Ranking UT Running Backs: James Stewart to present

#1

The Crimson Cried

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#1
I did this with the QB's about a week ago and several posters seemed to enjoy the discussion, so I thought we could argue about the RB's for a while. I know we have had many great RB's pre James Stewart but similarly to the QB rankings I would like to focus on the last 25 years or so with these rankings. Just rank your top 10. No need for tiers I just did it for fun.

Tier 1: Boss Hogs

1. Jamal Lewis
2. Alvin Kamara (flame away when he played he was incredible)
3. Travis Henry

Tier 2: Ballers

4. James Stewart
5. Charlie Garner
6. Jay Graham
7. Travis Stephens
8. Arian Foster

Tier 3: Solid RB's

9. Jalen Hurd
10. Montario Hardesty

Honorable mention:

Cedric Houston
Gerald Riggs Jr.
Aaron Hayden

* I updated this by flip flopping Garner and Foster. I had forgotten how good Garner was and I think Foster's NFL career influenced my initial ranking. Thanks to you guys for pointing that out. Oh, I had also forgotten about Hayden so I threw him an honorable mention.
 
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#4
#4
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty
 
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#6
#6
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty

I can’t argue with this list. Maybe flipping James “Little Man” Stewart and Jay Graham, but that is about the right spot for both.
 
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#7
#7
I think Charlie Garner is among the best the Vols have ever had, so I think you have him too low.

I like these threads.
 
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#9
#9
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty


Webb & Cobb still ranks in my book as the best duo in UT history. Or my recollection of it.
 
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#10
#10
Unfortunately you can't put Kamara that high because, just like in the thread about Dobbs/the QBs, we don't know exactly how good he could have been because of the idiotic coaching staff he played under.

He had the talent to be that high on the list, absolutely. He simply didn't get enough touches to be ranked ahead of Travis Henry or James Stewart though.
 
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#11
#11
I would have to put Aaron Hayden in there. IMO, Hayden ran the ball down the field and Little Man Stewart scored the TD.
 
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#12
#12
I did this with the QB's about a week ago and several posters seemed to enjoy the discussion, so I thought we could argue about the RB's for a while. I know we have had many great RB's pre James Stewart but similarly to the QB rankings I would like to focus on the last 25 years or so with these rankings. Just rank your top 10. No need for tiers I just did it for fun.

Tier 1: Boss Hogs

1. Jamal Lewis
2. Alvin Kamara (flame away when he played he was incredible)
3. Travis Henry

Tier 2: Ballers

4. James Stewart
5. Arian Foster
6. Jay Graham
7. Travis Stephens
8. Charlie Garner

Tier 3: Solid RB's

9. Jalen Hurd
10. Montario Hardesty

Honorable mention:

Cedric Houston
Gerald Riggs Jr.

Arian Foster shouldn’t be that high. Garner and Stewart should be top tier. Hurd should be honorable mention or just not mentioned.
 
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#13
#13
Went to HS with Gerald Riggs Jr. He was really only a best in the SECCG against LSU, he ran all over them, wish he could have played that well his entire career.
 
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#14
#14
I did this with the QB's about a week ago and several posters seemed to enjoy the discussion, so I thought we could argue about the RB's for a while. I know we have had many great RB's pre James Stewart but similarly to the QB rankings I would like to focus on the last 25 years or so with these rankings. Just rank your top 10. No need for tiers I just did it for fun.

Tier 1: Boss Hogs

1. Jamal Lewis
2. Alvin Kamara (flame away when he played he was incredible)
3. Travis Henry

Tier 2: Ballers

4. James Stewart
5. Arian Foster
6. Jay Graham
7. Travis Stephens
8. Charlie Garner

Tier 3: Solid RB's

9. Jalen Hurd
10. Montario Hardesty

Honorable mention:

Cedric Houston
Gerald Riggs Jr.


Dude.....Hardesty >>>>>>>> Hurd

Also, Graham should be higher imo
 
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#15
#15
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty

And if we go a few years before Cobb/Webb, I would replace the prolific father with Johnnie Jones. Same top two as you, Garner and Cobb pretty much tied at three, then Jones.
 
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#18
#18
And if we go a few years before Cobb/Webb, I would replace the prolific father with Johnnie Jones. Same top two as you, Garner and Cobb pretty much tied at three, then Jones.

Can't believe I forgot Johnnie Jones. I watched him play in person when I was a student at UT and he was on my mind as I was making my list, but I somehow shuffled his name out inadvertently. I agree with you, though. He should be on my list.
 
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#19
#19
No he wasn't.
Jamal was unbelievable. Go back and look at his freshman and sophomore highlights.
If he hadn't hurt his knee sophomore year he was Heisman level.

Henry was a battering ram but not on same level IMO

Agreed. Jamal wasn't the same player after his injury. Fans speculated that he was going less than full speed to protect his NFL future and his subsequent career seems to have validated that belief.
 
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#20
#20
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty

This is a solid list. I totally agree with the top 3.

I would like to put Stephens and Stewart a little higher but I dont know who I would move down. I think Graham and Kamara would move down.
 
#21
#21
I did this with the QB's about a week ago and several posters seemed to enjoy the discussion, so I thought we could argue about the RB's for a while. I know we have had many great RB's pre James Stewart but similarly to the QB rankings I would like to focus on the last 25 years or so with these rankings. Just rank your top 10. No need for tiers I just did it for fun.

Tier 1: Boss Hogs

1. Jamal Lewis
2. Alvin Kamara (flame away when he played he was incredible)
3. Travis Henry

Tier 2: Ballers

4. James Stewart
5. Arian Foster
6. Jay Graham
7. Travis Stephens
8. Charlie Garner

Tier 3: Solid RB's

9. Jalen Hurd
10. Montario Hardesty

Honorable mention:

Cedric Houston
Gerald Riggs Jr.

Note bad other than Hurd.

I don't just say it because most people hate Hurd now. I try to be objective as possible. Hurd was overrated even before he quit on the team. His ypc was pretty low and he rarely had 'big runs'. His high yardage totals mostly came from an absurdly high number of carries. Butch was blind and never saw the obvious that Hurd was better suited to be a TE or WR.

I'd put Cedric Houston and Gerald Riggs over Hurd.

Kamara definitely belongs in Tier 1 in spite of being underutilized. 100% agree on that. If Butch had more fully used him, I think he'd be more clearly recognized as an all-time great.

John Kelly is somewhere between your Tier 2 and Tier 3. His numbers dropped off a lot last season, but it likely had more to do with the rest of the dreadful offense, and the fact that defenses were able to 100% concentrate on JK.

Charlie Garner should probably be a little bit higher.
 
#22
#22
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty

That’s about right. Cobb-Webb easily stacks up against any tandem in sec history, even if for a brief history, including Bama, Aub, GA, LSU. Webb was as electric as Kamara with more power, and a head coach who figured he’d be best utilized by giving him the ball...smh CBJ
 
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#23
#23
Arian Foster is ranked way too high imo. That guy lost us games by himself with his fumbling and was basically non existent his senior year.
 
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#24
#24
I can't help but include a few from the years before James Stewart's time that I remember seeing in their prime.

My completely subjective (and not necessarily scientific) list:
1. Chuck Webb
2. Jamal Lewis
3. Charlie Garner
4. Travis Henry
5. Reggie Cobb
6. Jay Graham
7. James Stewart
8. Alvin Kamara
9. Travis Stephens
10. Montario Hardesty

Webb and Lewis are 1a and 1b without any doubt, and I would call it even.

There are are around five that you can put behind them in any order.

Kamara is interesting. Because if Butch Jones has half a brain, he would have used Kamara enough that Kamara might be up there with Webb and Lewis. A clearly underutilized talent.

But, the point is clear, there were some damn good backs go through Knoxville, especially from late 80s to early 00s.
 
#25
#25
Fulmer’s offensive lines were so dominating at the time that all his running backs seemed more productive than Jones, Dooley, and Kiffin’s lines. Kinda like running behind a Mack truck or a Volkswagen. Hard to breakout the Cobb-Webb. Give Jamal the ball except for the fumbles. Garner and Johnnie Jones were both fun to watch. Thanks for taking us down memory lane. Would love to put someone new at the top of the list though.
 
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