He’s a preseason All-American for a reason.

Zach Charbonnet is one of the best running backs in the country entering the 2022 season, according to the folks at Pro Football Focus. PFF recently ranked the 25 best backs in the sport heading into the new year and listed the fourth-year runner as the No. 9 back in the sport.

In his first season with the Bruins in 2021, Charbonnet was a force.

His 94.8 yards-per-game average ranked second among Pac-12 backs. He put up 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns on 203 carries (5.6 per carry). It was the best rushing season by a Bruin since Joshua Kelly went for 1,243 yards in 2018. The 13 scores were the most by a Bruin since Paul Perkins had 14 in 2015.

The California native rushed for over 100 yards in seven games and scored in eight games, including each of the last four in the regular season when UCLA’s offense really exploded. He and quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson combined for nearly 1,800 rushing yards and 22 scores on the ground.

And it’s that backfield partnership that has so many high on the Bruins entering the new season.

A 6-foot-1, 220-pound runner, Charbonnet has the complete package as a tailback.