Former Oklahoma Running Back Helps Patriots Clinch Spot in Super Bowl LX

While three former Sooners saw their season end on Sunday, ex-Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson powered his team to a win in the AFC Championship.

Stevenson logged a game-high 71 rushing yards on 25 carries as his New England Patriots defeated the Denver Broncos 10-7 to advance to Super Bowl LX.

The Patriots entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the AFC after finishing the regular season 14-3. They opened the postseason with a win over the Los Angeles Chargers before taking down the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round.

Stevenson has been a key contributor throughout New England’s postseason run. Against the Chargers, he rushed for 53 yards while also catching three passes for a team-high 75 yards. He followed that up with 70 rushing yards and 11 receiving yards against Houston.

Stevenson is playing his fifth season in the NFL. Before that, he played two seasons for the Sooners. At OU, Stevenson rushed for 1,180 yards and 13 touchdowns, and he won Cotton Bowl Classic MVP honors for his performance in the Sooners’ 55-20 win over Florida.

A trio of former OU players — edge rusher Nik Bonitto, wide receiver/return specialist Marvin Mims Jr. and offensive guard Ben Powers — were on the losing side of the AFC Championship.

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Bonitto, who has been one of the NFL’s best defensive players this season, was held in check against the Patriots. He finished the game without recording any statistics.

Mims led the Broncos in receiving with four catches for 62 yards. He also returned three punts for eight yards.

Powers finished the game with a 73.8 Pro Football Focus (PFF) offensive grade, the third-best grade for offensive players on either side. He appeared on 58 snaps.

It’s worth mentioning how impactful the weather conditions were in Denver.

With roughly five minutes remaining in the third quarter, snow began to pour on Empower Field at Mile High, leading to slippery conditions. The field quickly went from slick to covered, and neither team’s offense moved efficiently in the game’s late stages. Denver didn’t get a first down in the second half until the fourth quarter.

Denver came into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Broncos also posted a 14-3 record in the regular season, but they held the tiebreaker (record against division opponents) to secure home-field advantage over the Patriots.

Oklahoma Sooners, Marvin Mims Jr. — Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. (19) makes a catch against the New England Patriots during the first half in the 2026 AFC Championship Game at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Bonitto, Mims and Powers were all stars during their college days in Norman.

Bonitto was a two-time All-American and made the All-Big 12 Second Team twice. Mims, who spent three years at OU, was a First Team All-Big 12 selection in 2022 and totaled 2,398 receiving yards for the Sooners. And Powers played three seasons for OU after starting his college career at the junior college level, and he was a Consensus All-American in 2018.

Stevenson and the Broncos will now battle against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8.

The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams 31-27 in the NFC Championship to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. Seattle earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye after ending the regular season with a 14-3 record. The Seahawks took down the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round before their win over the Rams.

Neither the Seahawks nor the Rams have any players that attended Oklahoma.