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Despite a disappointing 6-7 season in 2024, the Oklahoma Sooners were not lacking for talent at the running back position. Unfortunately, poor offensive line play, injures and an uncharacteristic lack of a difference-maker at quarterback led to the worst OU offense since 1998.
The Sooners shuffled through multiple players at running back but were able to run the ball with a bit more consistency late in the season. That position was far from the most broken thing on the Oklahoma offense.
Fast-forward to this past winter, and running backs coach DeMarco Murray was able to keep each of his top five running backs from entering the transfer portal. However, there's one more hurdle Murray will have to overcome if he still wants to have his pick of ballcarriers this fall.
That is, of course, the spring transfer portal window, which runs from April 16 to 25. With a bit of a logjam at running back, the Sooners could see an exit or two as players look for more carries elsewhere in 2025.
Between Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson, Gavin Sawchuk, Taylor Tatum, and Sam Franklin, there may be too many mouths to feed for all of them to stay in Norman. The current running back depth chart is still murky, and the spring window may be an opportunity for someone to find a new home for the upcoming season.
Barnes has been dealing with an injury that's left over from his 200-yard day against Maine, but he's one of the longest-tenured Sooners, going all the way back to 2022. There was a point last season where he was the only reliable part of the OU offense. He missed Oklahoma's final four games of the season.
Robinson had been expecting to redshirt as a true freshman in 2024. Instead, he burst onto the scene late in the season in Barnes' absence. Robinson put together arguably the best individual performance of the season with 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Alabama. The Carl Albert High School product has impressed new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle this spring.
Sawchuk was expected to have a big season last year, but instead went from being a starter to begging for scraps when it came to carries. Whether he wasn't a fit for the system or wasn't 100 percent, he couldn't find any room at all to run. He's also been at Oklahoma since 2022.
Tatum showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman but ended the season on a low note. The No. 1 running back in the 2024 recruiting class earned more carries as the season went along, but fumbling issues kept him on the bench for most of the final three games, as Murray went with Robinson and Sawchuk in his place. Still, the former four-star prospect should get another chance to shine in 2025.
Behind those four, the Sooners also have redshirt freshman Andy Bass, true freshman Tory Blaylock, redshirt senior Sam Franklin and redshirt freshman Gabe Sawchuk. If Oklahoma sees portal exits this spring, there's still depth on the roster, especially in the form of Franklin, who earned a few carries last season, and Blaylock, who has impressed the coaches in spring football.
OU could also offset any losses by adding to the RB room in the spring portal window, and it's definitely a position to monitor for the Sooners over the next couple of weeks.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Can Oklahoma keep their running back depth chart intact?
Continue reading...
The Sooners shuffled through multiple players at running back but were able to run the ball with a bit more consistency late in the season. That position was far from the most broken thing on the Oklahoma offense.
Fast-forward to this past winter, and running backs coach DeMarco Murray was able to keep each of his top five running backs from entering the transfer portal. However, there's one more hurdle Murray will have to overcome if he still wants to have his pick of ballcarriers this fall.
That is, of course, the spring transfer portal window, which runs from April 16 to 25. With a bit of a logjam at running back, the Sooners could see an exit or two as players look for more carries elsewhere in 2025.
Between Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson, Gavin Sawchuk, Taylor Tatum, and Sam Franklin, there may be too many mouths to feed for all of them to stay in Norman. The current running back depth chart is still murky, and the spring window may be an opportunity for someone to find a new home for the upcoming season.
Barnes has been dealing with an injury that's left over from his 200-yard day against Maine, but he's one of the longest-tenured Sooners, going all the way back to 2022. There was a point last season where he was the only reliable part of the OU offense. He missed Oklahoma's final four games of the season.
Robinson had been expecting to redshirt as a true freshman in 2024. Instead, he burst onto the scene late in the season in Barnes' absence. Robinson put together arguably the best individual performance of the season with 100 yards and a pair of touchdowns against Alabama. The Carl Albert High School product has impressed new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle this spring.
Sawchuk was expected to have a big season last year, but instead went from being a starter to begging for scraps when it came to carries. Whether he wasn't a fit for the system or wasn't 100 percent, he couldn't find any room at all to run. He's also been at Oklahoma since 2022.
Tatum showed flashes of brilliance as a true freshman but ended the season on a low note. The No. 1 running back in the 2024 recruiting class earned more carries as the season went along, but fumbling issues kept him on the bench for most of the final three games, as Murray went with Robinson and Sawchuk in his place. Still, the former four-star prospect should get another chance to shine in 2025.
Behind those four, the Sooners also have redshirt freshman Andy Bass, true freshman Tory Blaylock, redshirt senior Sam Franklin and redshirt freshman Gabe Sawchuk. If Oklahoma sees portal exits this spring, there's still depth on the roster, especially in the form of Franklin, who earned a few carries last season, and Blaylock, who has impressed the coaches in spring football.
OU could also offset any losses by adding to the RB room in the spring portal window, and it's definitely a position to monitor for the Sooners over the next couple of weeks.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Can Oklahoma keep their running back depth chart intact?
Continue reading...
