Gunshot muddies 2027 RB waters … The chances of a RB being chosen with a top 6 pick in 2027 for the third straight year took a hit earlier this off-season when Ahmad Hardy of Missouri, the consensus top prospect at the position for the upcoming draft, was shot in the leg at a concert in Mississippi. The 5-10, 210-pound Hardy, who led the SEC and finished second in the nation in rushing last fall, underwent what was described as successful surgery and is rehabbing back at school, but whether he will be able to play at all this coming season is still to be determined. However, even without Hardy, 2027 looks like it could be a relatively strong year at the position, with a number of backs with at least some first-round potential including 230-pound Jadan Baugh of Florida, Mississippi’s Kerwan Lacy, Mark Fletcher of Miami, and Ike Brown of Louisville, along with a solid supporting cast that includes speedsters Nate Frazier of Georgia and Auburn’s Jeremiah Cobb, Jordan Marshall of Michigan and BYU’s LJ Martin. Pro scouts will also be watching the progress of three prominent transfers at position including CJ Baxter, who moved from Texas to Kentucky, Justice Haynes, now at Georgia Tech after stops at Alabama and Michigan, and Makhi Hughes, now at Houston after playing at both Tulane and Oregon. All three were once considered to be prime prospects who will be looking to revive their careers at their new schools.
We’ll wrap this post with a trivia question: who did lead the country in rushing last fall? And no it wasn’t Jeremiah Love, the 3rd player picked at the 2026 draft, who actually was 8th. The leading DI rusher last fall was Cam Cook, who had 1659 yards (10 more than Missou’s Hardy) while playing at Jacksonville State. He moved up to West Virginia for his senior season this coming fall where he has a chance to emerge as something of a sleeper for the upcoming draft. Here is an early look at the top RBs for the upcoming draft.
