Tory Blaylock’s season has been slow to get rolling, but Oklahoma appears ready to lean on him more as the schedule tightens up.
The sophomore running back, listed at 5-foot-11 and 212 pounds, has produced just 45 rushing yards on 17 carries through six games in 2026. That total has been held down by circumstances as much as anything else: Blaylock sat out the season opener against UTEP because of an injury and has seen limited work since returning.
Saturday gave a hint of what might be coming. In Oklahoma’s 21-13 loss to No. 15 Kentucky, Blaylock handled a season-high seven carries, and the Sooners may be preparing to keep building his workload from there.
“I’m proud of how Tory has battled back from the setback he had early on in the season,” Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. "And we have to continue to get him going.”
Blaylock’s 2025 season showed why Oklahoma wants him involved. The former 4-star prospect led the Sooners in rushing as a true freshman, piling up 480 yards and four touchdowns on 120 carries. His biggest flashes came against Temple and South Carolina, when he combined for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
“Coming back from injury early on and getting acclimated back into practice and back in the flow of games, he’s really starting to look like the Tory we all know,” Arbuckle said. “The Tory that we have seen play football before.
The Tory who showed up at South Carolina last year. He’s starting to look like that guy again.”
Oklahoma’s ground game has been stuck in neutral all year. The Sooners are averaging 2.8 yards per carry, dead last in FBS, and they rank last in the SEC at 92.5 rushing yards per game. That number leaves them nearly 20 yards behind Arkansas, which sits 15th in the conference.
The issues haven’t fallen on Lloyd Avant, Jonathan Hatton Jr. or the other backs alone. Oklahoma’s offensive line has struggled badly, and the unit is also dealing with multiple injuries.
Still, if the Sooners want better offensive results, the run game has to improve. Arbuckle believes Blaylock, once fully healthy, can help move that in the right direction.
“We have to continue getting really good work from him in practice, really consistent work from him in practice, really tough work from him in practice - that way it translates over to the games,” Arbuckle said.
Oklahoma enters the second half of the 2026 season at 3-3 and will face Mississippi State on Saturday as it tries to bounce back from the eight-point loss to Kentucky.
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