Oklahoma Sooners add do-it-all playmaker to bolster multiple sides of the ball for another College Football Playoff run
The Oklahoma Sooners have added an offensive Swiss Army knife out of the transfer portal in running back Lloyd Avant.
The Oklahoma Sooners are embracing the transfer portal in general manager Jim Nagy’s first full portal cycle, and are off to a blistering start as a result. They’ve added a whole slew of talented players from across the country at several key areas of needs.
They struck yet again on Monday, adding their fourth commit of the day in former Colorado State Lloyd Avant. Avant was one that A to Z Sports had reported would visit the Sooners over the weekend, and the Sooners locked him down while he was in Norman.
Lloyd Avant a new playmaker for Ben Arbuckle
At running back, the Sooners return a fairly solid pair of returners in Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock and have a strong 1-2 freshman tandem in Jonathan Hatton and DeZephen Walker coming in. However, they want to add a complementary depth piece with a multi-faceted skill set (essentially what they thought they would get with Jaydn Ott).
They might have found it in Colorado State’s Lloyd Avant, who totaled 946 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns this season. Avant posted 11.8 YAC/reception this year, and his 11 missed tackles forced as a receiver were among the top marks for running backs in the country. Additionally, Avant was also an effective kick returner for the Rams, something the Sooners haven’t really had in years.
The Sooners are looking to build a diverse skill position group around quarterback John Mateer as they gear up for another College Football Playoff run in 2026. Avant is a do-it-all back that Oklahoma didn’t really have in the room last year and can be a reliable change-of-pace back on early downs for offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to call upon.
Adding Avant won’t make a lot of the highlight reels for the Sooners, but this is a nice player to add to the room and adds critical depth to an offense retooling for next season.
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