Oklahoma football starting RB opts out of 2020 season

Kennedy Brooks opts out of 2020, leaving Oklahoma football with a big hole.

Kennedy Brooks has opted out of the 2020 college season for Oklahoma football.

The redshirt junior from Mansfield, Texas had contemplated entering the 2020 NFL Draft last winter, but has decided he’s not going to play for the Oklahoma Sooners this fall, assuming we still get a college football season.

Jason Kersey of The Athletic was the first to break the story of the two-time, 1,000-yard rusher for the Sooners choosing to opt out of the upcoming campaign.

Where does Oklahoma football go to replace Kennedy Brooks at running back?

After missing his true freshman year in 2017 due to a shoulder injury, Brooks has been a great running back for Oklahoma the last two years. As a redshirt freshman in 2018, he rushed for 1,056 yards on 119 carries for 12 touchdowns. During his redshirt sophomore season of 2019, Brooks rushed for 1,011 yards on 155 carries for six times, making Second-Team All-Big 12.

Though the Sooners had another reliable running back on their team a season ago, Trey Sermon transferred to the Ohio State Buckeyes this offseason, but won’t even play a game for them this season, as the Big Ten punted on playing college football this fall. Look at the running back depth chart, the next man up for the Sooners is Rhamondre Stevenson, followed by T.J. Pledger.

In the matter of one offseason, an area of strength became a glaring weakness for Oklahoma football. The Sooners are expected to contend for their sixth straight Big 12 conference championship. They have a promising redshirt freshman at quarterback in Spencer Rattler, but not having a reliable running back to lean on in Brooks could be to the Sooners’ detriment.

Oklahoma will have to hold its own against other quality teams in the Big 12, such as the Texas Longhorns, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Iowa State Cyclones. With Texas on the precipice of being back, Oklahoma State having phenomenal offensive talent and Iowa State having a fantastic head coach/quarterback combo, it’s no guarantee Oklahoma wins the Big 12 in 2020.

At this time, the Sermon transfer to Ohio State is brutal for all involved. He would have been right there to get all the carries with Brooks opting out. Now, he doesn’t even get a chance to play because the Big Ten university presidents voted 12-2 to postpone its upcoming college football from the fall to the spring. Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley has to be kicking himself right now.

Brooks opting out presents only problems and offers no solutions for Oklahoma football.

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