Oklahoma State Must Find Solution at Running Back Soon
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Oklahoma State has been one of the most disappointing teams in college football over the past two seasons, and it can’t continue to let position battles linger.
Over the past couple of seasons, OSU has become one of the least successful programs in college football. After Mike Gundy had led the Pokes to 18 straight winning seasons and bowl appearances, he saw his alma mater go 3-9 last season and lose 69-3 in 2025’s first matchup against an FBS opponent.
With a 2-10 record in the team’s FBS matchups since last season, the Cowboys could be on the verge of changes that would make this past offseason look small. While last season certainly put Gundy on thin ice coming into this year, this season and his time at OSU are far from decided.
OSU is 1-1 as everyone expected coming into the year and still has plenty of time to turn things around, including a timely bye week here in Week 3. However, the Cowboys have one specific thing that they need to address before going any further.
The backfield has been an odd spot this season for the Cowboys. While Zane Flores has become the de facto starter at quarterback, there is roughly no hierarchy at running back through two weeks, which will be a significant problem if not figured out quickly.
In both of the first two depth charts, OSU listed five players as the starting running back, giving all of them an “or” designation. Kalib Hicks, Freddie Brock V, Rodney Fields Jr., Trent Howland and Sesi Vailahi are all competing, but that competition must be resolved soon, at least for RB1.
Thus far, Hicks has essentially been tabbed as RB1 simply looking at the stats, given that he leads the team with 35 carries, which is more than the other four running backs combined. However, at 3.4 yards per carry, he hasn’t quite had the production OSU is hoping for, with Howland (5.2) and Vailahi (3.6) ranking ahead.
Considering Fields potentially has the highest upside of any running back and Brock has been a proven lead back in the past, the Cowboys have plenty of options. Still, the abundance of options can’t become a negative for OSU throughout the season.
Finding the right running back will be difficult, and it’s a process that could last most of the season. Yet, making the wrong decision might be better than making no decision at all.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.