2022 Oklahoma Spring Preview: RB

Eric Gray and Marcus Major headline the OU returners as DeMarco Murray looks to replace the production of Kennedy Brooks in 2022.

Kennedy Brooks returned to the Oklahoma program after a medical opt out in 2021, and he left an all-time great.

DeMarco Murray will have his hands full trying to replace Brooks’ 1,253 rushing yards and 13 scores from last year, but the room is well equipped to pick up the slack.

Eric Gray returns for his second season in Norman, looking to build on a boom or bust 2021 campaign.

Rushing for 412 yards and two touchdowns on 78 carries, Gray proved to be a viable dual threat by adding 229 receiving yards and another pair of scores on 23 catches last year.

Though he was surpassed by Brooks as Oklahoma’s main ball carrier, Gray was one of OU’s few consistent big-play threats early in the season.

“He definitely was our most explosive player on offense last year and I don’t see how that’s going to change with his work ethic,” Murray said during his pre-spring football press conference on Thursday. “Eric can do a lot of great things and not just from the running backs position. Obviously we line him up and slide a lot, obviously in the return game, obviously outside receiver, inside receiver.

“He’s extremely dynamic and we’re extremely happy to have him.”

While he’s primed to take on a larger role in the OU backfield, Gray won’t have to go it alone.

Marcus Major had another strong bowl game showing last year against Oregon after an up-and-down season in which he missed half of the year due to off-the-field complications.

Once he was eligible to return to the lineup against Texas, Brooks had already solidified himself as the feature back for the Sooners.

A powerful runner, the Sooners will likely look to Major to take on a much bigger role to help pick up the tough yards between the tackles.

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2022 Spring Previews

• March 1: Offensive Line
• March 2: Defensive Tackle
• March 3: Defensive End
• March 4: Tight End
• March 5: Linebacker
• March 6: Running Back
• March 7: Safety
• March 8: Cornerback
• March 9: Wide Receiver
• March 10: Special Teams
• March 11: Quarterback

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Murray backed the Oklahoma City native to take advantage of his opportunities in the upcoming season.

“Marcus is a great kid. He really is,” Murray said. “ … He’s one of the kids I kind of root for more than anyone because of the kind of kid that he is. Just knowing what kind of player he can be and what type of player he should be.

“He had a really good offseason. I’m just going to continue to try to push him and making sure that he’s giving his full effort and maximizing his opportunities.”

Throughout his Oklahoma career, Major has rushed for 298 yards and three touchdowns on 60 carries, meaning he has plenty of tread on the tires headed into his redshirt junior year.

Marcus Major / Photo via the Alamo Bowl

Behind Gray and Major, there will be opportunities for a pair of freshman to shine.

Murray dipped back into his hometown of Las Vegas to land Jovantae Barnes, a powerful runner who will likely leave a mark on opposing defenses.

Barnes will likely have an early upper hand on his fellow Class of 2022 signee, Gavin Sawchuk, merely because Barnes was able to arrive on campus as an early enrollee this spring.

“I was recruiting him at Arizona,” said Murray with a smile on Thursday. “I know I didn't have a chance there, but I tried. He's been an unbelievable kid and very smart. Just to have him in here has been extremely good for him. It just allows him to get stronger, bigger, faster and get acclimated to the offense, to school and to time management.

“ … Every single day and every single week, he's improving. I'm excited to have Jovantae here.”

Sawchuk will arrive on campus in the summer after finishing up his high school track career, speed that the Sooners hope allow him to break off big plays.

While the onus will be on Gray and Major to carry the load in 2022, it appears Barnes and Sawchuk will be nice compliments to each other, and the future building blocks to OU’s backfield.

Jaden Knowles and Todd Hudson are also still on the roster after getting talked up during fall camp last year.

Due to the extremely thin nature of the 2021 running back room, Knowles and Hudson were able to gobble up extra practice reps to help their development along, even though they didn’t factor into the offensive plans a year ago.

The Sooners will need the depth this year, as Murray expects a lot more touches for his position group in Jeff Lebby’s offense.

“Just looking at the stats … I think we're going to have more opportunities to be on the field, which is great,” Murray said. “In previous offenses, it was a little bit more slow, just tempo-wise. This is a little bit faster.

“I think in this offense we're going to have more chances just to run the ball because of the number of plays that we will get.”

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