After an offseason that saw a mass exodus at the running back position, the Oklahoma Sooners are finally getting some good news on the Friday before the Red River Showdown.
Per Bob Przybylo of SoonerScoop.com, running back Marcus Major has been cleared to play by the NCAA after being deemed academically ineligible earlier this year.
#OU RB depth just got helped in a ‘major’ way.
Source confirms to @SoonerScoop that #Sooners RB Marcus Major has been cleared by the NCAA and is eligible once again.
— Bob Przybylo (@BPrzybylo) October 8, 2021
With Oklahoma having just two scholarship backs on the roster for the first five games of the season, Kennedy Brooks and Eric Gray have been forced to carry the load. The return of Marcus Major provides a boost to a position that’s been solid, but has yet to find its footing completely in 2021.
Major was receiving a lot of buzz in spring and fall camp. DeMarco Murray talked about him as someone who finished the 2020 season on a high note.
Major’s best game came in the Cotton Bowl against Florida when he carried the ball nine times for 110 yards and a touchdown.
It remains to be seen when the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff will get him on the field, but based on Przybylo’s report, Major could play Saturday, in theory. If he were to play, it would likely be sparingly as the Sooners will continue to rely on Brooks and Gray to the lead the way for the Sooners running game.
Whenever he makes his first appearance for the 2021 season, Marcus Major will be a welcomed addition to an offense that just played its best game of the season against Kansas State.
As the Oklahoma Sooners continue to fight their way through the Big 12 schedule with hopes of defending their title and contending for the National Championship, getting Major back provides a lift to a running back room that could use some depth.
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