Taking a Look at the Stanford Running Back Room Ahead of the 2024 Season

Dylan Grausz | Aug 9, 2024

Sep 23, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal running back Sedrick Irvin (26) runs the ball against the Arizona Wildcats during the first quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports / John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

With training camp in full swing, that means that the start of the 2024 football season is here and as the Cardinal prepare to embark on a new journey in the ACC, they also begin to sort out who will start at each position. As those battles ensue, clarity will start to form as to which players will be relied upon to get the job done starting with the team’s week one matchup against TCU on August 30. While competition is at every position this year, the running back room is a big area of focus, as we take a look at the projected depth chart in the backfield.

Starter

Sedrick Irvin, Sophomore

As a freshman in 2023, Irvin found himself as the team’s third option in the backfield, sharing a running back room with EJ Smith and Casey Filkins. But now, with Smith transferring to Texas A&M and Filkins no longer on the team, the sophomore from Miami, Florida not only has a chance to be the main man in Palo Alto, but is also the favored starter as of now.

While only rushing for 113 yards last year, Irvin showed signs of immense potential, putting together his best game against Arizona where he ran for 66 yards and scored his first touchdown, with his longest run of the night being a 45 yard carry. A former four-star recruit coming out of high school, Irvin was highly touted and assuming he ends up winning the job, this could be the year that he puts his name firmly on the map.

Next in line

Ryan Butler, Junior

While only carrying the ball 18 times for 60 yards last year, Butler appeared in 10 of the team’s 12 games and made two starts, making him arguably the most experienced ball carrier in the running back room. His two starts came against ranked opponents, starting against both then No. 12 ranked Oregon State and No. 19 ranked Notre Dame, so his experience against top-notch programs will come in handy when Stanford faces teams such as Clemson, and Notre Dame this year. While potentially opening up the season behind Irvin, many teams use a two-back system in today’s day and age, which could very well lead to Butler getting his fair share of carries. 

Champ Hampton, Sophomore

Like Irvin, Hampton played sparingly in true freshman season last year, only carrying the ball once for a two-yard gain while being buried deep down the depth chart. But with the room looking drastically different, Hampton entered camp with the chance to climb up the chart and in the early days of camp, has looked to be much improved. Bringing good size, as he stands at 5’10” and weighs 208 pounds, Hampton is built like the ideal speed back and while potentially missing out on the RB1 and RB2 spots, his style of play should help him find some playing time and get meaningful game touches.

Outside looking in

Kenaj Washington, Junior

Having yet to make his Stanford debut, not competing as a sophomore last season, Washington is only on the outside looking in due to his lack of experience in college football. However, early on in camp, Washington has shown off his insane athleticism, being known for his incredible speed. Only standing at 5’7” and weighing 155 pounds, his quickness and agility give him the ability to find running lanes. He may be lower on totem pole when it comes to where he stands on the depth chart to open up the season, but what he brings to the table will be hard to ignore, especially if injuries or performance issues start to mount up.

All the rest

Chris Davis Jr, Freshman/ Micah Ford, Freshman/ Cole Tabb, Freshman

With all three of these players being true freshmen, and with a running back battle that seems to have more clarity at this point in camp, Davis, Ford and Tabb may not factor much into this year’s gameplan, but they will use this year to grow and develop in the hopes that they can be key contributors in 2025 and beyond.

Tabb, a former four-star recruit out of Choctawatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida was ranked as the No. 29 running back in the nation after a high school career in which he finished with over 5,000 rushing yards and 55 rushing scores. He also owns his high school’s single game rushing record, recording 365 yards in one game. A first team all-state selection, Tabb should be a big presence in the backfield in the future.

Davis, also a four-star recruit, was ranked as the top running back in Mississippi and the 25th in the nation after finishing his career at Picayune Memorial High School with over 2,000 rushing yards to go along with 32 touchdowns. A member of the 2023 Army Bowl team, Davis’ talent is evident and if he continues doing what he is doing, he could very well find himself in the mix down the stretch to catapult up the depth chart and become a key figure on the offense.

Athleticism is the name of the game for Ford, who was a track star in high school, and it showed on the gridiron as well, as the three-star prospect out of Toms River High School in New Jersey finished his career with 4,570 rushing yards to go along with 54 scores while also contributing at quarterback, recording 2,434 passing yards and 37 passing touchdowns. In his senior year, he ran for 1,700 yards and 14 touchdowns while helping guide his school to their second straight state title. Earning a plethora of accolades for his high school accomplishments, including 2022-23 NJ.com Player of the Year, 2020 MaxPreps New Jersey Player of the Year and 2022 NJ Athletics Player of the Year, Ford can take full advantage of his opportunity to prove his worth to the Cardinal.