Oklahoma high school football: Here are the top running backs for the 2023 season
SBLive Oklahoma is taking an inside look at some of the state's top players at each position.
Recently, we took a look at the state's top quarterbacks. Now, we shift focus on the top running backs.
SBLive Oklahoma All-State Football 2022: Meet the first and second team members
Xavier Robinson, 6-2, 225, Sr., Midwest City Carl Albert
Xavier Robinson played like a man on a mission during the 2022 season. As a junior for Carl Albert, he was the team’s catalyst, workhorse and closer for the Titans on their way to winning the Class 5A state championship.
Robinson rushed for 2,594 yards and 39 touchdowns on 276 carries. He averaged 185 yards per game and seemed to only get stronger as the game went on.
Yet, Robinson was still learning the position. After splitting time as a backup during his sophomore year, he claimed ownership of the backfield and become one of the top recruits in the state.
“It's kind of cliche, but he's an incredible talent,” Carl Albert coach Mike Dunn said of Robinson. “I mean, it's kind of natural. I've watched some videos of him when he was younger, playing little league football and the kid has always had it.
"Obviously, he's a big kid. And then, just the talent as far as how great his footwork is and how great his speed is for a kid that big. He's a guy that can hurt you in a lot of different ways.”
Robinson didn’t have a single collegiate offer when the 2022 season began. His first one didn’t come until after the eighth game of the season, when he ran for 220 yards and three touchdowns against Bishop McGuinness. Two days later, Iowa State was calling with the first of more than 40 offers he would eventually receive.
However, Robinson’s eyes were always set on the University of Oklahoma. Once they entered the picture a week after the season ended, the competition was over for everyone else.
“I always looked up to that school. That was an offer I was also waiting on,” Robinson said. “My family was really excited. It was really unbelievable getting an offer from my dream school.
"We were excited. We were talking about it for like a week straight. Even when other offers came in that week, we were still talking about OU. It was fun.”
Robinson verbally committed to the Sooners on June 27. He is currently the No. 5 ranked player in the state and No. 35 rated running back in the nation.
Robinson remarked his game resembles that of a variety of different tailbacks in the pros and college. But the one who has the most similarities is Wisconsin standout Braelon Allen. As a sophomore, Allen carried the ball 225 times for 1,246 yards and 11 touchdowns.
“I like to compare myself to Braelon Allen," Robinson said. "He is very big and he's strong. So that's sort of who I compare myself to. He got to college at like 17 years old. Early.”
Robinson added he plans to graduate early from Carl Albert and will be enrolled at Oklahoma in the spring. With those plans taken care of, that allows him to focus on putting together another stellar season for the Titans. One that he hopes to end with another state title.
However, Dunn doesn’t envision seeing another 276-carry season out of Robinson.
“We would like to be a little more balanced,” Dunn said. “At Carl Albert, we've always run the ball a little bit more than we throw. But if you go look at that run from 2017 to 2020, those four state championships with Ben Harris, we were probably 60-40, 55-45 run-pass. We were really balanced.
"We'll take what the defense has given us. If they're loading the box, we're going to throw the ball. If they're trying to keep people in front of him and playing coverage, then we've got a guy in Xavier that can really exploit that.”
Other Running Backs To Watch
Caden Knighten, 5-10, 175, Jr., Wynnewood
Knighten is listed as a quarterback on the Wynnewood roster. However, when it comes to the recruiting rankings, he is one of the top running backs in the state.
In 2022, the sophomore ran for 2,278 yards and 35 touchdowns. He also threw for 820 yards and another 9 TD's and picked off six interceptions on defense. Knighten heads into his junior season with 10 offers from DI programs, but he has already verbally committed to Vanderbilt University.
KD Jones, 6-1, 170, So., Jenks
As a freshman at Broken Arrow, Jones burst onto the scene.
Even though it took a while for the Tigers to find their stride, Jones was impressive the entire year as he carried the rock 172 times for 1,264 yards and 11 touchdowns. He did this despite splitting time with senior Nate Jones. KD Jones will not have to worry about that this year after transferring to Jenks, who is expected to have a strong offensive line.
Jones, who is the son of former Oklahoma Sooners' great KeJuan Jones, already has offers from Colorado, Oklahoma State and Tulsa. He should definitely rack up quite a few more during his sophomore campaign.
Rodney Fields, 5-9, 187, Sr., Del City
Last year at Oklahoma City's Southeast High, Fields racked up 1,147 yards on just 107 carries. His 10 yards per carry average helped him score 17 touchdowns. The Oklahoma State commit also caught 23 passes for 480 yards and another five scores. He now will play his senior season at Del City after transferring from Southeast.
Red Martel, 6-0, 205, Sr., Beggs
At 6-foot, 205 pounds, Martel could impersonate a defensive end on many teams. However, for Beggs High, he is punishing defenders from his tailback spot. Martel had offers from the likes of Colorado and Stanford, but committed to the University of Kansas in November of 2022.
Devin Alexander, 5-8, 160, Sr., Norman
As a junior, Alexander was Norman’s second-leading rusher with 556 yards on 120 carries. However, with quarterback Tias McClarty now carrying the rock in college, Alexander should be Norman’s first option in the run game. With his elite track speed, he will be a threat to go to the house from anywhere on the field.
Jeremy Hutcheson, 6-0, 200, Sr., Lawton MacArthur
As a junior at MacArthur, Hutcheson ran for 1,632 yards. He was even more impressive during a playoff game against Noble, when he carried the ball 40 times and gained 242 yards to help MacArthur advance.
Masyn Wright, 5-11, 180, So., Vian
As a freshman, Wright reeled off 1,173 yards on 138 carries at Vian. His 8.5 yards per carry was one of the highest in the state. He also had 15 receptions for 258 yards.
With more seasoning under his belt, the two-way player should be even stronger as a sophomore.
Nick Hudson, 6-1, 180, Sr., Henryetta
Hudson made giant strides in his productivity from his sophomore to junior season at Henryetta. After posting 396 yards in 2021, he exploded for more than 1,600 yards on 269 carries. That includes 19 touchdowns for the 6-1, 180-pound back.
He has just 17 receptions in two seasons, but could be in store for more action out of the backfield as a senior.
Kenny Golston, 6-0, 207, So., Valliant
Despite playing the fullback role in Valliant’s offensive attack, Golston was just shy of 1,000 yards rushing (929) during his freshman campaign. While he reached the end zone 13 times, he also posted seven fumbles. If he can clean that up, he should be in store for an even better season.
Easton Malone, 6-0, 200, Sr., Barnsdall
Malone helped guide Barnsdall to a 7-4 record after piling up the offensive production in 2022. The junior ran for 1,432 yards on 153 carries to post an impressive 9.4 YPC. He also hit the end zone for 25 touchdowns.
He was able to post such solid numbers despite the fact his quarterback, Maverick Lanphear, also rushed for more than 1,200 yards.
Kleat Martens, 5-10, 160, Jr., Hooker
After carrying the ball only 22 times as a freshman, Martens came back in 2022 with a vengeance. He ended the season with 173 carries, 1,373 yards and 20 trips into the end zone for Hooker. While he is listed as a quarterback (1,370 passing yards, 21 TD's), Martens was at his most dominant carrying the rock.
Ajay Lynch, 5-10, 200, Sr., Meeker
During his junior campaign at Meeker, Lynch proved to be the definition of a dual threat. He finished the season with 1,124 yards and 16 TD's on 167 carries. But he also added another 29 receptions for 589 yards and eight scores.
Lynch also plays in Meeker’s secondary at both cornerback and safety.
PJ Wallace, 6-2, 190, Jr., Bartlesville
At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, Wallace ran the ball with the force of a battering ram for Bartlesville in 2022. He tallied 1,374 yards on 226 carries. While he posted a 6.1 YPC, he also showed off his speed with a 91-yard carry.
In the 6AII playoff opener at Lawton High, Wallace accounted for 241 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 41 carries in the Bruins' 36-30 victory.
Jackson Sommers, 5-8, 175, Sr., Poteau
Sommers had a breakout junior year at Poteau. He racked up 1,185 yards and 14 touchdowns on 180 carries. That was almost a thousand more yards than his sophomore season. Sommers should be a focal point for the Pirates' offense as they try to make another deep run into the postseason in 2023.
Isaac Drake, 6-1, 175, Jr., Weleetka
Drake is another one of the players in the rankings who occupies the position of both running back and quarterback. However, during his sophomore season at Weleetka, he did the overwhelming majority of his damage on the ground. He toted the ball 113 times for 1,570 yards and 23 touchdowns. He averaged more than 13 yards every time he tucked the ball under his arm and ran for daylight.
Drake also hauled in 25 catches for 550 yards and seven TD's. At 6-1, 175 pounds, he heads into his junior season as one of the most versatile players in the state.
Kenneth Page, 6-0, 200, Sr., Sand Springs
As a junior, Page led the Sandites in every significant rushing category last season. That includes 993 yards rushing, which was 700 more than the second-leading rusher. Page also added 18 total touchdowns, which was 10 more than his next closest teammate.
Ravian Larry, 5-10, 180, Jr., Idabel
Larry followed up a solid freshman season with another good year in '22, rushing for more than a thousand yards and 17 TD's for the Warriors. In a win against Heavener, he had 236 yards on just seven carries and crossed the end zone three times. Larry has received offers from Texas-San Antonio, SMU and Colorado, and this summer participated at Oklahoma State's camp.
Demarius Robinson, 5-9, 165, Jr., Edmond Santa Fe
It was a tough season for the Wolves in 2022, as they won just one ballgame. But Robinson is one main reason Santa Fe believes a quick turnaround is in the works, as he is back from an injury which limited him to four games last season. Before his injury, Robinson had at least 100 yards in three games last season, including a 270-yard three-TD performance in a one-point loss to Edmond North.
Marco Smith, 5-9, 190, Sr., Sapulpa
Smith's junior season was shortened due to a broken clavicle. However, he was able to come back late in the season and gave the Chieftains a momentum boost going into 2023, rushing for 353 yards in Sapulpa's last two games. Smith ended up rushing for 674 yards and added 103 more yards receiving as a junior.
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Photo of Midwest City Carl Albert's Xavier Robinson (with ball) by Christian Potts
