Oklahoma football: RB Kennedy Brooks opts out of 2020 season
By Chip Rouse
Kennedy Brooks, the leading Oklahoma football rusher from last season, has elected to opt out of the 2020 season.
Jason Kersey of The Athletic reported the story, which was also cited in an article in an article by , OU insider Joey Helmer of 247Sports.
The Brooks announcement comes 24 hours after Lincoln Riley was quoted as saying, “We haven’t had any players that have decided to opt out. Will it happen? It’s hard to say. It certainly could, and it it does we understand that and respect that and have a plan for that.”
Brooks was second on the Sooners last season with 1.011 rushing yards and six touchdowns, averaging 6.5.yards per carry, ninth best in the country and first in the Big 12. He was even better his redshirt freshman year in 2018, rushing for 1,056 yards and a dozen touchdowns and averaging 8.9 yards per carry, which ranked No. 3 in the nation.
In two seasons in the Oklahoma backfield, Brooks has gained 2,067 yards and averaged 7.5 yards per carry.
With Brooks choosing to sit out the 2020 season, the Sooners will be missing their top four rushers from a year ago. Jalen Hurts ended his eligibility and Trey Sermon elected to enter the transfer portal and is now with Ohio State. Rhamondre Stevenson gained 515 rushing yards last season, but is suspended for five games to begin the season after failing a drug test late last season.
That leaves junior T.J. Pledger, sophomore Marcus Major and true freshmen Seth McGowan and Mikey Henderson as the OU running backs coming into the 2020 season.