Ranking The Oklahoma State Running Backs for 2016

Let’s call a spade a spade. Oklahoma State struggled to run the football in 2015. The backfield combination of Chris Carson, Raymond Taylor, Rennie Childs, and Jeff Carr, with a little help from JW Walsh, combined to rank No. 114 in yards per carry at 3.58.

For long stretches the offensive line struggled mightily on running plays so it’s hard to point the finger of blame directly on the running backs, but there was a distinct lack of explosiveness and play-making ability at times. Senior Chris Carson is the leading returner rusher, but in case you hadn’t heard, there’s a new face and a familiar name that will be getting quite a few carries this fall in Stillwater. Let’s take a look at each of the running backs for Oklahoma State in 2016, and rank them.

1. Barry J. Sanders

Unless you’ve been living under a rock in Western Oklahoma, you know that the son of former Oklahoma State Heisman winner Barry J. transferred to OSU after graduating from Stanford in the summer. He will have just one year of eligibility remaining, so Sanders will have to learn the ropes fairly quickly… but it only takes one year to do something special.

“He has that make-you-miss ability,” Stanford running backs coach Lance Taylor told USA Today. “He can be in a phone booth with three people and he can get out untouched, kind of like his dad.”

Sanders was blocked in his time at Palo Alto due to another back with a famous father, Christian McCaffrey, who was busy breaking Barry Sr.’s all purpose yardage record. Sanders piled up a respectable 315 yards on 51 carries, but will be given the limelight and the chance to shine in Stillwater in 2016.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Eo6bkDfIQU

2. Chris Carson

OSU’s leading returning rusher, who ran for 131 attempts and 517 yards last season, to go with a respectable 170 receiving yards on 17 catches. Carson possesses good size at 6’1 and 215 and is capable of picking up tough yards in between the tackles. Far too often last season the line could not give him a running lane limiting his impact. If Oklahoma State has indeed shored up their line issues, Carson could become a very effective thunder to combine with the lightning of the smaller and quicker Sanders in 2016.

3. Rennie Childs

At 5’10 and 208 pounds, Childs is a bowling ball who finishes runs better than any other back on the roster. Running for 304 yards in 2015, Childs appeared in 12 games and was a consistent contributor, providing similar numbers to his 2014 breakout season of 314 yards rushing. Childs is an effective blocker on passing downs and can pick up short yardage when called upon- Look for Childs to once again provide a nice change-up and fresh legs for Sanders and Carson throughout the season.

4. Justice Hill

The diminutive Hill (5’10, 171 lbs.) from nearby Tulsa was ranked as a 3 star running back by most recruiting services, and Rivals had him as the number 8 player from Oklahoma in this year’s class, selecting the Cowboys over runner up’s Louisville and Houston. Hill was a star at Booker T. Washington High School, running for 1,948 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior and leading his team to a 10-1 record. Hill was named to the all state team and the 6All-1 Offensive Player of the Year in the State. Hill will need to pick up some weight to prepare for Big 12 play, but he combines solid speed and shiftiness with surprising strength for his size. Hill may not get many carries as a freshman, but should grow to be a very consistent performer for the Cowboys in the coming years.

5. Jeff Carr

Carr was an unheralded freshman in 2015, but made his presence felt several times with his track star speed and impressive vision. Standing just 5’7 and 180 pounds, Carr’s greatest asset is his speed. Carr’s best game came against Kansas with 51 rushing yards and a touchdown, and finished third on the team with 789 all purpose yards, many coming from special teams. His 623 return yards as a freshman ranked 10th all time at Oklahoma State, and he will look to provide more of the same to the Cowboys in 2016. Carr’s impact will be felt more on kick and punt returns, but he will get the occasional carry, always a threat to take one to the house.

6 . Le’Darren Brown

Brown is another smaller freshman back similar to Justice Hill, hailing from DeSoto, Texas. After missing most of his junior season of high school with a torn meniscus and a dislocated elbow, Brown rebounded for a strong senior campaign. He ran for 801 yards on 106 carries as a senior, and was named to the 6A-8 All-District 1st team. He turned down offers from Arizona State, Oregon State, SMU, and interest from Alabama and Baylor. Brown boasts an impressive 4.43 40 time, and can provide a nice change of pace from the larger backs. Brown may be too far down on the depth chart to make an impact as a freshman, but the potential is there for the DeSoto native to grow into a solid running back for the Cowboys in the future.