Last season was widely called “The Year of the Running Back,” with countless big performances at the position, but as 2016 approaches, the ACC is expecting big things out of its tailbacks once again. In fact, the league has eight running backs returning who compiled at least 1,000 scrimmage yards last season -- and that list doesn’t include 2014’s offensive player of the year, James Conner.
So, how do all the big-name running backs stack up?
We dug beyond the traditional metrics, where Dalvin Cook dominated, to put together our list.
LINE INDEPENDENT RUSHING
It’s tough to filter out offensive line play, but we gave it a try by looking at adjusted yards-per-carry (weighing yards after contact at a 3:1 ratio vs.