Way Too Early Top-5 Running Backs for the 2026 NFL Draft
Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love is a legitimate blue-chip talent.
Howdy folks, welcome back to the AndyNFL summer scouting series. Today we have the initial Top-5 RB ranking of the summer, and while the 2026 RB class isn’t as good as the loaded 2025’s was—this is still a quality class.
At the top, this class has a player who I think could be a legitimate blue-chip talent when we re-visit solidifying grades after the CFB season, and all throughout some quality players who will provide roles on NFL teams.
Now, without further ado, let’s get into the rankings.
#1: Jeremiyah Love · RB · Notre Dame
6’0 · 214 · JR
As I alluded to in the introduction, Jeremiyah Love has all the tools I want when I look at a ‘blue-chip’ prospect. He has home-run hitting speed with the ability to take it to the house on any given play. He’s a patient, decisive runner with good vision to locate cutback lanes which with his top-end speed, is an elite combination. If he gets any space in the open field, it’s a defenses worst nightmare. True ankle-breaker ability with electric agility and very solid contact balance to stay up through single contact, with the cherry on top being 0 career fumbles. From his Freshman year to his Sophomore year Jeremiyah Love took a massive leap, and now entering his Junior season I expect the jump will be just as monumental as he looks to assert himself as a top prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft. Having Jeremiyah Love as a top-10 overall prospect to me is banking on what we’ve seen and banking on even more upside, the perfect combination in summer scouting.
#2: Makhi Hughes · RB · Oregon
5’11 · 210 · JR
Coming off of 2 elite seasons at Tulane, Makhi Hughes now heads to Oregon to prove himself against the top talent in the country. In 2023 at Tulane Hughes recorded 1,378 rushing yards and 7 rushing TDs—In 2024 he recorded 1,401 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs. His production doesn’t grow on trees, and now heading to Oregon where he can shine in the Big 10 makes me very excited. He has electric speed and is a workhorse back that can thrive on all 3-downs. He’s a solid pass protector with good technique, and has been getting better in that area year-to-year. Runs with nice power and leverage, lets blocks develop in front of him, and rarely goes down on first contact. He seeks out violence on reps, and wins. Occasionally Hughes gets a bit impatient and bounces outside, which I’d like to see improve at Oregon this year, but it’s a nonissue to me when you combine all the positive traits. Makhi Hughes will be running behind an elite offensive line this season, which makes me truly believe the elite production can translate over to Big 10 ball—and if it does, Makhi Hughes could be a 1st round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
#3: Nicholas Singleton · RB · Penn State
6’0 · 224 · SR
Coming off of his 2nd career 1,000+ rushing yard season with 12 TDs, many, including myself thought Singleton would’ve been apart of the 2025 NFL Draft. However, he decided to stay at Penn State for his senior season and test his luck in the pursuit of a national championship. Singleton comes in at #3 on my initial Top-5 RBs due to his outstanding blend of vision/patience, ability to work in a dual backfield serving a wide range of duties, and showing sudden explosiveness. With quick footwork Singleton always poses as a big-time threat, he has very good burst through the hole into the 2nd level being a massive chunk yardage threat. With immediate cuts, navigating tight spaces, and tons of skill in the open field—Singleton checks many boxes. Few weaknesses reside in his game, he lacks great wiggle and has some overall hip tightness but in the grand scheme those are small issues with the amount of boxes he checks. Singleton will again share the backfield with Kaytron Allen (my RB9 currently) this season, which is good for his NFL development in terms of preparing him for a split backfield in the pros, which most RBs end up in. I’m excited to see how Singleton can progress in his senior year and how his outlook will be for the NFL at the end of this season.
#4: Bryson Washington · RB · Baylor
6’0 · 203 · RS SO
Coming off of a great redshirt freshman season Bryson Washington is a name I am already super excited about on an NFL note whether he declares this year or not. He has a good combination of speed plus agility, and is a yards after contact beast. With a great blend of vision and patience Washington looked significantly advanced for a redshirt freshman in 2024, he has natural workhorse tools providing skillset on 3-downs, even in a split backfield at Baylor. Washington hits the openings very well and is able to bounce runs outside when need be, he showcases natural balance with a great sense for the open field. Coming off of a year where Washington recorded 1,245 total yards with 13 total TDs—I am very excited to see how his development continues. Overall for a redshirt freshman there were no major flaws in Bryson Washington’s game, which was a major surprise to me when I dove into the tape. If Washington can continue in the right direction after his great 2024 campaign, I could see him being among the Top-3 of RBs selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
#5: Justice Haynes · RB · Michigan
5’11 · 205 · JR
Transferring to Michigan was a great move for Justice Haynes, a destination where he’ll be able to prove himself getting a full workload. At Alabama, Haynes showcased exceptional contact balance with quick, decisive footwork. He runs with great vision and patience, showcasing true workhorse capability. He’s a prototype 3-down back serving as a good safety blanket underneath and portraying good tools in pass-protection. He has a natural advantage in short-yardage situations with a solid frame that appears even bigger on the field. He lacks top-end speed which is the main concern here, but he doesn’t need it making up for it thriving in other parts of the game. Something interesting to note, Haynes had elite high school production with over 7,500 yards and 95 TDs in his high school career. Jaw-dropping numbers. I am very excited to see Haynes take a step-up in his collegiate career, head to Michigan where he’ll get a bigger workload, and position himself to be among the first 5 RBs potentially selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In Summary:
Jeremiyah Love · RB · Notre Dame
Makhi Hughes · RB · Oregon
Nicholas Singleton · RB · Penn State
Bryson Washington · RB · Baylor
Justice Haynes · RB · Michigan
HM. Darius Taylor · RB · Minnesota
I’m really interested to see how these rankings play out through the year, I firmly expect the Top-2 to stay the same but after that it’s questionable. There were some very solid names I left out of the Top-5 (Darius Taylor - Minnesota, Jonah Coleman - Washington, Jadyn Ott - Oklahoma) that all have cases to be considered that highly and could emerge as Top-5 guys throughout the 2025 CFB season.
At the moment, Jeremiyah Love is a Top-10 prospect for me, with the others in or around the Top-50 area.
As always, these are very subject to change over the season and summer, and stay tuned for more content here on the substack and on my Twitter/X page @AndyyNFL covering the NFL draft all year long.