CLEMSON | Three of the last four national champions had starting running backs who were classified as 3-star prospects by Rivals.com.

Wayne Gallman (Clemson, 2016): Three star.

Travis Etienne (Clemson, 2018): Three star.

Clyde Edwards-Helaire (LSU, 2019): Three star.

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The only exception was Najee Harris (Alabama, 2017), who was the top player in the country coming out of high school. But even in the Crimson Tide's breathtaking overtime victory over Georgia in the CFP title game, Harris' impact (6 carries, 64 yards) was negligible compared to the force-of-nature impact of another freshman, Tua Tagovailoa.

It's at this point where the direction of this article could turn to the predictable "recruiting rankings aren't always accurate" theme. But that's really not the most interesting and telling aspect of this topic as it relates to recent running backs who have helped bring championship trophies to their campuses.