Oklahoma Football: How Keith Ford's Suspension Impacts Sooners' RB Depth

There may not be a deeper, more talented running back depth chart in the Big 12 than the one Oklahoma has. However, at any given time, it seems the Sooners only have a few of those running backs available. 

On Monday, head coach Bob Stoops announced that junior-to-be Keith Ford had been suspended indefinitely for academic reasons as well as a violation of team rules. According to Jon Shinn of the Norman Transcript, Ford is no longer on the team's online roster: 

Before suffering a foot injury early last season, Ford was the team's leading rusher and scored multiple touchdowns in the first three games. However, said injury ended up paving the way for freshman Samaje Perine to break out with 242 yards and four touchdowns against West Virginia. Perine would go on to lead the Big 12 with 1,713 rushing yards as one of the true impact freshmen in college football. 

Ford didn't score a rushing touchdown for the rest of the season and served as a complementary back. That, as implied in a statement from his parents, took a toll on him as a player. 

As long as Perine is healthy, the Sooners are in good hands. Where Ford's absence is felt is in the depth chart. 

Name	Rushing Yards	TDs
Samaje Perine	1,713	21
Alex Ross	595	4
Keith Ford	392	5
Daniel Brooks	26	0
Joe Mixon	N/A	N/A

Available bodies can be at a premium in the spring anyway. Seniors and NFL-eligible underclassmen are gone, but not everyone from the incoming recruiting class is on campus. Plus, there's your usual attrition—injuries, transfers, suspensions and the like—and Oklahoma has hit the jackpot with all three in recent months. 

David Smith is transferring to Jacksonville State, according to an Instagram post. Early enrollee Rodney Anderson, a 4-star member of the '15 class according to 247Sports, sustained a sprained MCL and will miss the rest of spring practices. Anderson was getting "rave reviews" from the coaching staff and teammates, according to Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman. 

Still, the Sooners have options. Perine, Alex Ross, Joe Mixon and rarely-used backup Daniel Brooks are available. Mixon, a former blue-chip recruit in the '14 class, was suspended for all of last season after he was charged on a count of misdemeanor acts resulting in gross injury. He'll participate in practices but will not play in the spring game. 

New offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley knows the backfield is his team's best position, and he's creative enough to use those players in a variety of ways. From an interview with Jason Kersey of The Oklahoman in February: 

"

We have five or six guys that can play. I think it's gonna be fun figuring out different ways to use those guys. This offense can look so many different ways. There's been years when we're right there at 50-50; there's been years when we've run it more than we've thrown it. I don't know how this one's gonna turn out. I do know we're gonna use all our skill guys and our best players are gonna touch the ball. I'm very aware of the talent that we have back there. They've done a great job recruiting running backs here, and that's arguably maybe the most talented room on the entire team. … That's the beauty of this thing; we can adapt to what our guys do well. You can make sure your best players are touching the ball and this offense can look however it needs to look.

"

That doesn't change even if Ford is absent. Assuming Anderson's timeline to return remains on schedule, Oklahoma's running back depth should be at or near 100 percent by the time preseason practices get underway. 

Ford is a veteran player who has at times been a key contributor. However, Oklahoma is more than capable of handling his absence, however long it may be. 

So long as the Sooners can weather the attrition in the spring, they should have one of the most formidable backfields in college football in the fall. Undoubtedly, Stoops is driving the point home to his running backs once the offseason hits: Take care of your body, take care of your school work and don't get into any trouble. 

Do that, and Oklahoma will be in good shape. 

Ben Kercheval is a lead writer for college football. All quotes cited unless obtained firsthand. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.