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The Other Oklahoma State Running Back People Should be Talking About
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- The Other Oklahoma State Running Back People Should be Talking About
Oklahoma State's Tre Page III. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Chances are Oklahoma State football fans are not suffering from Caleb Hawkins fatigue just yet.
But the buzz around the second-year collegiate back has been palpable. After a huge true freshman season at North Texas, the expectations for what he can do at OSU are huge. He set the NCAA FBS freshman record for most touchdowns in a season. He rushed for nearly 1,500 yards. The Oklahoma native has the tools to match what he did a year ago.
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When the college football awards watch lists start dropping next week, he'll be attached to likely every award he's eligible for. Plus, Pro Football Focus rated him the top returning back in the Big 12 with a score of 92.6. But it was who was listed after him that was intriguing. The Cowboys had two backs in the Top 4.
The other? Tre Page III at 86.1. Should he be getting more attention?
Tre Page III as Part of OSU's RB Rotation
Page wasn't highly regarded coming out of Langston Hughes High School in Atlanta, Ga. Being 5-8 in football will do that to a player. So, he landed at Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas, which moved up from Division II several years ago and is beginning to emerge as an FCS power.
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In 2024 the Texans preserved his redshirt by only playing him in two games. He caught a pass for 16 yards.
The following season, he not only got more playing time, but he put together a great season in just nine of Tarleton State's 14 games. He rushed for 839 yards - which led the team - and scored seven times. he also caught seven passes. He rushed for 100 or more yards three times with a career-best 198 against Southern Utah. He also broke off an 89-yarder against Portland State .
The Texans lost one game in the regular season, won the UAC title and reached the national quarterfinals before they lost to Villanova. He missed November and the first playoff game with an injury. But after he averaged 7.5 yards per carry and showed he could play at the FCS level, sliding to Oklahoma State gives him a chance to prove he can play with the big boys.
Page has speed that can help stretch the field. His height and cutting ability will make him elusive. The question is durability, especially coming off last season. But with Hawkins as the lead back the Cowboys can use him like a Darren Sproles-type of back, getting him touches in offensive packages that help him do what he does best.
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The other upside to his high grade is that PFF based it on last year's tape, which showed not only that Page has talent but the ability to carry the load. So, if Hawkins needs a series or is limited in some way, the Cowboys have ready depth in Page, who may have a bigger chip on his shoulder than Hawkins does.
Page may be making a bigger jump that Hawkins in terms of talent level. But, based on his rating, he's ready for it - and he should get more attention than he's getting.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahomastate as The Other Oklahoma State Running Back People Should be Talking About .
