Former Oklahoma State Running Backs Are Showing Out in the NFL

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No one has had more 100-yard rushers in NFL games this season than Oklahoma State.

There have been 17 100-yard rushing games in this young NFL season, coming from 13 different players. Three of those players spent their college years at Oklahoma State: Jaylen Warren, Ollie Gordon and Chuba Hubbard. Alabama (Jahmry Gibbs and Derrick Henry) and Georgia (James Cook and D’Andre Swift) are the only other schools with multiple 100-yard rushers.

There are a few caveats. Cook and Kyle Monangai (Rutgers) have hit the 100-yard mark already twice this year, while Kenneth Walker (Michigan State) has done so three times by himself. But in terms of having depth of NFL rushers, OSU is right there with any other college at the moment.

Going back to Walt Garrison in the 1960s, there has been a steady stream of Oklahoma State running backs playing in the NFL. But aside from when Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders were household names in the 1990s, I’m not sure there’s been a time where Cowboy running backs were as impactful as they are here in 2026.

There are four former Poke running backs regularly contributing to their NFL teams this season, with Justice Hill joining the three former Cowboys who have 100-yard games.

Gordon and Hubbard each had their 100-yard performance on Sunday.

It started with Gordon, whose workload increased when De’Von Achane went down with a torn ACL. In a loss to Minnesota, Gordon carried nine times for 100 yards and a touchdown. He broke of a 53-yard run, the longest of his young career.

53 yards for Ollie Gordon II

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“It felt like it had been a minute since that (breaking a long run) had happened,” Gordon said after the game. “It was good. It was good. Just whenever the men up front, they handle their business like that, I feel like one of those things where we can get downhill and just run without thinking, honestly. That’s all it is out there, just running without thinking. I feel like our guys up front, they played a great game today. We just take this week and go back and build on it.”

Then in front of a national audience on Sunday Night Football, Hubbard helped lead Carolina to a 32-26 win against the Lions. Hubbard carried 20 times for 122 yards and two scores.

Chuba Hubbard scores his fourth TD this season

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“In the running back room, we talk about it all the time, breaking tackles, making guys miss, especially at the second level,” Hubbard said after Sunday’s game. “We’ll just continue to do that. It wasn’t a perfect game. Still a lot of stuff we gotta fix, but appreciate coach for believing in us and letting us run the rock.”

Warren has been a bright spot in the Steelers’ offense to this point. In Week 3, Warren powered Pittsburgh to a 30-27 win against the Bengals when he rushed for 127 yards and had 49 receiving yards. Then in a losing effort in Cleveland this week, Warren ran for 93 yards and had 33 receiving yards.

Warren has more than double the yards from scrimmage as any other Steeler, having 452 to D.K. Metcalf’s 213.

Although Hill hasn’t ever truly been the Ravens’ featured back, he’s proven to be a valuable piece to their offense, as Baltimore has kept him around since drafting him in 2019. Hill ranks sixth among Ravens in yards from scrimmage this season, trailing heavy hitters Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman, Mark Andrews and Lamar Jackson.

This quartet might not have the star power of the Sanders-Thomas Era, but the depth of this era of Cowboy rushers is cool to see.