100 Days to Football Time in Oklahoma: #26 Kennedy Brooks By: Ryan Lewis Posted on: August 9, 2021

The Path to Norman

The Texas product was offered by the Sooners about a year before his signing day. Despite having Trey Sermon committed for the 2017 class, the Sooners were after two running backs as the running back group looked possible to slim down. The odds of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon leaving seemed high (and eventually happened) and nobody was certain how well Rodney Anderson would be able to perform once he got back to the field after two major injuries (quite well, as it turned out). Brooks committed in the fall of the 2016 season.

Career So Far

The expectation was for Brooks to redshirt in 2017, and redshirt he did. However, it happened in an unfortunate way. Kennedy tore his labrum shortly before the season and had to undergo surgery. 

Before the 2018 season, Rodney Anderson, Trey Sermon, and Marcelias Sutton were all assumed to be ahead of Brooks on the depth chart. However, it seemed like there was a spot for Brooks as well. Sure enough, he turned in a thousand-yard season, was included on the USA Today Freshman All-American squad, and was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. He ranked third nationally with 8.87 yards per carry, just shy of Greg Pruitt’s OU record of 8.97 yards per carry in a season. 

In 2019, despite the running back room receiving fewer carries under the Jalen Hurts offense,  Brooks had another 1,000 yard season. He was a second-team All-Big 12 honoree and his 6.5 yards per carry ranked ninth in the country and first in the Big 12. Brooks has a habit of being downfield before you realize it, and 2019 was no different. 

2020 was a season away from football for Brooks, who opted out for the year.

Current Profile

Position: Running Back

Height: 5’11”

Weight: 215

Year: Redshirt Junior

Stats

Stats via Soonersports.com

Highlights

Record Book Look

Get this; Kennedy Brooks is averaging 7.5 yards per carry. That’s on pace to break OU’s career record for yards per carry, currently held by Darrell Shepard at 7.48, and Brooks has almost twice as many carries as Shepard. Those are insane efficiency numbers helped by this Lincoln Riley-led, Bill Bedenbaugh-blocked OU offense. 

Brooks is one of only nine Sooners to ever have two 1,000 yard rushing seasons. 

He’s also slotted at number 30 on the all-time OU career rushing yards list; another 1,000 yard season would put him in the top 10. 

Another kicker? If he does hit that 1,000 yard mark again, he’ll be only the fourth Sooner to ever have three 1,000 yard rushing seasons. The other three: Adrian Peterson, Samaje Perine, and De’Mond Parker. That’s pretty good company.

This Season

For some reason, Kennedy Brooks seems overlooked heading into 2021. A season away from football put him off the mind of many national previews; expect him to refresh their memory quickly. Brooks will be part of a running back room that includes LSU transfer Tre Bradford,  Tennessee transfer Eric Gray, and Marcus Major. With only 18% of the 2020 rushing yards returning this year, that group will be expected to step up big. Kennedy Brooks will certainly be ready to do so this season.