Oklahoma Football: What You Need to Know About Sooners' RB Depth

The last nine months have been quite a saga at running back on the Sooners' depth chart. Let's take a look at a timeline of relevant events.

Preseason: Heated running back competition. No. 1 not announced before opening day. Committee-style backfield expected by most.

September 3rd: Walk-on Dominique Whaley runs for 131 yards and four touchdowns on 18 carries in season opener against Tulsa, firmly grasping the No. 1 spot on the depth chart.

September 9th: Jonathan Miller announces transfer.

September 13th: Jermie Calhoun announces transfer.

October 15th: Whaley breaks ankle against Kansas State, dream season comes to an end.

December 19th: Brandon Williams announces transfer. He only received 30 carries in the five games after Whaley's injury.

The dust has finally settled (knock on wood) in Norman, making it safe to analyze the depth at running back without having to edit out a player some time after this article is published.

Dominique Whaley

2011 Stats: 113 carries for 627 yards (5.5 YPC), 15 receptions for 153 yards, nine total touchdowns

Walk-on Dominique Whaley etched his name in Sooner lore last season with his unbelievable season, in which he seemingly came out of nowhere to lead the OU rushing attack.

Memorable performances against Tulsa and Texas have Sooner fans anticipating a big year from Whaley as the No. 1 guy. If he can stay healthy this year and get enough touches, Whaley could push for All-American honors.

Roy Finch

2011 Stats: 111 carries for 605 yards (5.5 YPC), 34 receptions for 296 yards, three total touchdowns

Junior Roy Finch is the quintessential "change-of-pace" back, especially paired with Whaley.

At 5'7" and 166 pounds, Finch will never be big enough to handle No. 1-type carries, but he is an invaluable weapon in the open field.

Finch will get used in many different ways this season. He will get handoffs out of the backfield, inside and outside screens and even flexed out into the slot as a receiver where his quickness and never-ending list of moves can be utilized best.

Brennan Clay

2011 Stats: 75 carries for 274 yards (3.7 YPC), 18 receptions for 104 yards, one total touchdown

Junior Brennan Clay's role in the offense will be more up to him than the coaches. He has never quite lived up to his billing coming out of high school, but he showed signs of improvement this spring.

If he wants more carries, he is going to have to earn them with smart running. If he does not deliver, he will be pushed out of the No. 3 spot by our next player on the list.

Damien Williams

2011 Stats: 259 carries for 1,931 yards (7.5 YPC), 20 receptions for 317 yards, 30 total touchdowns (Arizona Western C.C.)

Damien Williams comes to Norman via the JUCO ranks and will have two years of eligibility remaining when he arrives this summer. On paper and on tape, Williams has a very well-rounded set of skills, much like starter Dominique Whaley.

As with most transfers, however, it is unsure how his game—one that dominated at the junior college ranks—will translate to big time college ball.

Interesting Trivia: Recent OU signee LaColtan Bester caught two touchdown passes to help Eastern Mississippi C.C. beat Damien Williams' Arizona Western C.C. in the junior college national championship game last season.

Trey Millard

2011 Stats: 24 carries for 169 yards (7.0 YPC), 13 receptions for 127 yards, three total touchdowns

Do-it-all fullback Trey Millard has Sooner Nation buzzing this season for all the right reasons. The junior ripped through the Big 12 during his first two seasons, punishing all who dared get in his way.

Unfortunately, he didn't have the ball in his hands enough while he was doing it.

Millard has shown his versatility this spring, having lined up at fullback, running back, tight end, H-back and special teams—and he's excelling at each position.

Sooner fans are calling for more touches for Millard. Here's hoping the coaches are listening. With enough attention, he could easily bull his way onto the All-Big 12 list at season's end.

The Future

The Sooners coaching staff has orchestrated an impressive turnaround in the last year—going from a depleted, inexperienced, banged-up running back troops to a deep, talent-rich group full of upside.

Sophomore Julian Winters and redshirt freshman Danzel Williams have been around the program for a few years and are in line to pick up where the group of upperclassmen ahead of them will eventually leave off. Williams, cast almost identically in the Roy Finch mold, took his opportunity amidst a depleted group this spring to make a name for himself.

The Sooners brought in two running backs with the 2012 recruiting class: David Smith and Alex Ross. The former—an Oklahoma product with a powerful downhill running style similar to another No. 28 who wore the crimson and creme—is regarded as the better of the two, but both will likely redshirt next season.

Despite the depth that has piled up since the triplet of transfers, OU currently has verbal commitments from two top backs for the upcoming 2013 class. Greg Bryant and Keith Ford are both ranked in the top five at the position by most recruiting services.

Things are looking bright in Norman at running back, both now and in the future.