Kennedy Brooks just the latest example of OU’s RB depth
Kennedy Brooks is just the latest example of OU’s backfield depth
NORMAN — Kennedy Brooks is just the latest Oklahoma running back to make the most of an opportunity after an injury to another player at the position. Last week against TCU, Brooks ran for 168 yards and a touchdown. Saturday against Kansas State (2:30 p.m., Fox), Brooks could be OU’s top running back after starter Trey Sermon went down with an injury late in the win over the Horned Frogs. Nowhere in recent seasons has Oklahoma’s running back depth showed more than in the 2016 visit to Iowa State. In that game, the Sooners were without both Samaje Perine (injury) and Joe Mixon (suspension), but inserted fullback/tight end Dimitri Flowers in at tailback and rotated in freshman Abdul Adams. Adams averaged 6.8 yards on his eight carries, and Flowers ran for 115 yards. Earlier in that season, the Sooners had lost Rodney Anderson before the season even began and Daniel Brooks walked away from football.
Sooners coach Lincoln Riley put most of the credit on the offensive line those backs have been running behind, but he said it was intentional that they develop a deep stable of backs.
“Even if one guy’s getting the lion’s share of the reps game-wise, at some point we’ve worked hard behind the scenes knowing to play championship-level ball, to play consistent as we want to throughout the season, it’s going to take more than one or two running backs,” Riley said. “And it always has. We’ve worked hard to develop those guys.”
That goes far beyond Riley’s four seasons with the Sooners.
In 2006, Adrian Peterson suffered a broken collarbone in the sixth game of the regular season.
Over the next three games, Allen Patrick averaged better than 146 yards per game. When Patrick was forced to the sideline for two games with an ankle injury, Chris Brown averaged more than 125 yards in two games as the top runner.
For Brooks, it feels like it’s been a long time coming.
He suffered a shoulder injury before last season that kept him out for the entire year.
“The hardest part was just waiting, honestly,” Brooks said, saying it was tough mentally when he found out he was out for the year. “But then again, I’m out for the whole season, I might as well learn the plays and get good at it and just try to come back better than I was.”
Riley said there was an internal debate among the staff early in Brooks’ high school career over whether he would get an offer. Brooks’ production wasn’t in question but he didn’t check all the boxes physically.
“He wasn’t just built unbelievably. He didn’t have 4.3 speed. You didn’t see him just violently running over people,” Riley said.
“He was in the right place at the right time almost every single time. He’s been like that here as a runner. There’s an effortless quality to him.”