teagueiu.jpg
Getty Images

In each of the past five years, 23 running backs, on average, have been drafted. The early round selections, such as Ezekiel Elliott, Christian McCaffrey and Saquon Barkley, are well-known, but teams have also been able to find stars on Day 3 and beyond. Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Austin Ekeler and Phillip Lindsay are some of the names that fall into that latter category. 

NFL teams are scouring notes and relying on sources to provide them with information during an odd scouting cycle so that they can find the next hidden gem. Of the 47 college football games scheduled over the past week, 38.3% were cancelled, including a controversial cancellation of Clemson-Florida State. 

Here are some of the notable running back performances from this week across the college football landscape:

Jaret Patterson, Buffalo

Patterson produced a monster outing against Bowling Green. The junior from Missouri had 301 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries. The Bulls had just 74 yards through the air and only two wide receivers caught passes. Patterson is small in stature but physical. For his first two touchdowns, he bullied his way through a few defenders before plunging into the end zone. 

Later in the game, he burst through the line of scrimmage for a few long gains, including a game-high 67-yard run, to pad his stat sheet. He meandered his way around the edge to find open rushing lanes. His latest outing brings his per game average up to 170.33 yards. Dating back to last season, he has just one fumble on a little less than 400 carries. 

When Patterson last played the Falcons, he rushed for 298 yards and six touchdowns on 26 carries. There is at least one school that's hopeful he declares for the 2021 NFL Draft. 

Mekhi Sargent, Iowa

Sargent tallied 101 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries as the Hawkeyes sent Penn State to an 0-5 start. To be honest, it did not look like a Nittany Lion defender touched the senior from Florida before the end zone on either of his two touchdowns. The first was a pitch to the right and he walked in for six. The second touchdown was a simple handoff behind the left tackle. Sargent was eventually peppered by the Lonely Hearts Club Band after crossing the goal line. 

Rhamondre Stevenson, Oklahoma

Oklahoma was 3-2 prior to Stevenson's return from suspension. Since he was reinstalled, the Sooners have looked more like the powerhouse that many had expected. Over the last three games, the Sooners have won by an average of 38.33 points per game. Stevenson has averaged roughly 110 rushing yards per game during that stretch.

In Saturday's victory over Oklahoma State, the junior college product rushed for 141 yards on 26 carries in addition to his three receptions for 54 yards. Remarkably, he has yet to make a third down run this season. However, 15 of his 50 carries (30%) have gone for first downs.

Master Teague III, Ohio State

Ohio State had done a relatively good job of splitting carries between their running backs until this game. Justin Fields and Teague accounted for 41 of the team's 50 carries in one of the more interesting games of the weekend. Indiana did a fantastic job moving the ball through the air and also defending the Buckeyes' heavily armed passing attack, but they fell short on the ground. While Ohio State averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 50 carries, the Hoosiers managed -1 yard on 16 carries; that is not a typo.

Teague amassed 169 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. The Tennessee native shows good breakaway speed and a frame that allows him to administer contact in doses. Through his career in Columbus, he has been lightly used as a pass catcher and can improve in pass protection.