who won’t quit on any run, which is a big plus when battling through the traffic. The vision and instincts are a plus as well. If he can continue his ascendancy in Mobile, there’s a chance that he could prove to be an astute selection on Day 3. Definitely a sleeper prospect worth keeping an eye on.