Lloyd Avant burst out of the backfield, snuck through the middle gap and sped past Texas defenders 42 yards for OU’s longest rush of the season.
And with that play, he turned the tide for OU.
The Sooners would later score a field goal on that drive and begin an offensive shift that resulted in recording 83 rushing yards against Texas, 72 of which came from Avant. The OU offense looked anemic in the first half with only one rushing yard as a team until Avant inspired a turnaround, which he humbly acknowledged.
“It felt great, doing it for my brothers and doing it for the team, …” Avant said. “I not only scored a touchdown but they scored a touchdown. … (I was) just going out and executing what Coach told us to do. That's the big, main priority — just having a will and a mindset to do what Coach asks us to do.”
He sparked OU’s offense to an eventual 27-24 win over the then-No. 1 team in the nation, and his teammates did not take it for granted.
“I just (saw) Lloyd take off; … I think that was the best moment of the game,” freshman offensive lineman Noah Best said. “I think that built so much momentum for us, especially getting the run game going.”
Avant’s burst was not unexpected, though.
“It was in due time,” fifth-year quarterback John Mateer said. “He practices great, and he’s a great teammate. For him to come out and do that — take some checkdowns and a lot of extra yards — is huge for the team and huge for momentum. I’m not surprised that it happened. I don’t think anybody is.”
His performance was a culmination of his consistency and toughness.
“Lloyd’s like the posterboy for it — for wanting to be physical, wanting to be tough, doing everything that is asked of him, doing more than what’s asked of him,” offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “He was just straining (and) fighting for extra yards the entire game. … Lloyd, I feel like I say the word, consistent, a lot with him but he is.”
According to his high school coach, Kenny Harrison, Avant gives real meaning to practicing how you play.
“He approached practice … as a game,” Harrison said. “Everything was intentional that he did in practice. … I think Lloyd Avant is a young man that you can slow down, but I don't think Lloyd Avant is a young man that you can stop for a full game. … It's going to eventually break for him, just because he's prepared for each and everything that comes up in a ball game. … When he got to the game, I actually think the game was slow to him.”
‘Dynamic football player’
Avant was not 6-foot or speedy like a track star at Summer Creek High School in Texas, but he dominated through his consistency, toughness and intelligence.
He led Summer Creek to playing in the state championship his senior year. He rushed for 2,210 yards and 31 touchdowns as a senior and rushed for 1,710 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior.
“The Lloyd Avant Summer Creek football team was the only team in Humble ISD that’s ever played for a state championship, and I'd say that came solely on who Lloyd Avant was and what he did for us, …” Harrison said. “A lot of people say he (doesn’t) have breakaway speed, but … (he’s) just a dynamic football player.”
Harrison remembers specific high school games when Avant took over, like he has now for OU. He recalls Avant dominating in a game against Summer Creek’s cross-town rival, Atascocita High School, who now-OU teammate Tory Blaylock played for.
“We had some trouble just kind of getting the offense going, and Lloyd completely took over that game, …” Harrison said. “When we finished that game, we had beaten Atascocita for the first time in school history, and he had over 300 yards.”
Summer Creek finished with a 14-2 record and a state championship appearance in Avant's senior year, marking a turnaround from his freshman year. Summer Creek went 3-8 his freshman year, 10-4 his sophomore season and 8-5 his junior year.
“He played in his freshman year, and that was a bad year for us. And then the sophomore year was the breakout year, where we finally got that program turned. He could have, if he wasn't a loyal, committed kid with his athletic ability, easily left and went (to another school) that was having success, Harrison said. “But that never crossed my mind. He was 110% committed to being at Summer Creek High School and getting us where we needed to be.”
He ultimately landed at Tulsa coming out of high school, though Harrison believes he deserved better.
“He wasn't as highly recruited, and I think a lot of people, the question mark was … his feet, …” Harrison said. “Colleges are looking for … speedy guys, and Lloyd Avant is a football player. So if you're looking for a football player, I thought that's the direction that you need to go in. Tulsa was fortunate to get him because he slipped through the cracks solely because he was not a 4.3 guy, 4.2 or whatever guys are running today.”
He rushed for 259 yards at Tulsa, playing in all 12 games as a freshman. He impressed the Tulsa coaching staff quickly but ultimately left after a coaching change. His Tulsa head coach — current OU offensive analyst Kevin Wilson — was fired mid-season in 2024.
“Just talking to the coaches every time I would speak to them, especially when (Avant) first entered Tulsa, he was everything,” Harrison said. “He was more than what they even expected, just a dynamic player, just a phenomenal kid (and) had a tremendous work ethic, but I think they were, at that time, … going through some issues with … possibly having the coaching change. I don't think it was a real stable situation.”
He elevated his game after transferring to Colorado State, recording over 400 rushing yards during the 2025 season. He dealt with another mid-season coaching change, though, which led him to Norman.
“Going through that coaching change was difficult," Harrison said. "Lloyd is a throwback, old-school player. I think Lloyd — and it may sound crazy because he's at his third school — he’s about loyalty and stability and just wanting to be at a good place and give his all. It's just been very, very unfortunate for him, with him going to schools that (have) had coaching changes. For him to find a place where it looks like the coach — (Brent) Venables — has stability (and) job security, I feel that he's found a home.”
‘No surprise’
Avant had to fight for his spot as OU’s No. 1 running back.
OU’s two leading rushers in 2025, Blaylock and Xavier Robinson, returned, while Avant came in as a transfer. Blaylock and Robinson ultimately dealt with injuries in the spring, propelling Avant to the starting spot, especially with his consistency.
“Lloyd's played a lot of ball; Lloyd’s a savvy vet,” Arbuckle said in March. “He's been around the block. I've been impressed with him, just being able to come in and nothing really seems too big for him. … He's come in and just worked, put his head down and (is) constantly trying to get better.”
Avant impressed his teammates, as they grew to understand his practice mentality.
“That guy, since day one from Colorado State came in here, was pretty quiet at first, shy, (but) came out of his shell now,” fifth-year tight end Hayden Hansen said in August. “And my favorite thing about Lloyd, he's not afraid to put his nose in there. … He's a really physical guy (and) a really hard downhill runner.”
Not all of Avant’s OU teammates were new faces upon joining the team, though. Fifth-year tight end Rocky Beers also transferred to OU from Colorado State.
“I love Lloyd,” Beers said in March. “(We) were good friends at CSU. Dude never goes down on one tackle, always stays on his feet, great center of gravity. … I love having him here with me — made the transition a lot easier.”
Avant deeply values relationships, according to Harrison. His connection with Wilson also helped him make the move.
“I would say the Coach Wilson thing definitely had something (to do with the move),” Harrison said. “Some familiarity with him (from) working with him and, obviously, they had a good rapport. Lloyd is a highly intelligent kid that does a great job of reading people, and he's a relationship-based kid.”
Avant wasted little time once he began in Norman, earning the starting spot and rushing for 79 yards in his first game as a Sooner. Now, he’s a major part in the history of one of college football’s biggest rivalries.
Avant’s 42-yard rush and overall performance against Texas came as no surprise to those who have known him since high school, though.
“My son (and I were) watching; my son, he was fortunate to watch Lloyd play in high school,” Harrison said. “It was no surprise to us. We knew it was a matter of time that Lloyd Avant would have the opportunity to do just what he did, and I was glad he got that opportunity in a big game, in a real-world classic. … Legends are made right there in that ball game.”
Sitting at 3-2 with four ranked teams remaining in the schedule, Avant and the Sooners look to build off the Red River success with plenty of challenges ahead. Regardless of team results and individual success the rest of the way, Harrison is sure that Avant will hold to his steady, humble mindset.
“He's always going to be even keel, regardless how much success he has,” Harrison said. “He's not going to get overexcited. If he doesn't do as well as he’d like to do, he's not going to get down. He understands that it's a process.”
This story was copy edited by Brooks Davis and Kennedy Johnson.
