Coming off a 2025 season in which OU ranked 13th out of 16 Southeastern Conference teams in rushing yards, a major offseason objective for the Sooners was to improve their ground game.
OU’s 2026 rushing attack is expected to be led by a familiar one-two combination as junior Xavier Robinson and sophomore Tory Blaylock return to anchor the backfield. Redshirt senior quarterback John Mateer also returns to bolster the run game, having led the team in rush attempts and rushing touchdowns in 2025.
Mateer emphasized the team’s improvements rushing the ball in spring practice.
“It's just important as a team and as a unit to be able to run the football, …” Mateer said. “It's been really good, like, super promising, super proud of all the alignment and the running backs, tight ends, receivers. Perimeter blocking has been better, tight end blocking. Running backs are running. It's all leveled up.”
Robinson, who battled a sprained knee during the 2025 season, will look to stay healthy entering the 2026 campaign, his third year in crimson and cream. Despite the injury, the junior finished 2025 with 421 rushing yards and four touchdowns while adding 106 receiving yards and another score through the air.
Blaylock appeared poised to emerge as OU’s lead running back after a strong start to the 2025 season, highlighted by 100-yard performances against Temple and South Carolina. However, a lingering shoulder injury limited his production throughout the year and prevented him from firmly establishing himself as the Sooners' No. 1 running back. Despite the setback, Blaylock still finished his freshman campaign with 480 rushing yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in rushing yards.
Behind the two returning running backs, the position room will feature a competitive battle for carries and snaps out of the backfield. Freshmen Jonathan Hatton Jr. and DeZephen Walker will compete alongside Colorado State junior transfer Lloyd Avant for playing time.
All three of the newcomers found the end zone in the 2026 spring game, with Walker leading the group in rushing yards with 81, followed by Avant with 69 and Hatton Jr. adding 26 of his own.
Head coach Brent Venables believes what he saw from the running back room in the spring game was encouraging.
“Really proud of that group,” Venables said. “They worked incredibly hard. (Running backs coach Deland McCullough) did a fantastic job of giving them the tools to be able to go and execute at a high level.”
Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle also praised the running backs following the game.
“They ran violent,” Arbuckle said. “They ran hard downhill; they were able to break some trash arm tackles. … I think that's huge.”
Avant, the most experienced of the three challengers, brings a versatile skill set to OU’s backfield. At Colorado State, the junior rushed for 417 yards and five touchdowns while adding 24 receptions for 261 yards and another score through the air in 2025. His ability as a pass catcher could carve out a significant role in the Sooners' offense, which lacked a true receiving threat out of the backfield during the 2025 season.
Between the five running backs, the Sooners possess something they have lacked in recent seasons: depth. Each running back brings a unique skill set to the table, giving OU a variety of options in the backfield. The last time OU mustered more than three 300-yard rushers in the same season was 2023, when four Sooners went over that mark. OU will look to capitalize on the team’s versatility as they attempt to climb from the bottom tier of the SEC in rushing production.
This story was edited by Joshua McDaniel. Parker Newman and Tori Pham copy edited this story.
