Watch: Oklahoma State Running back Pledge Chuba Hubbard Mid Season Highlights

Oklahoma State is getting the top ranked player in Canada for the 2017 recruiting cycle in running back Chuba Hubbard. Hubbard, a Bev Facey product, is a solid 6-foot-1, 200-pound speedster who chose the Cowboys over offers from Alabama, TCU, Oregon and a slew of others after being discovered first by Oklahoma State in February.

Hubbard is a prospect with world class speed, who represents Canada in the 100M sprint, and will run track and play football for Oklahoma State.

Unlike many track stars who play football, Hubbard has a natural vision and presence on the field. Where most track stars have a simple straight line speed with limited vision, Hubbard has a tool set of everything that made him so highly recruited. Here’s a couple of his major assets that Oklahoma State made him such a high priority:

Burst

The Canadian rocket is a nickname earned, not given. Hubbard runs a reported 10.55 100M dash, and the burst that he uses helps him edge defenders to get to the outside and blow by the other team as you can see on the first play of his highlight below. The burst, especially in a running back, is something recruiters thirst for in a prospect. It’s what makes Justice Hill stand out from the pack this year despite being a true freshman.

Vision

As I mentioned above, Hubbard is unique in that he’s a talented track star with excellent vision and ability to make split-decisions out of the backfield. Track star Tyreek Hill was a bit raw in that it was a track star playing football, but Hubbard is a star running back and speedster who also runs track at an elite level. In the video below at the 1:14 mark, Hubbard snags a pass out of the backfield and is immediately met by a defender. However he has the wherewithal to jump cut back inside, get up field in a hurry, and slice and dice two more defenders on his way to the endzone.

Speed

The least surprising of traits for a sprinter, Hubbard flashes the incredible speed and makes it look effortlessly throughout a game. A lot of tailbacks don’t have the full arsenal with a burst and speed, but have the ability to make defenders miss and are good in space. Hubbard’s speed allows him to use his elusiveness in his burst to get open in space, and leave the defenders in the dust. At the :41 mark, you can see his team is backed up to the point he’s literally standing in the other team’s end zone. He takes a speed option pitch to the right side of the field, uses his stiff arm to shed one tackler, and finds open space reversing field and getting to the edge on the opposite side, eventually making a cut back up mid-field to score from 105 yards.

I puked, I was dead.. But thats when the beast comes out! Me & the boys went 105 yards for the record @TheOkiePokie https://t.co/7poYrrrhJV

— Chuba Hubbard (@Hubbard_RMN) September 6, 2016

With Oklahoma State set to lose a lot of experience next year in Chris Carson, Rennie Childs, and Barry J. Sanders, Hubbard will likely be set to see the field a great deal as a true freshman. It’s pretty clear to me he could see the field a great deal next season, and the qualities listed above seem to be a perfect fit for the Cowboys up-tempo offense.