What happened to the 2025 running back class? Barnwell sizes up Jeanty, Hampton, others in Year 2

A year after a standout rookie running back class in 2025 looked dominant, its production has noticeably cooled. In Week 4 of the 2025 season, first-year backs combined for 737 rushing yards—the most by any group of rookie rushers in a weekly span since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. But in Week 6 of the 2026 season, that same class totaled just 246 rushing yards, its worst weekly mark so far. The article attributes much of the downturn to injuries and benchings, noting that only Ashton Jeanty, Ollie Gordon II, and LeQuint Allen Jr. were active in every game for their teams since entering the league, while Gordon and Allen spent much of the time as backups. As a mirror of the class, Jeanty, drafted No. 6 by the Raiders ahead of several offensive players, has shown flashes but lacked the consistency expected from a prospect rated so highly.