Football running back benchmarks: what each level actually looks like
These are the numbers Athlete Quotient scores every football running back against - not a coach's opinion, and not a chart copied from a message board.
Running Back benchmarks by level
| Metric | D1 elite | D1 average | D1 below average | D2 average | D3 average | HS varsity average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Press 225 (reps) | 19 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Broad Jump (inches) | 118 | 112 | 107 | 104 | 100 | 96 |
| 40-Yard Dash (sec) | 4.49 | 4.56 | 4.62 | 4.66 | 4.74 | 4.85 |
| Pro Agility / 5-10-5 (sec) | 4.32 | 4.43 | 4.52 | 4.57 | 4.64 | 4.74 |
| 10-Yard Split (sec) | 1.52 | 1.57 | 1.62 | 1.65 | 1.70 | 1.75 |
| 3-Cone Drill (sec) | 7.00 | 7.15 | 7.28 | 7.38 | 7.48 | 7.62 |
| Vertical Jump (inches) | 34 | 32 | 30 | 29 | 27 | 25 |
A D1 running back is not the same as a D1 football player in general. Against the sport-wide D1 average, this position asks for bench press 225: 15 (5 lower than the football D1 average), 40-yard dash: 4.56 (0.06 faster than the football D1 average), 3-cone drill: 7.15 (0.10 slower than the football D1 average).
See where your numbers actually land
A table tells you the bar. Your AQ Score tells you where you stand against it - all five dimensions, your gaps, and the level you actually fit, scored by the same engine these benchmarks come from. Your first score is free.
Get my free AQ ScoreOther football benchmarks
These are measured sport-wide rather than by position, so they apply to a running back the same way they apply to anyone else on the roster.
| Metric | D1 elite | D1 average | D1 below average | D2 average | D3 average | HS varsity average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Completion % | .680 | .610 | .560 | .550 | .530 | .520 |
| Squat Max (lbs) | 500 | 425 | 375 | 350 | 315 | 285 |
| TD/INT Ratio | 4.0 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Throw Velocity (mph) | 60 | 55 | 52 | 51 | 49 | 47 |
Common questions
What is a good bench press 225 for a running back?
A D1 running back averages 15. D2 averages 10, D3 averages 8, and a high school varsity running back averages 5. Elite D1 is 19.
What is a good broad jump for a running back?
A D1 running back averages 112. D2 averages 104, D3 averages 100, and a high school varsity running back averages 96. Elite D1 is 118.
How to read these
Each column is a level, not a cutoff. "D1 average" is what a typical D1 running back does, which means roughly half of them are below it. "D1 elite" is the top of the distribution, not the entry price. Being under a column does not close a door - it tells you the size of the gap, which is the only number you can actually train against.
Benchmark set 2026.08.10+30cbb911a057. These tables are the same ones the scoring engine uses, exported from it rather than retyped, so a page can never quietly disagree with a score. Method: how AQ builds benchmarks.