College Football 2022: Running back and safety breakout candidates
Check out the best college running backs and safeties stepping into larger roles in 2022.
The superstar running back is an endangered species in the NFL, but the position remains a prominent part of the college football landscape. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the players in this article because they’re next in line for some premier starting jobs. These running backs and safeties are officially on breakout watch for the 2022 season.
I didn’t include true freshmen in this breakdown, but you can read about 11 impact freshmen here. All high school stats are courtesy of MaxPreps or pulled from a college program’s player bio. Recruiting rankings come from 247Sports. I used unofficial height and weight data provided by college programs.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve examined 30 college football breakout candidates for the 2022 season. You can find those previous editions at the links below.
Breakout Candidates Part 1 l Part 2 l Part 3
Feel free to drop any feedback or questions in the comment section below this article. You can also reach me directly on Twitter @Sam_Teets33. I check my mentions frequently, so I should see your message.
40. Demarkcus Bowman, RB Florida
Bowman began his career with the Clemson Tigers. The five-star and No. 20 national recruit in the class of 2020 looked like the heir to Travis Etienne, but he decided to transfer to his home state Florida Gators less than two months into his career as a Tiger. Bowman picked the Gators and Tigers over offers from running back factories like Alabama and Georgia.
Bowman (5'10", 183 lbs.) has quickly slipped into the background over the past two years. The redshirt sophomore only has 23 carries and 113 yards to his name. That production might not spike in 2022 since Bowman is stuck behind rising redshirt junior Nay'quan Wright and sophomore Louisiana transfer Montrell Johnson on the depth chart.
Even if he has to wait another year, Bowman should get his time to shine. He was a monster at Lakeland High School in Florida, amassing 5,172 rushing yards and 70 touchdowns during his three varsity seasons.
39. Jalen Berger & Jarek Broussard, RBs Michigan State
Berger and Broussard both transferred to Michigan State this offseason, hoping to benefit from the same scheme that led to Kenneth Walker’s breakout season. Berger was a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. He spent 2020 and 2021 with Wisconsin, but the former No. 136 recruit in the nation didn’t see his role expand.
Chez Mellusi transferring to Wisconsin and Braelon Allen’s emergence pushed Berger to transfer. The 6'1", 205 lb. redshirt sophomore rushed for 389 yards and three touchdowns on 84 attempts with the Badgers. As a high school senior at Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, New Jersey, Berger rushed 111 times for 840 yards and 12 touchdowns while snagging 27 receptions for 357 yards and four more scores.
Broussard was a three-star recruit in the class of 2018. The 5'9", 185 lb. redshirt junior took a redshirt year as a freshman before using a medical redshirt year in 2019. Broussard recovered from two ACL surgeries to win the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year award as he rushed 156 times for 895 yards and five touchdowns during Colorado’s pandemic-shortened six-game season. Broussard carried the ball 142 times for 661 yards and two touchdowns in 2021.
While attending Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas, Broussard produced 745 rushing yards and ten touchdowns on 63 carries as a senior. He also made 22 receptions for 360 yards and three touchdowns. Broussard’s junior season was even more productive as he rushed for 875 yards and 13 touchdowns while adding 44 receptions for 781 yards and nine touchdowns.
38. Xavion Alford, S USC
Alford was a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. He’s one of two young safeties at USC looking to take the next step in 2022. The 6'0", 190 lb. Texas native spent his redshirt freshman season with the Longhorns before transferring to the west coast. The move paid off quickly.
Alford lacks a solid grading profile based on advanced analytics, but his ball production was impressive in 2021. The redshirt sophomore recorded three interceptions and three passes defensed. He allowed one touchdown and under 90 yards in coverage. That’s not bad for a rotational safety entering his first year as a full-time starter.
37. Aaron Dumas, RB Washington
Dumas committed to New Mexico as a three-star recruit in the class of 2021. As a freshman, Dumas led the program with 136 carries for 658 yards and two touchdowns. He wasn’t involved in the passing game at all. Dumas felt comfortable enough with his performance after one year to transfer to Washington, where he’ll compete with Cameron Davis and Richard Newton for snaps.
The Huskies list Dumas at 5'9", 208 lbs. Considering his size, he should focus on becoming more involved in the passing game.
Dumas ran for 6,083 yards and 57 touchdowns over his final three years at Americas High School in Texas, including a 3,184-yard season in 2019.
36. Henry Parrish Jr., RB Miami
Parrish committed to the Ole Miss Rebels as a four-star recruit in the class of 2020. He saw limited action as a freshman before becoming heavily involved as a sophomore. Last year, Parrish ran for 553 yards and made 21 receptions for 173 yards. Even with Snoop Conner and Jerrion Ealy leaving for the NFL, Parrish decided to join Mario Cristobal at Miami.
Over his final two years at Columbus High School in Miami, Parrish ran for 3,998 yards. He will compete with redshirt sophomore Jaylan Knighton for starting reps on the Hurricanes.
35. Montrell Johnson, RB Florida
Johnson originally committed to Arizona before switching his allegiance to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns as a three-star recruit in 2021. However, the 5'11", 210 lb. rising sophomore outperformed his ranking as the No. 909 recruit and No. 60 running back in the class. He followed Louisiana head coach Billy Napier to Florida this past spring.
Napier knows Johnson’s skill well. The Louisiana native led the Ragin' Cajuns with 162 carries and 12 rushing touchdowns in 2021. His 838 rushing yards ranked second on the team and seventh in the Sun Belt Conference. Johnson projects as Florida’s lead back for 2021, replacing Dameon Pierce.
Johnson was the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2021 and earned Second-Team All-Conference honors.
34. Trelon Smith, RB UTSA
Smith has one of the strangest career arcs of any player in this article. The four-star recruit was a member of the class of 2017. He spent two seasons with Arizona State before becoming frustrated with his lack of a role and transferring to Arkansas in 2019. Smith missed the entire 2019 season because of the old transfer rules.
Over the past two seasons, Smith carried the ball 253 times for 1,308 yards and ten touchdowns. However, he decided to transfer to UTSA this spring. This marks the final chapter in Smith’s career and his last opportunity to make a lasting impression on NFL scouts. UTSA’s previous starting running back (Sincere McCormick) ran for over 1,400 yards in 2020 and 2021.
As a senior at Cypress Ridge High School in Houston, Texas, Smith rushed for 2,270 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also added 23 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns. He graduated with over 4,400 rushing yards.
33. Chris Tyree & Logan Diggs, RBs Notre Dame
Tyree (5'9 1/2", 190 lbs.) is a rising junior who spent the last two seasons learning under Kyren Williams. He was impressive as a freshman, rushing for 496 yards while averaging 6.8 yards per carry. He and Williams suffered from Notre Dame’s poor offensive line play this past season, but Tyree began playing a larger role in the passing game (24 receptions for 258 yards and two touchdowns).
Tyree was a four-star recruit in 2020 and the No. 70 player in the nation. As a junior at Thomas Dale High School in Virginia, Tyree carried the ball 177 times for 1,446 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games.
Diggs narrowly outgained Tyree as a rusher in 2021, finishing with just eight more yards than his counterpart. However, Diggs didn’t play a significant role in the passing game. This division of tasks allows for Notre Dame to utilize both of its top returning backs in 2022 heavily.
Diggs (6'0", 206 lbs.) was a three-star recruit in the class of 2021. Unfortunately, he suffered a labrum injury during Notre Dame’s spring game that required shoulder surgery. Tyree could assert himself as the team’s unquestioned lead back depending on Diggs’ timetable for returning.
Over his final two years at Archbishop Rummel High School in Metairie, Louisiana, Diggs rushed for 1,570 yards and 12 touchdowns.
32. Calen Bullock, S USC
Bullock joined the Trojans as a four-star recruit (No. 9 ATH) in the class of 2021. The California native played over 470 snaps as a freshman, spending time in the slot, box, deep alignments, and at corner. Bullock finished the season with 40 tackles, two interceptions, and three passes defensed. He allowed one touchdown in coverage.
Bullock needs to fill out his frame in preparation for his sophomore campaign. USC claims the Freshman All-American is 6'3", 180 lbs. However, Bullock’s quick start suggests he could become one of the nation’s better safeties over the next two years. The sophomore and fellow safety Xavion Alford form a rising duo for the Trojans.
31. Lyn-J Dixon, RB West Virginia
Dixon and former Clemson teammate Travis Etienne formed one of the nation’s most dynamic duos during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. During that time, Dixon carried the ball 166 times for 1,182 yards and 11 touchdowns. Unfortunately, his production declined during the COVID season as Clemson’s offensive line began to struggle. Dixon left Clemson’s program mid-season in 2021 after falling out of favor in the team’s new three-headed backfield.
Dixon was a four-star recruit in 2018. He’s shown the ability to produce at the level of an above-average backup in college and should challenge West Virginia’s Tony Mathis for the program’s starting job.
Dixon rushed for 1,914 yards and 35 touchdowns as a junior at Taylor County High School. He left high school with 5,174 rushing yards, 73 rushing touchdowns, and 7,201 all-purpose yards.