Oklahoma Sooners got the best return on investment from the player the fan base likely expected the least from
The Oklahoma Sooners went to the transfer portal where they found running back Lloyd Avant, who was great vs. UTEP.
The Oklahoma Sooners needed running back depth after a 2025 season that left their backfield battered and thin. When they landed Lloyd Avant from Colorado State through the transfer portal, the reaction was lukewarm at best.
Most fans and analysts pegged him as a special teamer or a third- or fourth-string back. Friday night’s home opener against UTEP changed that conversation quickly.
Avant was running back one for Oklahoma, and he ran the show on the ground. He carried the ball 15 times for 79 rushing yards and a touchdown, averaging 5.3 yards per carry, including a 13-yard scoring run. He also added a catch for six yards in the passing game.
Avant set the tone from the opening snap
Three of the first four plays of the game were runs, and Avant handled all of them. The first play went for 12 yards. The second went for 13. The fourth play was a 7-yard gain. By the time the first drive settled in, anyone watching knew Avant was more than a depth piece. He looked capable of leading the charge in this running back room for the entire 2026 season.
Now, it was UTEP. Take everything with a grain of salt. The Miners are not a great football team. But Avant looked strong in every aspect of what it takes to be a productive running back at this level. He ran with physicality between the tackles, showed vision on outside runs, and didn’t shy away from contact in pass protection.
Why the Sooners need Avant to sustain this production
Oklahoma’s running back room was decimated last season. Toward the end of the year, the Sooners were down to two healthy backs, and both of them were banged up. That experience shaped how the coaching staff approached the offseason.
They need all hands on deck in 2026, from Avant to true freshman Jonathan Hatton to DeZephan Walker whenever he gets healthy. Xavier Robinson showed some good things Friday night as well, but Avant was the player who stood out above the rest. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle spoke about Avant after the game.
“Lloyd came out and played his butt off. He’s been exactly who we thought he’d be,” Arbuckle said.
That kind of endorsement from your offensive coordinator carries weight. Arbuckle wanted to go out and get Avant specifically because of the offensive line struggles last year. The tight end additions have already made a visible difference in the run game through one game of 12 personnel usage, but Avant is a big reason why the ground attack looked so much better, too.
The Sooners hope to lean on him more as the year goes on, and they likely will. He can catch the ball, he can run the ball, and he can handle pass protection. For a player most people dismissed as an afterthought when he arrived from Colorado State, Avant made a strong case Friday night that he belongs at the top of the depth chart.
