Oklahoma's New Running Back Duo Affirms Direction of the Offense: 'We Want Speed'
NORMAN — As the Sooners welcome an impressive group of 2023 recruits, Oklahoma’s depth in the offensive backfield appears on the rise behind Brent Venables’ projected top 10 class.
Both Daylan Smothers and Kalib Hicks signed on the dotted line on Wednesday, adding depth to the current backfield and promise for the future.
Smothers, a 5-foot-11, 182-pound, 4-star recruit from Charlotte, NC, chose the Sooners on July 14 over offers from Florida State, North Carolina State and Alabama. The 5-11, 195-pound Hicks, who’s listed as the No. 49 running back in the country, is a 3-star who's been committed too OU since June 15.
With Eric Gray’s departure to the NFL, there will be plenty of carries to go around in the future. As it currently sits, Jovantae Barnes seems to be next in line after a promising freshman campaign, but outside of Barnes, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the Oklahoma backfield. Both Smothers and Hicks can help shore that up.
In three high school seasons at Ryan High School in Denton, TX, Hicks amassed 3,228 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns. This past season, he averaged a whopping 7.74 yards per carry. At Wednesday’s press conference, Oklahoma’s coaching staff was clearly excited about his addition.
“Kalib Hicks from Denton Ryan — as good at football as you’ll see in high school,” Venables said. “Week in and week out, he was the best player on the field. Just tremendous power and strength, runs through trash very well, really runs behind his pads well. Great, great young man that ran with toughness.”
While Hicks was listed as a three-star recruit, his star-studded top-five also included Alabama, Miami, Arkansas and TCU. His ceiling is high, and the staff sees it.
Smothers, who regularly goes by “Hollywood,” was a big get for Venables on the East Coast. He was the 2021 North Carolina High School Player of the Year according to the Charlotte Observer in 2021. As a junior, the talented back ran for 1,581 yards and 28 touchdowns, helping his school reach a third straight state championship game appearance.
“Daylan Smothers who, just as a sophomore, was the Gatorade Player of the Year in North Carolina,” Venables raved. “He's one of the further guys away from Norman, but he never flinched as well. If you know anything about North Carolina, North Carolina State and that state, it's not an easy thing to compete with, trust me.”
There are many different ways both Hicks and Smothers could be used in Oklahoma's fast-paced offense.
“The size-to-speed ratio, you know, these are guys that are put together,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said. “We want speed. That's going to be a huge part of how we recruit moving forward. And these two guys can run.
“They're big, they're physical. When you get on Hollywood, you realize how big he is, and how big he's got a chance to be. And you see Kalib in person, just a thick, strong-body dude that can get into the open field and go score."
DeMarco Murray’s transformation of Gray this fall will certainly add to both his credibility and reputation for developing running backs. After transferring from Tennessee, Gray recorded 412 yards and two touchdowns in Norman a year ago. In 2022, though, the senior exploded for 1,366 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns.
Now, with the addition of two highly touted running backs in the 2023 class, Murray will have another chance to develop talented prospects in the position room.
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