Former Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard made a big splash in his first preseason game for the Carolina Panthers.

Hubbard, who led the nation in rushing in 2019, got 80 yards on seven carries last week. He averaged over 100 yards per game in his career in Stillwater.

He leaves a big hole for OSU to fill this fall.

His production may be replaced by a committee rather than one dominant running back for the Cowboys this season.

Senior LD Brown leads a cast of running  backs that includes Dezmon Jackson and Dominic Richardson. Add to that Utah State transfer Jaylen Warren and freshmen Zach Middleton and Jaden Nixon and the Cowboys look to have enviable depth at running back.

“We got a lot of dogs in there and a lot of guys who have the mentality of wanting to compete and do whatever it takes to win,” Brown said. “As far as skill set, we all come with something different. I have the speed, but those guys run with power and speed as well. We’re deep and that’s a good thing to have.”

Brown is a speedy back who has only one start but he has plenty of playing experience. His career highlights include three 100-yard rushing games, five 50-plus yard carries, eight rushing touchdowns, more than 1,000 career rushing yards and a career average of 5.7 yards per carry.

In the classroom, Brown is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 team member and is working toward a master’s degree in recreation and leisure management.

Throughout his career, he was overshadowed by former Cowboy Justice Hill (now with the Baltimore Ravens) and Hubbard.

Now it’s Brown’s turn.

“I feel like the guy they lean on for stuff,” Brown said. “They watch how I do stuff and mimic me and when I talk they listen. It’s a good feeling to have and a role I want to take. All of the guys in the room are unselfish so they make my job easy.”

Jackson is a junior college player who had three starts in 2020. He had a 235-yard, three-touchdown day in his starting debut against Texas Tech. He finished second on the Cowboys in rushing yards last season with 547 yards.

Richardson, the third-string running back for the majority of 2020, played in the regular-season finale, posting the second-highest single-game rushing total for a true freshman in school history with 169 yards at Baylor.

“We have a lot of talent in the backfield,” Richardson said. “It’s all about doing our jobs, staying focused and learning schemes.”

Having this much depth will help the Cowboys rotate in players and probably help alleviate injury problems.

“We want to be efficient running the football and we want to crease a couple here and there,” offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said. “Our explosive runs were higher two years ago than last year, so that’s something we have to address. The tailback room is deep, so we will be fresh, and the offensive line room is deep, so if we have an injury we’re not shuffling guys around. I like where we’re at with the tailbacks and how they’ve come together with the offensive line. We’ve simplified the run game and it has been better for them and I look forward to it.”

Strong defensive backfield

OSU’s defense appears to be a strong point in 2021.

Safeties Kolby Harvell-Peel, Tre Sterling and Tanner McCalister are all seniors and multiple year starters in the defensive backfield. Those three combined for 59 starts, 396 tackles, 10 interceptions, 39 pass breakups and 35.5 tackles for loss over the past three years.

“We have a lot of experience on the back end, and there’s a lot of confidence,” McCalister said. “We all have our own swagger and we all like flying around to make plays.”

A two-time All-Big 12 honoree, Harvell-Peel returned to Oklahoma State after testing the NFL draft waters.

Sterling and McCalister have been slightly under the national radar, even though their production has been significant. In 2020, Sterling led the Cowboys in tackles for loss and ranking third on the team with 74 tackles. He also tied for first with two interceptions.

Jason Taylor II and Thomas Harper add quality depth at safety.

“At the safety position, we are almost three deep,” Sterling said. “We have depth like no one else in the country.”

OSU’s highest-ranked recruit in the 2021 class, Kendal Daniels, has an opportunity to see playing time early.