Syracuse football’s 10 best running backs of all-time per ChatGPT – 247Sports

Syracuse football has had some of the best running backs in college football history, including some that made the number 44 that of folk lore around Central New York. In part two of our ChatGPT series on the best players in Syracuse history at each position, running back is up next. Part one was quarterbacks, which you can review HERE.  
Simply doing our ranking of the 10 best players at a specific position is too stale. It has been done a million times, and so we are doing so with a little twist to make it more fun. We are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to come up with the list. 
That’s right. We asked ChatGPT who the 10 best players in Syracuse history at each position to come up with the list. We used the phrase (Syracuse football’s 10 best [Position]), and will display the results here. Some are straightforward and expected. They make perfect sense and fit in line with what most Syracuse fans would have. Some results, however, are quite the opposite. It makes for an entertaining list that will provoke thoughts and laughter alike. 
We count backwards from 10. Note that we displayed the results exactly as ChatGPT produced them, not correcting for errors or duplicates. 
Player: Antwon Bailey
Years: 2008-2011
Stats: 454 att, 2,138 yards, 11 TDs, 92 rec, 706 yards, 4 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Played from 2008 to 2011 and was a reliable back for Syracuse, known for his toughness and consistency in the backfield.
Our thoughts: Antwon Bailey was a good running back at Syracuse who began his career as a backup but became the primary ball carrier as a senior. He averaged nearly five yards per carry for his career and topped 1,200 scrimmage yards during his lone season as the main back. Bailey showcased his versatility throughout his career as a really good pass catcher out of the backfield. He had at least 27 catches in each of his last three seasons despite being a reserve in two of those years. Interesting selection given who we will see is omitted later on. 
Player: Michael Owens
Years: 1987-1989
Stats: 393 att, 2,020 yards, 16 TDs, 34 rec, 357 yards, 3 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Played from 1987 to 1990 and was known for his explosiveness and big-play ability as a running back.
Our thoughts: Michael Owens is one of the most memorable running backs in Syracuse history. One of the main reasons for that is his involvement in one of the most iconic plays in Syracuse history. Owens ran in a two point conversion in the final seconds of the last game of the 1987 regular season to preserve an undefeated, untied campaign. He was a reserve during his first two years but had a really strong year in 1989 as the primary back with over 1,000 yards and eight touchdowns. 
Player: Dwight Freeney
Years: 1998-2001
Stats: 104 tackles, 34 sacks, 14 FFs, 3 FRs
ChatGPT Comments: While primarily known as a defensive player, Freeney played some running back early in his Syracuse career, showcasing his versatility.
Our thoughts: Dwight Freeney was inarguably one of the best players in Syracuse football history, college football history and NFL history. He was a dynamic player who set records, won at every level and changed his position. That position, however, was not running back. He never played running back at Syracuse. This is another case of AI getting something complete wrong on multiple levels. Kudos to Freeney, I guess?
Player: Daryl Johnston
Years: 1985-1988
Stats: 356 att, 1,756 yards, 9 TDs, 43 rec, 451 yards, 1 TD
ChatGPT Comments: Known as “Moose,” Johnston played from 1985 to 1988 and was a key contributor in Syracuse’s ground game.
Our thoughts: If you’re including fullbacks with running backs, Johnston’s inclusion is fantastic. He was an elite lead blocker, a powerful runner, extremely smart player and a highly respected leader. Johnston was one of the best fullbacks in college football and NFL history. At Syracuse, he averaged nearly five yards per carry and was a key component of dynamic Syracuse rushing attacks in 1986, 1987 and 1988. He is often forgotten when discussing the best players in Orange history. 
Player: Walter Reyes
Years: 2001-2004
Stats: 625 att, 3,424 yards, 45 TDs, 59 rec, 550 yards, 1 TD
ChatGPT Comments: Played from 2001 to 2004 and ranks among Syracuse’s top rushers in program history, known for his speed and versatility.
Our thoughts: One of only four players in Syracuse history to rush for over 3,000 yards, Reyes is often forgotten when mentioning the lineage of Orange running backs. He did not play on any all time great Syracuse squads, but he averaged 5.5 yards per carry for his career and has the top seasons for rushing touchdowns in Syracuse history. He had 20 in 2003 and 17 in 2002. Reyes absolutely belongs on this list. 
Player: Larry Csonka
Years: 1965-1967
Stats: 594 att, 2,934 yards, 19 TDs, 20 rec, 186 yards, 2 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: A powerful fullback who played from 1965 to 1967 and later had a successful NFL career, Csonka was a force in the Syracuse backfield.
Our thoughts: In the discussion for the best fullback of all time at both the collegiate and professional levels, Csonka was a powerful runner who was extremely difficult to bring down. He averaged nearly five yards per carry at Syracuse and rushed for over 1,000 yards twice in his career. As a fullback. Despite only playing in 10 games per season. Csonka parlayed his stellar collegiate career into an NFL Hall of Fame one primarily with the Miami Dolphins. 
Player: Joe Morris
Years: 1978-1981
Stats: 813 att, 4,299 yards, 25 TDs, 28 rec, 278 yards, 0 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Played from 1978 to 1981 and is Syracuse’s all-time leading rusher, known for his consistency and toughness.
Our thoughts: Joe Morris remains Syracuse football’s all-time leading rusher as the only player in program history with over 4,000 rushing yards. He eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark in three of his four seasons. Morris would have hit the mark all four seasons if he was given the ball more in 1980. However, he only attempted 144 rushes that season while backup Ken Mandeville received 118 and another reserve Glenn Moore had 97 carries. Still, Morris was a dynamic collegiate back and one of the best ever for the Orange. 
Player: Floyd Little
Years: 1964-1966
Stats: 504 att, 2,704 yards, 35 TDs, 50 rec, 582 yards, 4 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Played from 1964 to 1966 and was a dynamic running back known for his speed, agility, and ability to break tackles.
Our thoughts: Floyd Little continued the legacy of #44 following Jim Brown and Ernie Davis. He averaged over five yards per carry for his career and finished fifth in the Heisman voting his last two years with the Orange. Little averaged nearly 12 rushing touchdowns per season during his time with the Orange and later became a key figure in the Athletics department within the university. He is still seventh on the all-time rushing yards list in Syracuse history. 
Player: Ernie Davis
Years: 1959-1961
Stats: 360 att, 2,386 yards, 20 TDs, 38 rec, 392 yards, 4 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: The first African American to win the Heisman Trophy in 1961, Davis is a Syracuse legend known for his exceptional talent and impact on the game.
Our thoughts: Ernie Davis was the first African American and only Syracuse player to win the Heisman Trophy back in 1961. He also was a big reason why Syracuse won the National Championship in 1959 with an undefeated season. Legend Jim Brown helped recruit Davis to Syracuse and the pressure was on to fill those big shoes. Davis did so with one of the best careers in college football history. 
Player: Jim Brown
Years: 1954-1956
Stats: 361 att, 2,091 yards, 19 TDs, 11 rec, 120 yards, 2 TDs
ChatGPT Comments: Arguably the greatest running back in Syracuse history and one of the greatest in football history. Played from 1954 to 1956 and set numerous records.
Our thoughts: Considered perhaps the best running back in the history of the sport, Jim Brown started the #44 legacy with his stellar career. He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1956 back at a time when the players seriously considered were white players. Seasons like Brown’s helped pave the way for Ernie Davis eventually breaking that barrier in 1961. Brown put up his numbers, averaging nearly six yards per carry for his career, despite only playing in eight games per season. 
The most glaring omission from this list is one Sean Tucker. Perhaps ChatGPT does not look at the very recent past, but he set the program’s single season rushing record in 2021 with 1,496 yards. Tucker averaged 5.4 yards per carry for his career and is third on the career rushing yards list at Syracuse. Sean Tucker absolutely deserves to be included on this list. Exactly where is a matter of opinion, but most would likely have him in the top five or six. 
Other players that should be considered include Delone Carter, David Walker, Jim Nance, Damien Rhodes, James Mungro, Dee Brown, Robert Drummond and Rob Konrad. 
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