Herschel Walker -- Leonard Fournette Is Better Than I Was In College

LSU superstar Leonard Fournette just got the ultimate compliment from Herschel Walker -- who just told TMZ Sports he thinks Leonard is a better college running back than he was back in the day!!!!

Of course, Walker is one of the greatest college football players of all time -- winning the Heisman Trophy in 1982 during an insane season at Georgia.

So, with Fournette playing out of his mind this season -- and getting tons of comparisons to Walker -- we went straight to Herschel for his thoughts.

"He's better than I was," Walker says ... noting that Fournette is the clear frontrunner for the Heisman.

Herschel says he's extremely impressed with Fournette's athleticism AND his toughness -- "He's like a fullback because he can take punishment and keep on going."

But Walker says there are two other RBs blowing his mind this season -- Derrick Henry from Alabama and Nick Chub from Georgia.

"I'm happy to see them play! People have been discounting running backs the past couple of years. These guys are bringing back the position."

As for Fournette -- Walker says the guy definitely has the talent to play in the NFL, but shouldn't consider leaving college early to get there.