If a running back has a five game stretch of 106 carries for 924 yards (8.72 ypc!) and 10 touchdowns, the dynasty football community should immediately take notice. Suddenly, Ezekiel Elliott has become one of the top devy running backs in the nation, and is also one of the front runners for the 2015 Heisman Trophy. Elliott has been the MVP of the Big Ten Championship, the Rose Bowl, and the National Championship. The only players that someone could reasonably rank over Elliott right now are Nick Chubb, Leonard Fournette, Derrick Henry, and Samaje Perine. I would have him second behind only Chubb. With that said, lets delve into what makes Elliott such an amazing prospect.
Production:
Elliott’s production was simply amazing this season. He had 273 carries for 1878 yards (6.9 ypc) and 18 touchdowns, while also contributing 28 receptions for 220 yards. Elliott is one of seven players in the last ten years to post a season of at least 270 carries for 1800 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also catching 25 balls out of the backfield. The list also includes:
- Matt Forte
- Tevin Coleman
- Ray Rice
- Ka’Deem Carey (twice)
- Garrett Wolfe
- Jay Ajayi
This is an impressive list, as all the besides Carey were at least third round picks, and Coleman and Ajayi should be drafted in the first three rounds. Again, Elliott’s five game stretch to end the season was one of the best in college football history. There are only five late season stretch’s in college football history similar to Elliott’s These season’s were achieved by:
- Kevin Smith
- Melvin Gordon
- Kapri Bibbs
- Samaji Perine
- Ka’Deem Carey
Yet again we see that three of the players (Smith, Bibbs, and Carey) have been able to latch onto NFL rosters, with Smith having a few seasons of NFL success. The list also includes Melvin Gordon, who only had one of the best season’s ever by a running back, and Perine, who also looks to be an elite young back. It looks as though Elliott has many favorable comps, but he is bigger than most of these backs which could allow for more touchdown potential.
Metrics
With measurables of 6 feet, 225 pounds, Elliott has good size for a running back, though he is on the heavier side. But, he is extremely fast for his size, as NFL Draft Scout currently projects him to run a 4.52 40 yard dash. This number would give Elliott an elite Speed Score ((weight*200)/(40 time^4) of 107.8. This score would be nearly identical to three other big backs:
- Steven Jackson (107.79)
- Jeremy Hill (107.77)
- Laurence Maroney (107.74)
All three of these back have had varying degrees of success, with Jackson being a borderline Hall of Famer, Hill breaking out and achieving top 10 RB status this season, and Maroney having a few solid years in the league but eventually fizzling out.
Film Review
Elliott is an extremely patient runner. Although patient runners can often get caught up in the backfield, I have rarely seen Elliott lose yards on a carry, as he always seems to be fighting for extra yards or falling forward. Elliott perfectly displays these traits in the run at :42:
If you slow down the tape, Elliott has no where to go on the run. He is three yards deep in the back field and the only open hole is filled by a linebacker. He decides to run straight into the defense, and picks up two yards before being ruled down. After he is ruled down, he pushes six Cincinnati defenders three yards into the end zone. On the next play, Elliott has a nice cut and is able to burst through a small hole into the end zone.
At 3:57, Elliott displays his patience. He waits until the hole opens up, and then cuts back and explodes through the hole. He then sheds a tackle and is able to drag a defender and extra seven yards, resulting in a 13 yard game. Elliott displays this on many runs throughout this game.
Elliott also had a nice day receiving in this game. He had five catches for 51 yards, but also had one drop. Any questions about his hands are put to rest at 5:48. Elliott makes a magnificent one handed grab, and then picks up the first down. He displays excellent hands and open field ability on this catch and throughout the game.
Elliott displays excellent vision on his 33 yard touchdown run in the National Championship:
Once Elliott escapes from the line of scrimmage after a nice cut, he is able to shed multiple tackles using his power. Finally, he splits two defenders and out runs them both on his way to the end zone.
Lastly, probably Elliott’s most impressive and well known run: his 85 yard touchdown against Alabama.
He does absolutely everything you want of a running back in this play. He displays vision, patience, a solid cut, power, burst and top end speed. This was not only Elliott’s best run, but possibly the best run of the 2014 college football season.
Final Thoughts
Ezekiel Elliott is the best running back in college football. He is an elite prospect, and would probably be a top four running back this season. He has one of the most dominant stretches in the history of college football, and was able to carry his team after JT Barrett was injured. Elliott displays all of the traits than an elite prospect has, but his best trait is patience. Recently, there was a Sports Science done showing just how patient and explosive a runner Elliott is. I feel he is a mix of Le’Von Bell and Steven Jackson, as he has the patience, power, and receiving ability of Bell and the speed, vision, and agility of Jackson.
