Four Horsemen: Jeff Lebby, Oklahoma excited about running back depth
Like any team, the Oklahoma Sooners want to create balance on offense. When an offense has balance, it’s difficult to predict. At the same time, the Sooners want to run the football and run it a lot.
In 2022, they had a nearly even run-to-pass split. According to Pro Football Focus, run plays accounted for 52.4% of the Sooners designs. PFF doesn’t count a sack as a run play like the NCAA does.
But that nearly even run-to-pass ratio was largely due to the negative game scripts the Sooners found themselves in so frequently in 2022. The Sooners played a lot of close games a year ago. In several of those close contests, Oklahoma was forced to go to the air more frequently late in games as it played from behind.
Despite that, Oklahoma was a top-10 rushing team in 2022, and there’s a chance it could lead the Power Five in rushing this season.
With an improved defense heading into 2023, the Sooners should find more favorable offensive game scripts to lean on their running game. An improved depth chart provides the opportunity for it to be even more dynamic, as Oklahoma could roll four-deep at running back.
Speaking with the media on Monday, Jeff Lebby mentioned a foursome that will contribute this year: Jovantae Barnes, Gavin Sawchuk, Marcus Major and Tawee Walker.
It has been expected that Barnes and Sawchuk would be the RB1A and RB1B of this team. However, the continued mention of Major and Walker can only mean they’ll be a factor.
“Those guys, the way they played in the bowl game obviously was huge with Gavin and Jovantae,” Lebby said. “Jovantae, obviously, was sprinkled in a little more throughout the season than Gavin was, but both those guys look to do big things this fall.”
In the Cheez-It Bowl, both Barnes and Sawchuk ran for 100 yards against a tough Florida State defense. They were the key to Oklahoma’s offensive performance that day, providing optimism they were ready to carry the rushing load.
But Lebby was quick to add Major and Walker’s name to the discussion.
“Obviously, with Marcus, again, he’s had a really good camp,” Lebby shared with the media. “I’ve talked a lot about him, excited about where he’s at.”
Major has shown flashes in his Sooners career, but injuries have kept him from making a more consistent impact. But the big-play ability is there. It was on display in the Sooners’ Cotton Bowl victory over the Florida Gators at the end of the 2020 season. Healthy and ready to roll, Major could be a breakout player for the Sooners in 2023.
That brings us to Tawee Walker. Walker was a junior college transfer ahead of the 2022 season. He saw limited work last year, but after a strong offseason, looks to be in the mix for touches.
“And then you’ll see Tawee as well,” Lebby said. “Tawee’s had an incredible camp had a great spring. And this dude plays the game the way you want it to be played, you know, with a ton of toughness, and excited for him.”
Walker looked really good in the spring game. The Sooners’ offensive staff rode him in that contest, and he was up to the task, running tough and bouncing off would-be tacklers.
But how will Jeff Lebby manage his four horsemen of the running back room?
“You talk about target touches for sure,” Lebby shared. “But as you get into the flow of the game, understanding who’s got the hot hand, and when we need to sub when guys are tired, and inside the flow of drives. It’s different week to week, series to series, and that’s a that’ll play out a little differently every single week.”
While there might be a hierarchy on the running back depth chart, the Sooners are going to give opportunities to all four. Game flow and performance will dictate how it works out. But as Jeff Lebby attempts to play offense at a breakneck pace, the Sooners need depth they can rely on to keep their running backs fresh and more effective late in games.
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