Average Size of College Football Running Backs (Height & Weight)
I’ve been a collegiate sports performance coach for 20 years. One thing I always loved doing was going through and checking out the sizes of the other teams in our conference.
It helped give me (and our staff) an idea of how we stacked up against our competition. It also could be used as motivation with our team both during the season and, often, during the following off-season.
So, this is essentially the same research I’ve always done, but now I’m sharing it with you. I took starting depth charts for each team in the FBS (a total of over 3000 players) going into the 2023 season and broke them down by position.
For this guide, I took an average of the heights and weights of the over 100 starting Running Backs* across college football. In addition, I broke down the sizes of running backs by conference and individual players.
Go ahead and impress someone today with your newfound random football knowledge.
Average Height of a College Football RB
The average height of a College Football Running Back is 70.52 inches (right at 5’10 1/2″).
Average Weight of a College Football RB
The average weight of a College Football Running Back is 205.38 pounds.
Want to see how college football Running Backs compare with the size of NFL Running Backs? Good news, I’ve also run the numbers on the guys at the next level.
Which Conference Has the Tallest Running Backs?
| Conference | Avg Height (Inches) |
|---|---|
| Pac 12 | 71.92 |
| Big 10 | 71.43 |
| Conference USA | 71.22 |
| Big 12 | 71.07 |
| SEC | 70.86 |
| ACC | 70.71 |
| Independents | 70 |
| Sun Belt | 70 |
| MAC | 69.86 |
| AAC | 69.6 |
| Mountain West | 68.58 |
Which Conference Has the Heaviest Running Backs?
| Conference | Avg Weight |
|---|---|
| Big 10 | 216.21 |
| SEC | 215.64 |
| Pac 12 | 212 |
| Big 12 | 211.57 |
| Sun Belt | 207.71 |
| ACC | 203.43 |
| Conference USA | 200.78 |
| MAC | 198.29 |
| AAC | 195.27 |
| Independents | 194.8 |
| Mountain West | 191.08 |
READ MORE –> Average Size of College Football Wide Receivers
Who Are the Tallest Running Backs in College Football?
Running Backs come in a variety of different body types, with heights ranging almost an entire foot (from 5’6″ to 6’3″).
Here are the 8 tallest backs I found this season, all 6’2″ or taller.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aidan Robbins | 6’3″ | 240 | BYU |
| Raheim Sanders | 6’2″ | 242 | Arkansas |
| Ja’Quinden Jackson | 6’2″ | 226 | Utah |
| TJ Harden | 6’2″ | 215 | UCLA |
| Jamoni Jones | 6’2″ | 225 | New Mexico State |
| Braelon Allen | 6’2″ | 245 | Wisconsin |
| Roman Hemby | 6’2″ | 202 | Maryland |
| CJ Donaldson Jr | 6’2″ | 239 | West Virginia |
Who Are the Shortest?
There are five running backs listed at 5’7″ or shorter.
Robert Briggs Jr, listed at 5’6″, is not only the shortest running back, but the shortest starter on any college football roster in 2023.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Briggs Jr | 5’6″ | 185 | Utah State |
| Amin Hassan | 5’7″ | 176 | Navy |
| Tylan Hines | 5’7″ | 175 | Hawaii |
| Kairee Robinson | 5’7″ | 195 | San Jose State |
| La’Damian Webb | 5’7″ | 208 | South Alabama |
Who are the Heaviest Running Backs in College Football?
Good luck tackling these behemoths coming straight at you in the secondary.
The five biggest running backs in college football all weigh over 235 pounds.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braelon Allen | 6’2″ | 245 | Wisconsin |
| Raheim Sanders | 6’2″ | 242 | Arkansas |
| Aidan Robbins | 6’3″ | 240 | BYU |
| CJ Donaldson Jr | 6’2″ | 239 | West Virginia |
| Thad Franklin Jr | 6’0″ | 237 | Louisiana-Monroe |
Who are the Lightest?
Just like with heights, Running Backs have a huge range when it comes to bodyweight, spanning roughly 70 pounds from heaviest to lightest.
Here are the 6 lightest I found, all 175 pounds and less.
| Name | Height | Weight | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Chatman | 5’9″ | 167 | Navy |
| Shedro Louis | 5’8″ | 170 | Tulane |
| Braylin Presley | 5’8″ | 170 | Tulsa |
| Tylan Hines | 5’7″ | 175 | Hawaii |
| Zach Hrbacek | 5’9″ | 175 | Sam Houston |
| Devontae Houston | 5’9″ | 175 | UConn |
Important Notes
As a former sports scientist, I tend to take data pretty seriously so I must stress that these ‘averages’ should be used for entertainment purposes only.
Why do I say that?
There are multiple issues that can make all the data in this article flawed.
First and foremost, it’s pretty commonplace in athletics to lie about heights and weights. I once worked at a school where it was standard procedure to add an inch and 5 to 10 pounds to almost every player on the roster.
Why?
The best answer that I was ever given is that it could potentially help with NFL scouting. However, I can’t imagine in 2023 that anyone is fooling an NFL scout with the size listed in a program. I think the real answer is it’s just part of the culture in sports.
*I used the heights and weights of all the projected starters leading into Week 0. Whether it’s through injury or performance, starters can and will change throughout the season.
In fact, it took me a week to gather all these numbers and by the time I was done I would bet that there were at least a couple of starting positions that had already changed hands.
And, if a couple of 6’2″ 230-pound players are swapped out with a couple of 5’8″ 180-pound players, the sample size is small enough that this could substantially affect the overall averages.
Finally, I can tell you for a fact that players’ weights can fluctuate pretty wildly from week to week and sometimes even day to day and, especially, over the course of a season.
Just because a guy weighed 215 on the first day of camp when weights were put in the program, does not mean that’s what he weighs in Week 8.
So, have fun with the data above, but this is just a reminder to not take the numbers too seriously.
More Info
I also broke down the sizes of Tight Ends across college football that you can check out.
Or, if you really want to have your mind blown, check out the fastest 40 times that running backs have put up at the NFL Combine over the years.
