What Could Get in the Way of Oklahoma’s Run Game Improvement in 2026?

The Sooners desperately need to be more productive on the ground, and to do so, their top two tailbacks must stay healthy.

Oklahoma running back Xavier Robinson rushes against Tennessee. | Carson Field, Sooners On S

NORMAN — The Sooners should be much more efficient on the ground in the fall.

Oklahoma retained its top two running backs, Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson, after the 2025 season. Blaylock will be a sophomore, while Robinson will be a junior. The Sooners added to the position group with the transfer portal addition of Lloyd Avant and the Class of 2026 signings of DeZephen Walker and Jonathan Hatton Jr.

Plus, OU hired Deland McCullough — who brings significant coaching experience at the college and NFL levels — as its running backs coach.

Averaging 118.5 yards per game, the Sooners ranked 13th in the SEC in rushing last year.

The talent is certainly there for OU’s running back room to improve. And if it does, the weight on quarterback John Mateer’s shoulders will be far more manageable.

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But what could get in the way of the position group’s development? Lingering ailments.

Blaylock and Robinson both dealt with injuries late in the 2025 season. 

Blaylock appeared on only six and three snaps in the Sooners’ wins against Tennessee and Missouri, respectively. 

Robinson suffered a knee injury in OU’s regular-season game against Alabama, and he aggravated it against LSU on Nov. 29. He appeared on only 14 snaps against the Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff and notoriously dropped a wide-open deep ball from Mateer, which proved costly.

Both tailbacks missed the majority of spring ball with lingering injuries, but they are expected to be fully ready for fall camp.

Blaylock and Robinson have both shown flashes of greatness early into their careers in Norman.

As a true freshman in 2025, Blaylock led OU in rushing, finishing the season with 480 yards and four touchdowns. Robinson ended his sophomore campaign with 421 yards and four touchdowns despite playing on fewer than 30 snaps in each of the Sooners’ first six contests.

Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock rushes against South Carolina. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

As much talent as Blaylock and Robinson both have, the Sooners’ running back approach won’t be a two-man show in 2025. Walker, Hatton and Avant are each expected to be immediate contributors for OU, giving the team plenty of depth at the position.

But Blaylock and Robinson’s experience will be invaluable down the stretch.

When both of them dealt with their late-season injuries, things felt dire for the run game. It’s clear that offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle had much more confidence in those two than he did with Jovantae Barnes, Jaydn Ott or some of the others in the running back room.

Early-season games against UTEP and New Mexico should, specifically, give Hatton and Walker time to get their legs under them. Once those two get some games under their belts, the Sooners’ combination of youth and experience could create a tough matchup for opposing defenses.

But Blaylock and Robinson must stay healthy for that to be a possibility.