Fournette, Hurd, Chubb lead long list of SEC’s potential 1,000-yard rushers

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On Tuesday, we checked out the SEC quarterbacks who could hit the 3,000-yard passing mark in 2016. With a handful of unproven QBs returning, I went with four making it to 3,000.

Today, we look at potential 1,000-yard rushers, and expect the SEC to move mountains with its running games in 2016. A slew of talented running backs return, meaning a lot of offenses will hit the ground to pound opposing defenses.

Last season, the SEC tied the Mountain West with a nation-leading nine 1,000-yard rushers. Of those nine players to hit triple digits, only four of them — LSU’s Leonard Fournette (1,953 yards), Tennessee’s Jalen Hurd (1,288), Georgia’s Sony Michel (1,161) and Vanderbilt’s Ralph Webb (1,152) — return, but the SEC has plenty of other capable backs lurking around the league.

And don’t forget about the quarterbacks, either. Could we see a 1,000-yard rusher emerge from under center in the SEC for the first time since Nick Marshall ran for 1,068 in 2013?

So how many will eclipse 1,000 yards in 2016? I’ll go with an even eight because I think running back duos could eat into individual numbers more this year.

Here’s my list in order of the most likely rushers to get to 1,000 yards:

1. Leonard Fournette, LSU: No one will argue this one. Fournette was a Heisman favorite for most of last season and nearly rushed for 2,000 yards.

2. Jalen Hurd, Tennessee: One of the league’s most underrated players, Hurd rushed for 1,288 yards and with all the offseason work he’s done to get bigger and stronger, Hurd should have no problem clearing 1,000 yards with his pounding style.

3. Nick Chubb, Georgia: Coming …

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