South Florida lands running back Sam Franklin from Oklahoma
South Florida lands running back Sam Franklin from Oklahoma
Sam Franklin saw the writing on the wall, packed his bags, and headed south.
Franklin, who spent one year in the Oklahoma Sooners backfield, signed to play the 2025 season at South Florida. The running back entered the transfer portal on April 15 after going through spring practices with the Sooners.
Franklin began his career at Tennessee-Martin, playing three seasons for the Skyhawks. He ran for 1,386 yards and 11 touchdowns in his third season at UT-Martin, en route to an FCS All-American nod. At Oklahoma, playing time was harder to come by, as he finished with 18 carries for 132 yards.
Oklahoma returns all three of its top running backs from last year in Jovantae Barnes, Xavier Robinson and Tatum Taylor. Plus, the Sooners added Jadyn Ott, formerly of California-Berkeley, out of the transfer portal. Another year at fifth in the depth chart loomed, so Franklin headed for Tampa. The Bulls are replacing their four leading rushers from last year.
Franklin was one of two Sooners running backs who entered the portal after spring practice. He spent about two weeks determining his destination, while Gavin Sawchuk, who led Oklahoma in yards rushing in 2023, entered over the weekend.
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