After Puzzling Start to Season, Oklahoma's Ben Arbuckle Promises More Xavier Robinson

The sophomore running back only got 16 carries in OU's first six games, but he's rushed for 167 yards in the last two contests.

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson celebrates after rushing for a touchdown against Ole Miss. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

NORMAN — Thankfully, Oklahoma remembered it has Xavier Robinson on its roster. 

The sophomore running back got 16 carries in the Sooners’ first six games of the year, but Robinson has helped breathe life back into OU’s rushing attack the last two weeks. 

He got 11 carries against South Carolina, where he totaled 58 yards and a touchdown. 

Then he ran the ball nine times for 109 yards and two scores against Ole Miss, bringing the Sooners’ sideline back from the dead in the process. 

“I thought he gave a real spark to the entire team, to the entire stadium,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said during his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “Just being tough to tackle, being physical, being violent and popping off that big run, that was huge for the momentum of the game.”

It’s not the first time Robinson has made a difference for the Sooners. 

He got his first real run last year in OU’s 30-23 loss to Missouri, then he carried that momentum into a 107-yard, two-touchdown performance in OU’s 24-3 win over Alabama. 

Robinson was banged up during fall camp, but he was healthy enough to get eight carries in Oklahoma’s season-opener against Illinois State. 

Running back coach DeMarco Murray has mystified Oklahoma fans with his rotations over the past couple of seasons, and Robinson’s usage in 2025 has been no different.

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson (21) rumbled for 107 yards last year against Alabama. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Sooners tried to get Cal transfer Jaydn Ott going early, and true freshman Tory Blaylock has been fantastic, which led to Robinson getting fewer chances early in the season. 

“I think the season's a whole body of work, I think the year's a whole body of work,” Arbuckle said. “And whenever you look at that running back room throughout spring ball and fall camp and even the early parts of this season, there was a lot of guys doing a lot of really good things. People just see things that happen at the game, but I think it's all a body of work. 

“And X is a great practice player, but I think we have a lot of good kids on our team who execute at a high level. And so it was never a question of X can do this or X can't do that. That was never once said.”

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Robinson has made the most of his opportunity the last two weeks, and he’ll be a prominent part of the Sooners’ offense going forward. 

“You’ll definitely see X out there,” Arbuckle said. “… The way that he has been running consistently, physically running through trash, breaking arm tackles and being tough to take down, it’s awesome. It’s the player that he is. He’s big and he’s strong and he’s fast, too. He’s talented, so I’m excited to keep on getting X going.”