Cowboys’ NFL Lineage at Running Back Drew Trent Howland to Stillwater

STILLWATER — It had to be tough to convince a contributing power conference tailback to come to Stillwater and play behind Ollie Gordon, but the Cowboys’ staff did it twice this offseason.

It started when Oklahoma State got AJ Green to come back to his home state after spending the past three seasons at Arkansas. He was the Razorbacks’ leading rusher among running backs last season, rushing for 312 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

This is what OSU coach Mike Gundy said during the spring about the difficulties of finding a quality reserve back out of the portal when the reigning Doak Walker winner was already on campus.

“We had a number of guys that showed interest,” said Gundy in the spring, “but those guys have agents that sometimes make decisions for them and can talk them out of going to one place or another based on what they feel like their potential would be to get on a field next fall.

“But we have a lot of carries for another back. The 30 carry a game for Ollie is somewhat concerning. Perfect world would be 20 to keep him healthy throughout for us and his career. He had to carry the load last year, moreso than what we’d like. There’s enough carries to go around.”

So the Cowboys had their guy, but then an injury in spring ball to Green meant the Cowboys hopped back into the portal to find another reserve. At media day Saturday, Gundy said he didn’t think Green would contribute much this season as he works his way back from injury.

The second time around the Cowboys grabbed Trent Howland out of the portal by way of Indiana. Listed at a punishing 6-foot-3, 240 pounds on OSU’s roster, Howland led the Hosiers in rushing as a redshirt sophomore last season. He carried 75 times for 354 yards and two touchdowns.

So why would someone go from the leading rusher at a Big Ten school to backing up the best running back in the country? Simply put, OSU running backs coach John Wozniak is putting guys in the NFL. Running back is perhaps the most fruitful position among Pokes in the pros with Justice Hill, Chuba Hubbard and Jaylen Warren all being recent success stories.

“Coach Woz, he does a good job with the guys that come in here,” Howland said. “He knows how to produce backs. He knows what he’s doing. I’ve had multiple running back coaches in my college career, and he’s one of the best that I’ve had so far.”

Patience feels like a unique trait in the transfer portal era, but with Gordon being draft eligible after the 2024 season, Howland said he is alright with playing a role this season, considering next year he could be the next running back to shine under Wozniak at OSU to earn his shot at the next level.

“He’s the Doak Walker winner,” Howland said. “Obviously he did what he did for this program, but he’s planning on going to the NFL next year. So I feel like if I just come in and just follow up behind him and get the opportunities that I want to get, I can step up next year and fill that role.”