Oklahoma's Running Backs: DeMarco Murray’s Mixed Bag to Deland McCullough’s Potential

Oklahoma is working to improve its running game, but it's important to know why it's in a state that demands improvement.

Deland McCullough smiles at a Notre Dame practice with running back Jeremiyah Love, who was drafted in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. | Greg Swiercz / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Column

Jaydn Ott’s season at Oklahoma felt a lot like the much‑hyped “Storm Area 51” meme of 2019: all that buildup full of wild declarations, ultimately arriving with more jokes than fireworks.

It was a disappointment, but the Sooners made the College Football Playoff, so Ott’s non‑impact didn’t hurt OU on the field — just the NIL budget.

Now that Ott has headed to the NFL as an undrafted free agent, fittingly landing with DeMarco Murray and the Kansas City Chiefs, Oklahoma turns the page to what it hopes will be a more fully realized running back development program under Deland McCullough.

Oklahoma needs to return to being a true running back factory. They need to develop backs who rack up big numbers in college, who are then rewarded by hearing their names called in the NFL Draft.

Oklahoma running back Jaydn Ott | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

It may seem unfair — indeed it is — to forget about Rhamondre Stevenson’s 2020 season, Kennedy Brooks’ 2021 campaign, or Eric Gray’s 2023 season when discussing Murray’s tenure. Each of those backs was impactful and dynamic, with Stevenson and Gray both drafted.

But Stevenson and Brooks were inhreited by Murray and Gray was a bright spot on a 6-7 team when the only other healthy option was a true freshman Jovantae Barnes (bookmark that for later). Murray, no doubt, helped each of those backs, but the back half of his tenure does little to gain him the benefit of the doubt.

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Ott was symbolic of where OU was with its running back experience during Murray's run as the running back coach. Often times, Murray would be described as an ace recruiter. According to recruiting services, Murray had his share of skins on the wall.

But all that flash yielded results that fade in the shadow of the standard set by the running back at the University of Oklahoma.

Murray's big wins — Gray transferring from Tennessee to OU in 2021, Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk were blue-chippers in 2022, Taylor Tatum was the best back in the country in 2024, four-star Tory Blaylock in 2025 along with Ott via the transfer portal — have resulted in the following:

• Gray was fantastic in 2022
• Barnes was a 4.4 yards‑per‑carry reserve back and capped his Sooner career with a bizarre ending by essentially opting out in a season OU could’ve used him in order to save a redshirt year and transfer out of the program
• Sawchuk dealt with injuries and transferred to Florida State in 2025 (he's now at Northwestern)
• Tatum was a bust and is now playing safety at Michigan — he had two tackles and a pass break up in the Maize and Blue game
• Ott was a dud and it seems that Murray's management was a contributing factor in the disappointment
• Blaylock showed promise in 2025 as a true freshman

With only Gray drafted — Barnes and Sawchuk are not high-draft prospects for 2027 — it shows Murray never met expectations in development, management, or even in the basic task of getting his backs drafted.

McCullough’s first stint at Indiana from 2011 to 2016 saw the development of Tevin Coleman, a 2,000‑plus‑yard rusher at IU who went on to more than 3,000 yards in an eight‑year NFL career. He also helped Jordan Howard reach the NFL, where he posted two 1,000‑yard seasons.

His time at Notre Dame produced Audric Estimé, drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, and more recently Jeremiyah Love, whom McCullough recruited and coached early in his Irish career, taken No. 3 overall by the Arizona Cardinals in 2026.

Needless to say, McCullough’s track record better echoes the legacy of great running backs at Oklahoma than Murray’s six‑year stint ever did.

McCullough spoke about how he feels management is integral to a strong running back room. He's already had a crash course of that management this spring due to injuries to the starters. The early returns have been met with positive reviews.

Remember the Barnes bookmark? That became another benchmark of Murray’s time as running backs coach — far too often, the room was down to whoever was still healthy.

In 2022, Gray didn't have more than 16 carries in a game until after the 49-0 loss to Texas. He split carries with the freshman Barnes and veteran Marcus Major. Major dealt with nagging ankle/knee injuries early on and his attempts dwindled until midseason. From there, Gray rushed for 847 of his 1,366 yards.

In 2023, Tawee Walker was the most productive back on the team until he sustained an ankle injury in the loss at Kansas. After that, Sawchuk had a late-season surge. Neither Walker or Sawchuk had many opportunities until they healed from an early season injury or Barnes and Major sustained injuries themselves. After the season, Walker transferred away.

Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray walks on the sideline during a college football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners and the Houston Cougars at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Murray’s final season left OU with two supposedly capable backs on paper for the last two games. But Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock were clearly injured and far from their usual selves. Why didn’t the Sooners have other options? Because Ott and Barnes were non‑factors by then.

It seemed that Murray’s management of the running back room either pushed talented backs like Walker out the door, welcomed too many injuries, created odd situations (Barnes and Ott in 2025), or left young backs unused after they showed promise, like Robinson in 2024.

It’s time for OU’s running backs to start producing great on‑field play that leads to real draft‑day returns. With a new voice and vision running the room, Oklahoma is hoping McCullough can do a better job getting the right backs on the field consistently — and not watching player after player lost to injuries.

That improved management should lead to better results on the field, which should result in Sooner names being called in subsequent NFL Drafts. That's McCullough's job now.