Oklahoma RB Lloyd Avant Working on, Succeeding at Earning Coaches' Trust

NORMAN — Earlier this week, new Oklahoma running backs coach Deland McCullough raised some eyebrows when he talked about Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant in comparison to the rest of the room.

The room includes Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock, who have started a combined 11 games during their careers at OU.

“I struggle to find something that Lloyd messed up on twice,” McCullough said. “I struggled to find it. Lloyd has been grading as the highest guy, at least by grade. We’ve got to play football now, but by grade (Avant is at the top).”

With Blaylock suffering an apparent injury in the opening days of preseason camp — Blaylock missed the portion of Friday’s practice that was open to the media — Avant’s importance could grow.

“I would say earning the coaches’ trust,” Avant said when asked how he’d gone about gaining the attention of the coaches. “Just going into meetings, learning the plays, understanding what we’re trying to accomplish as an offense and just showing the coaches that I trust that.”

Avant got plenty of reps during the spring when Blaylock and Robinson missed time due to injury.

“It was a great thing to just show my team they can lean on me and I can lean on them,” Avant said. “Just showing that the chemistry is there and everything is going to be right.”

Avant has plenty of experience over the last three seasons, playing 24 games and starting five at Colorado State and Tulsa.

He rushed for 417 yards and five touchdowns on 90 carries a year ago and added 24 catches for 261 yards and another score.

But there’s a big difference between producing for Colorado State and Tulsa and doing it at Oklahoma and in the SEC.

The Sooners struggled on the ground last season, and McCullough has brought an emphasis on physicality to the spot.

“You know, pad level, starting stance,” Avant said after Friday’s third practice of preseason camp. “Coach always emphasizes that.”

McCullough has set the benchmark for his players to get three yards after contact.

“I tell guys the ultimate insult to any running back is he gets what the play is blocking,” McCullough said. “Play blocked for five, you need to get eight to 10, whatever. That’s the mentality you put into the guys.”

Avant is embracing the emphasis on physicality from McCullough.

“As a running back, that’s what you’re supposed to do, average three yards after (contact),” Avant said. “So, you know, during indy drills, he imposes the will on us running through the gauntlet, keeping pad level low. He emphasizes that every day during practice. So we try to buy into that and it’s gonna work for us.”

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