How the Red Raiders' Running Game Went From Preseason Concern to a Critical Strength
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Before the season started, the Texas Tech Red Raiders were already on edge. One of the top preseason concerns was with the health of the team's running game, a unit that had been critical to its success in 2024.
The Red Raiders waved goodbye to star running back Tahj Brooks, who entered the 2025 NFL Draft and was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals. He recorded consecutive 1,500-yard seasons on the ground and helped lead Tech to an 8-5 record in his fifth season.
Concern grew in August when it was reported that USC transfer Quinten Joyner had torn his ACL. After two seasons with the Trojans, Joyner was expected to have an expanded role in Lubbock, Texas, but he was ruled out for the rest of the season, thrusting running backs Cameron Dickey and J'Koby Williams into the spotlight.
"I hate it so much for him [Joyner] just because of how well he has done in the spring, summer, and camp," McGuire said on an episode of "What's Next! with Joey McGuire" uploaded on Aug. 18. "He has really come in here and been a pro, and we've asked him to do a lot of stuff that he's not done before."
"We're lucky that we have the room that we have," McGuire said. "… With Q [Joyner] going down, we're really going to dig into special teams. … You're losing a three-headed monster, and you're fortunate with your depth."
As the season loomed, McGuire remained optimistic about the depth the team had at the position. However, Dickey and Williams, a pair of three-star sophomore running backs in the Class of 2024, had limited experience at the college level.
Both had 41 carries in their freshman seasons, with Dickey recording 225 yards and one touchdown and Williams totaling 236 yards and two scores. Williams showed proficiency as a pass-catcher (10 receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown) while Dickey displayed a knack as well with nine catches for 47 yards and a score.
Through 11 weeks, though, no team in the Big 12 has had more production at the running back position than Texas Tech, and Dickey and Williams have led the way offensively.
Heading into Week 12, the Red Raiders lead the Big 12 with a 9-1 record (6-1 in Big 12 play). This is no small part due to what the team has accomplished on the ground; Texas Tech is fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game (193.0) and second in rushing touchdowns (22).
More specifically, Dickey currently leads all Big 12 players in rushing yards (867) and rushing touchdowns (11). Williams also tops the conference in all-purpose yards per game (114.1) and is eighth in total rushing yards (602). No running back duo in the Big 12 has more yards than Dickey and Williams, who have run for 1,469 yards and 16 scores on the ground.
Both have excelled as receivers as well; Williams has 332 yards and two touchdowns through the air on just 23 receptions (14.4 yards per catch), while Dickey has 161 yards and one receiving touchdown. The two have combined for nearly 2,000 scrimmage yards.
The last time Texas Tech had two running backs go over 1,000 scrimmage yards was in 2008 — a phrase that has become all too common for the Red Raiders.
Cameron Dickey passed 1,000 yards from scrimmage against BYU.
— Rob Breaux Sheaux (@robbreauxshow) November 10, 2025
J'Koby Williams is at 934 yards from scrimmage.
2025 could be the first time Texas Tech has had two RBs cross the 1,000 yard mark for scrimmage yards since 2008.
Offensive coordinator Mack Leftwich highlighted how best to leverage his star running backs during the team's press conference on Monday, Nov. 10: "I think just finding creative ways to get them matchups."
"I think those guys do a great job when we do get the ball in space to them, and they are a mismatch to most linebackers, and just throughout the game-plan process, making sure that we're conscious of how many touches we have scripted for those guys."
Williams was dealing with an injury in the middle third of the season that limited his usage, but with both backs up to speed, the Red Raiders have been able to control games. The running game has been especially dominant in second halves. Against BYU, the two combined for 39 touches for 254 scrimmage yards.
In the second half, the Red Raiders ran the ball 23 times for 96 yards, including three explosive runs. Meanwhile, the Cougars gained just 67 rushing yards the entire game and had just one run of 10+ yards.
"I think now that [Williams] is feeling back to being pretty close to 100% with that ankle sprain that he was dealing with, I truly feel like we do have two No. 1 backs," Leftwich said.
"I think both those guys are highly capable of doing everything that we ask and have done it at a really high level, and so I think the rotation becomes more of 'Who needs a blow?' … I think those guys are continuing to hone in on their craft and kind of maybe sharpen the areas where they were a little bit weak in the beginning of the season."
The Red Raiders have out-gained their opponents on the ground by nearly 120 yards per game, thanks in part to one of the best defenses in the country. However, the running game has provided stability for an offense that has been in a greater state of flux than the points-per-game data would indicate.
As postseason aspirations take center stage with just a pair of games left in the regular-season schedule, Texas Tech will only continue to rely on its running back tandem as games get colder and tighter. If this season has been any indication, both Dickey and Williams are up for the challenge.
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Jordan Epp is a journalist who graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 and is passionate about telling stories, sharing news, and finding ways to entertain people through the medium of sports. He has formerly worked as a writer and editor at The Battalion and The Eagle, covering football in College Station, Texas, and served as the managing editor for PFSN.
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