Caleb Hawkins’ Big 12 Ranking Matters Less to Oklahoma State Than National Spot

Oklahoma State running back Caleb Hawkins may be the best returning running back in the Big 12, but there’s a more important ranking when looking at his potential.

Oklahoma State's Caleb Hawkins. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Returning running back is a relative term in the Big 12 Conference. It’s a relative term in all of college football.

Recently, Pro Football Focus posted its Top 10 returning running backs in the Big 12. In this case, PFF likely meant players returning to college football after 2025 because the back at the top of the list didn’t play in the conference last year — Oklahoma State’s Caleb Hawkins.

Hawkins came in with a PFF grade of 92.6, which put him well ahead of Texas Tech’s J’Koby Williams (88.4) and BYU’s L.J. Martin (86.3). Martin was one of the backs that beat out Hawkins for All-Big 12 preseason selection. West Virginia’s Cam Cook was the other. He was fifth with 85.9, just behind another OSU back, Tre Page III at 86.1.

Williams was with Tech last year. Martin was with BYU last year. But Hawkins — who played for new OSU head coach Eric Morris last year at North Texas — topped them all.

But his placement in the Big 12 isn’t what matters here. It’s his placement nationally.

Caleb Hawkins’ National Ranking as RB

Highest Graded Returning Big 12 Running Backs🔥 pic.twitter.com/12XILKvsNh

— PFF College (@PFF_College) July 24, 2026

PFF also posted its Top 10 returning running backs in the country. Hawkins was at No. 3 behind a pair of SEC backs — Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy and Ole Miss back Kewan Lacy. Hardy has a career 94.6 PFF rushing grade while at ULM and Ole Miss and that put him over the top of the rest of the group.

The ranking puts him with elite company in the country. It means that PFF sees Hawkins, in just his second year of college football, as one of the most explosive backs in the country and one capable of changing a game. The site paid attention to him last year at UNT. While with the Mean Green, he had a PFF grade of 94.1, which was the best of any running back in the country. Plus, it was the highest grade for a true freshman since PFF started grading college players in 2014.

That makes him a key piece of the puzzle offensively for the Cowboys. But it also puts Hawkins on a tier of backs nationally that will put him in the running for some of college football’s major awards when those watch lists start rolling out next week. For instance, he’s a lock to be the Doak Walker list, which is given to the nation’s top running back and was claimed by Ollie Gordon III in 2023.

Hawkins, who is from Oklahoma, had a brilliant debut season in 2025. He rushed for 1,434 yards, including 6.2 yards per carry, with 25 touchdowns. He set the NCAA freshman record for most total touchdowns in a season with 29.

Is a bigger season in the cards in 2026? If PFF’s rankings are accurate, the answer is yes.