Last updated: November 5, 2026
The ACC running backs room is led by Duke’s Nate Sheppard, who has piled up 972 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns through eight games. Here is how the top ACC running backs rank in 2026 according to RallyFuel’s regular-season data.
Quick summary
- Nate Sheppard of Duke leads the ACC with 972 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns.
- Micah Ford of Stanford is second with 751 yards, and Isaac Brown of Louisville is third with 707.
- Isaac Brown averages 7.7 yards per carry, the best mark among the ten leaders.
- Louisville, Miami and Syracuse each have two backs among the conference’s top fifteen.
ACC running backs leaderboard 2026
The table below ranks the top ten ACC running backs by 2026 regular-season rushing yards, using stats recorded on RallyFuel. Some lines may trail the most recent game by a week, so treat the numbers as a snapshot as of November 5.
| # | Player | School | Yds | Att | Avg | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nate Sheppard | Duke | 972 | 173 | 5.6 | 14 |
| 2 | Micah Ford | Stanford | 751 | 156 | 4.8 | 8 |
| 3 | Isaac Brown | Louisville | 707 | 92 | 7.7 | 7 |
| 4 | Kendrick Raphael | SMU | 692 | 135 | 5.1 | 9 |
| 5 | Damon Ferguson Jr. | Pitt | 662 | 123 | 5.4 | 6 |
| 6 | Jeffrey Overton Jr. | Virginia Tech | 639 | 113 | 5.7 | 4 |
| 7 | Ousmane Kromah | Florida State | 609 | 114 | 5.3 | 5 |
| 8 | Justice Haynes | Georgia Tech | 548 | 112 | 4.9 | 4 |
| 9 | Gideon Davidson | Clemson | 528 | 105 | 5.0 | 5 |
| 10 | Tylik Hill | Syracuse | 515 | 98 | 5.3 | 1 |
Nate Sheppard sets the pace
Nate Sheppard has the most yards and the most carries among ACC running backs, with 173 attempts for 972 yards, a 5.6 average and 14 touchdowns in eight games. That works out to roughly 121 rushing yards a game. He is also a factor in the passing game with 302 receiving yards, which makes him one of the most complete players on this list. Duke’s page on RallyFuel is at Duke.
Stanford and Louisville chase
Micah Ford has 751 yards on 156 carries for Stanford, a 4.8 average with eight touchdowns across nine games. He carries a heavy share of the load, and only Sheppard has more attempts among the ACC running backs. Louisville tells a different story. Isaac Brown has 707 yards on just 92 carries, a 7.7 average, and his teammate Keyjuan Brown adds 467 yards on 58 carries, an 8.1 average. Together the two Louisville runners have 1,174 yards, the most of any single school’s pair in the conference. See more on the Louisville and Stanford pages.
Next tier of ACC running backs
Kendrick Raphael of SMU (692 yards, nine touchdowns), Damon Ferguson Jr. of Pitt (662 yards in nine games) and Jeffrey Overton Jr. of Virginia Tech (639 yards at 5.7 per carry) round out the top six. Behind them, Ousmane Kromah of Florida State, Justice Haynes of Georgia Tech, Gideon Davidson of Clemson and Tylik Hill of Syracuse all sit between 515 and 609 yards. The gap between third and tenth is under 200 yards, so the order can change quickly over the final weeks.
Two-back tandems in the conference
Several programs split the work. Miami has Javian Mallory at 495 yards and a 7.0 average alongside Mark Fletcher Jr. at 457 yards and nine touchdowns, for 952 combined. Syracuse pairs Tylik Hill with Ahmad Miller, who has 426 yards, for 941. Tandems like these keep individual totals lower, which is why the best ACC running backs by yardage are not always the most efficient.
How to read these numbers
Each line shows rushing yards, carries, yards per carry and rushing touchdowns for the 2026 regular season. Games played differ from player to player, because some teams have had a bye and some players have missed time, so a runner with fewer games can still sit high on the list. Yards per carry is the quickest way to spot a back who is making the most of limited touches. Touchdowns matter too, since goal-line carries often go to one trusted runner. Use the totals as a starting point, then open any profile on the site for the full season line.
Volume versus efficiency
Sheppard and Ford lead because they carry the ball often. Brown, Mallory and Keyjuan Brown lead in yards per carry because they get fewer, bigger chances. If you rank by raw yards, Duke wins. If you rank by average, Louisville does. Both views are useful when you compare ACC running backs, and neither tells the whole story of a season that still has games left to play.
More ways to follow the season
Want to see how ACC running backs stack up against other conferences? Read our Big Ten running backs ranking and SEC running back NIL breakdown, then browse the full ACC conference page on RallyFuel. You can also explore every player on the RallyFuel athlete directory and check the school leaderboard.
Vote: Who is the best of the ACC running backs this season? Cast your pick on the RallyFuel football predictions page.
ACC running backs FAQ
Who leads the ACC in rushing in 2026?
Duke running back Nate Sheppard leads with 972 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns in RallyFuel’s regular-season data.
Which ACC running back has the best yards per carry?
Among the ten leaders, Louisville’s Isaac Brown has the best average at 7.7 yards per carry. His teammate Keyjuan Brown averages 8.1 on fewer carries.
Where do these numbers come from?
They come from the 2026 regular-season stats stored on RallyFuel. Lines can lag the latest game, so check each player profile for the most recent totals.
Are there more ACC running backs to follow?
Yes. Miami, Syracuse and Louisville each have two backs in the top fifteen, and every ACC player has a profile on RallyFuel.
Follow College Athletes on RallyFuel
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