The top five running backs Duke football faces in the 2024 season

Stopping the run is as important to winning football games as any other aspect of the sport, and that's why the Duke football program has its hands full in 2024, with some of the best running backs in the country on the Blue Devils' roster.

Last season, Duke was respectable in the running game. With an average rushing loss of 141.9 yards per game, Duke ranked 45th nationally in run defense and fifth in the ACC.

Of course, a new coaching staff will bring a new program to Durham this year. How will that impact the Blue Devils' ability to fend off opposing offenses?

New head coach Manny Diaz was the defensive coordinator at Penn State last season, where his defense was the best in the NCAA against the run, allowing just 75.5 yards per game on the ground.

Given the discrepancy between the caliber of players Diaz had at Penn State and those he will have at Duke, no one expects the Blue Devils to have a top-10 rush defense in the country in 2024. Given that Diaz is known as a defensive guru, it's not out of the question to believe the Duke defense will be competitive in the first year of the new coaching staff's tenure.

Still, it won't be easy for Duke to compete against the run, as some of the best running backs in the country call the ACC home. Let's take a look at the top five running backs the Blue Devils need to stop this season.

Senior Lawrance Toafili will help the Florida State Seminoles replace Trey Benson, who is headed to the NFL. At 6-foot-4, 196 pounds, he is an explosive athlete who has at least 70 yards rushing and receiving TD in his career. Duke fans may remember the 73-yard TD run because it came against the Blue Devils in 2020.

Last year, Toafili managed just 69 runs. Still, he managed 463 yards and four touchdowns. That equates to an average of 6.7 yards per carry.

Despite his pedestrian numbers, his potential over productivity lands him on this list. He has never had more than 93 carries in a season and has yet to surpass the 500-yard plateau.

A versatile defender, he also has 67 receptions for 690 yards and four touchdowns in his career. Last year, when FSU's passing attack was devastated by the loss of starting QB Jordan Travis, he still caught 21 passes for 186 yards in limited action.

This season, DJ Uiagalelei, who transferred from Oregon State, will anchor the FSU offense at quarterback and add an experienced player to the Seminole offense. However, Toafili will get his chance to shine as a starting running back, and if he fulfills his potential, he could become one of the shooting stars in the ACC.