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If there’s one thing you can count on out of Marshall football, you can always count on the Herd to have a fantastic running back in the backfield, sometimes more than one.  Historically and all the way to the present time, Marshall has had some of the most prolific running backs in college football.  But since the FBS era for the program began in 1997, which players out of this deep crop of talented backs stand out above the rest?  Here are the top 10 running backs for Marshall in the FBS era based on a mixture of career numbers, personal accolades, impact on the program, longevity, and sustained success.

#10 – Earl Charles

Bob Pruett always had a talented stable of running backs during his tenure as head coach of the Herd, but he got a very successful two years out of Earl Charles.  The former JUCO star running back transferred to Marshall and immediately made an impact in his debut season with the Herd in 2003.  He shared time with fellow standout running back Butchie Wallace, but Charles made the most of his opportunities.   

Charles finished the 2003 season leading the team with 1,039 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns while averaging 5.1 yards-per-carry.  He also earned second-team all-conference honors.  Then, as a senior in 2004, he finished with 824 yards and five touchdowns on 4.7 yards-per-carry.  Charles finished his Marshall career with 1,863 yards, 17 rushing touchdowns, and 4.9 yards-per-carry while also accounting for 44 receptions for 299 yards. 

There’s no denying that Charles had a positive impact on Marshall football during his two years and made a big difference for the team.

#9 – Keion Davis

The Herd was rolling by 2015 amid a 33-8 record from 2013-2015.  The offense had no shortage of talent, especially at running back, but that didn’t stop Keion Davis from breaking out into a consistent contributor for Marshall.  Davis played four seasons for the Herd from 2015-2018 and while the team saw highs and lows during that timeframe, Davis was always consistent. 

He rushed for 331 yards as a freshman in 2015, 469 yards in 2016, 812 yards in 2017, and then 402 yards in 2018 as a senior.  He was a diverse player for the Herd outside of just running the ball, with three career kickoff returns for touchdowns and a 25-yard average per-kickoff return while earning second-team all-conference honors as a kick returner in 2017.

All in all, Davis rushed for a career 2,014 yards with 17 rushing touchdowns and 4.4 yards-per-carry while also accounting for 50 career receptions for 363 yards and one touchdown.  Davis fit in perfectly for the Herd for four years and has to be considered one of the most versatile and underrated running backs in program history.

#8 – Khalan Laborn

Sometimes, a player comes along and leaves a major mark on a football program in a short amount of time.  Marshall has had examples of this over the years, but the most recent and one of the most impactful in program history came courtesy of Khalan Laborn.  Off the heels of a hugely successful season at running back in 2021 for Rasheen Ali, Marshall had to lean on the former Florida State Seminole heavily in 2022 with Ali missing the majority of the 2022 season with an injury.  And Laborn was more than up to the challenge. 

He burst onto the scene immediately with seven straight games (finished with nine total) of 100-plus yards on the ground, including a breakout performance in the Herd’s upset win at #8 Notre Dame.  The sixth-year senior rushed for 1,513 yards during the season (sixth all-time in program history for a single season) with 16 rushing touchdowns and 5 yards-per-carry while earning first-team all-conference honors.  

Laborn was the catalyst for Marshall’s 9-4 season in 2022 and despite only having one year with the program, his impact cannot be overstated, and he will go down in Marshall history forever.

#7 – Butchie Wallace

In the early-2000’s, Marshall was one of the nation’s most exciting teams because of a prolific passing game led by Byron Leftwich and a cast of highly skilled wide receivers.  However, hanging out in the wings was a reliable and crucial running back that helped put Marshall’s offense over the top.  Franklin “Butchie” Wallace had four strong years for the Herd and he wasted little time making an impact.

As a freshman in 2000, Wallace rushed for 555 yards and seven touchdowns.  He got better from there, rushing for 796 yards in 2001, 614 yards in 2002, and 729 yards in 2003 as a senior.  In total, Wallace rushed for 2,694 yards and 29 rushing touchdowns on 5.3 yards-per-carry.  He also added 61 career receptions for 478 yards and three touchdowns.  His 29 rushing touchdowns are good for ninth all-time in Marshall history for a running back.

#6 – Devon Johnson

The 2014 season was historic for Marshall, finishing 13-1 with a C-USA Championship and top 25 final ranking.  In a season full of stars for the Herd, nobody shined brighter than Devon Johnson.  Johnson was a tight end primarily during his first two seasons with the program in 2012 and 2013, but he was switched to running back heading into the 2014 season and it would be a program-defining decision.

Johnson rushed for 1,767 yards on the season and 17 rushing touchdowns on a staggering 8.6 yards-per-carry while earning first-team all-conference honors.  His 272-yard performance against FAU that season is still the all-time program record for most rushing yards in a single game.  In addition, his 1,767 yards in 2014 is good for second all-time in Marshall history for a single season while his 17 rushing touchdowns is good for seventh all-time for a single season.  Johnson battled injuries throughout most of his senior season in 2015, but still led the team with 593 yards and five rushing touchdowns. 

He rushed for a career 2,373 yards and 25 rushing touchdowns while averaging 7.8 yards-per-carry.  Johnson also added 27 career receptions for 423 yards and six touchdowns.  The impact that “Rockhead” had on Marshall football is still being felt to this day and his 2014 season will always be remembered as one of the greatest individual seasons in Marshall football history. 

#5 – Darius Marshall

By 2007, Marshall was looking to replace all-time great running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who had moved on to the NFL.  It wouldn’t take long for the Herd to find a more than suitable replacement in Darius Marshall.  Marshall impressed as a freshman in 2007, rushing for 631 yards and three touchdowns while also adding a kickoff return for a touchdown as well.  He earned all-conference freshman team honors in 2007 as well.

Marshall got even better in 2008, rushing for 1,095 yards and five touchdowns while earning second-team all-conference honors.  His 2009 season was his final, and best, as a member of the Herd, rushing for 1,131 yards and 11 touchdowns while again earning second-team all-conference honors.  For his three-year Herd career, Marshall rushed for 2,857 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns while averaging 5 yards-per-carry.

He also added a career 42 receptions for 244 yards as well as an impressive 25.8 yards-per-kickoff return average on 71 total returns for his career with one kickoff return for a touchdown.  Marshall is seventh all-time in program history in rushing yards.  It wasn’t the most successful period for the Herd, but Marshall was a true standout player and still ranks among the best in school history at the running back position.

#4 – Brenden Knox

The Herd had a strong stable of running backs heading into the 2018 season, but little did Marshall know, one running back that was far down on the depth chart would make the biggest impression.  Brenden Knox didn’t play until late in the 2018 season, but he immediately showed everyone that he was a forced to be reckoned with.  Knox rushed for 578 yards and four touchdowns during his freshman campaign, highlighted by a 204-yard performance at Virginia Tech.   

He took things to another level in 2019, rushing for 1,387 yards and 11 touchdowns while earning C-USA MVP and first-team all-conference honors.  In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, Knox still impressed by rushing for 887 yards and nine touchdowns while again earning first-team all-conference honors.  He ran for 2,852 yards during his three-year career with the Herd including 24 rushing touchdowns and a 5.2 yards-per-carry average.  He also added 27 career receptions for 239 yards and one touchdown.

Knox is number eight all-time in program history in rushing yards and his 1,387 yards in 2019 is ninth all-time for a single season.  His 220-yard performance against FAU in 2019 is good for eighth all-time for a single game.  Simply put, Knox was a superstar of the highest degree for Marshall and will always be remembered as one of the very best to ever do it at the running back position in Huntington. 

#3 – Rasheen Ali

Following in the footsteps of Brenden Knox was another superstar running back for Marshall.  When Knox declared for the NFL Draft following his junior season, many wondered who would be the number one running back for the 2021 season, but freshman Rasheen Ali was ready for the challenge.  Ali developed into one of the best running backs in the country as a freshman, rushing for 1,401 yards and a nation-leading 23 rushing touchdowns while earning first-team all-conference honors.

He missed the majority of the 2022 season with an injury, but he played in the final three games and racked up 273 yards on the ground and one touchdown.  Ali was back to 100% for the 2023 season and got back to his old ways, rushing for 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning second-team all-conference honors.  Over his career, Ali rushed for 2,831 yards and 39 rushing touchdowns on 5.5 yards-per-carry while also chipping in 75 career receptions for 557 yards and three touchdowns. 

He is number nine in Marshall history in career rushing yards, number eight in rushing yards in a single season (1,401 yards in 2021), number five in rushing touchdowns, and tied for second in rushing touchdowns in a single season (23 in 2021).  Players like this don’t come around often and there’s no denying how great Ali was for Marshall over his career.

#2 – Doug Chapman

The late-1990s were a magical time for Marshall football with unparalleled success and fantastic players across the board.  One of the Herd’s best players in that era was Doug Chapman, a four-year starter at running back that helped take the program to those unprecedented levels of success.  Chapman showed out as a freshman in 1996 in Marshall’s final season at the FCS level, rushing for 1,238 yards while helping the Herd to a 15-0 final record and FCS National Championship.  But he took his game to another level as Marshall entered the FBS.

Chapman rushed for 908 yards and 10 touchdowns in 1997 while averaging nearly 6 yards-per-carry and earning second-team all-conference honors.  He was even better in 1998, rushing for 1,184 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning first-team all-conference honors.  Some of the Herd’s legendary 1999 season’s biggest moments can be attributed to Chapman, who rushed for 686 yards and 12 touchdowns along with another first-team all-conference selection despite battling injuries throughout the season.

Including his freshman season at the FCS level, Chapman rushed for 4,016 yards during his career with 52 rushing touchdowns, good for second in school history in both categories.  Very few players have impacted the Marshall football program quite like Chapman and his efforts in helping lead the Herd’s most successful period won’t be forgotten.

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Before we talk about #1, here are the honorable mentions. . .

Essray Taliaferro

Marshall had a stable of running backs in the early-2010’s that all played a key role in the offense, but Essray Taliaferro was a guy who didn’t always get the most carries, but made the most out of what he got and his hard work paid off in the end.  He rushed for 98 yards in 2010, 92 yards in 2011, and 251 yards in 2012, but his senior season in 2013 would be the special one.  Taliaferro rushed for 1,140 yards and 10 touchdowns that season, Marshall’s first 1,000-yard rusher in four seasons and it earned him an all-conference honorable mention honor.  Taliaferro had a great rise to success and his efforts shouldn’t be forgotten. 

Brandon Carey

It was no secret that Marshall was a pass-first offense in the early-2000’s, but the running game was strong and deep as well.  Brandon Carey was a key contributor to the Herd’s offense, accounting for 232 yards and one touchdown in 2000.  He added 289 yards and four touchdowns in 2001 while also throwing for another two touchdowns that season.  Carey rushed for a career-best 657 yards and four touchdowns in his final season with the Herd in 2002 while also adding 42 receptions for 386 yards and a touchdown.  Carey was an underrated aspect of what Marshall was doing offensively at the time.

Remi Watson

For four years, Remi Watson was a reliable part of a Herd offense that was rolling at the time.  As a freshman in 2012, he rushed for 380 yards and seven touchdowns for an offense that averaged over 40 points-per-game.  His 2013 season saw fewer attempts, but he still managed to rush for 120 yards.  Watson rebounded in 2014 by rushing for 546 yards and six touchdowns, including a career-best 80-yard touchdown run against Akron and a career-best 124 yards on the ground.  He ran for 398 yards and five touchdowns as a senior in 2015 to close out a solid career in kelly green and white.  Watson could always be counted on and had a stellar career in Huntington. 

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And Finally, #1 – Ahmad Bradshaw

As Bob Pruett’s run as head coach was coming to an end, he left behind a few parting gifts for the Herd in terms of some very talented players.  None were more talented with as much potential as Ahmad Bradshaw.  In Pruett’s last season as head coach in 2004, a freshman Bradshaw gave Herd fans glimpses of the superstar he would become, rushing for 462 yards and three touchdowns.  As Mark Snyder came in as the new head coach and Marshall moved to C-USA in 2005, Bradshaw’s role in the offense continued to grow.

He rushed for 997 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore while also leading the team with 56 receptions, earning him second-team all-conference honors.  His junior season in 2006 put the nation on notice as he rushed for 1,523 yards and 19 rushing touchdowns on 6.1 yards-per-carry and earned first-team all-conference honors.  Bradshaw entered the NFL Draft following that season and went on to have a very successful NFL career.  His Marshall career was nothing short of outstanding, rushing for a career 2,982 yards and 31 rushing touchdowns on 5.3 yards-per-carry while also amassing a career 87 receptions for 697 yards and five touchdowns. 

Those 2,982 career rushing yards are the most for any Marshall running back that only played in the FBS era and are good for fifth all-time in program history.  His 1,523-yard performance in 2006 is good for fifth all-time for a single season in program history as well.  In addition, his 242-yard performance against UAB in 2006 is also good for fifth in program history for rushing yards in a single game and his 261 yards against UTEP in 2006 is tied for third. Bradshaw’s 19 rushing touchdowns in 2006 is fifth all-time for most rushing touchdowns in a single season.

His 31 career rushing touchdowns is good for seventh all-time in program history and his five rushing touchdowns against UTEP in 2006 is tied for first all-time for a single game.  There has never been a more talented running back, from top to bottom, to ever come through Marshall University and despite all of the amazing talent that position has produced for the Herd dating back decades upon decades, Bradshaw can lay claim to being arguably the very best.