It happened so many times last season that Nick Saban had to warn his top ballcarrier he might be better suited staying on the ground. The Najee Harris leap became a signature move for the Alabama running back as a junior, helping the former five-star register a career-best 1,224 yards rushing, 304 yards receiving and a team-best 20 touchdowns.

The decision by Harris to return for his senior season is a shot in the arm for the Crimson Tide, who get one of college football's premiere playmakers one more year.

“It’s a very heavy year for running backs," Saban said this spring. "He made the decision that he wanted to come back, and we’re happy to have him back.”

Harris is only 1,214 yards behind Derrick Henry as Alabama’s all-time leading rusher with 2,377 yards for his career. Harris wasn't the only elite-level and NFL-ready running back to return to the college ranks in 2020.

The following is a comprehensive ranking of college football's Top 25 running backs ahead of the 2020 season from 247Sports Director of Scouting Barton Simmons, who has followed many of these players since prep stardom.

Several of the ballcarriers are household names while a few are on the verge of breakout campaigns, per Simmons: