When Shamari Brooks scored on what turned out to be his final play of a terrific freshman season, little did anyone know how amazing the feat was that he had accomplished.
Not only did his four-yard touchdown run at SMU turn out to make him the team leader for the season with 10 rushing touchdowns, but he did it while staying in the game with a broken collarbone. Brooks had broken it earlier on the drive but had stayed in the game for a few more carries.
He is now the face of Tulsa’s running game, and could turn out to be the greatest running back in Tulsa history. As it stands now, the 5-foot-9, 185-pound Brooks already has rushed for 687 yards at 5.8 yards per carry in nine games as a true freshman out of Union.
Healthy now, Brooks is taking over as the lead running back for D’Angelo Brewer, who is the career rushing leader for the Golden Hurricane. Replacing Brewer’s 3,917 career yards, which included 1,517 yards at 5.3 per carry last season, won’t be easy. But Brooks is definitely up to the task.
“Shamari is a stud,” Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery said in a May interview with Inside Tulsa Sports. “Tough as nails runner. He’s got the speed to take it to the house. He’s got great vision, great power. Really has got a great football mind. To be able to pick up and do the things that he did, especially from the standpoint of protections and other things as a true freshman is a big, big plus.”
There were high expectations from the former Union star when he was signed, but Brooks has exceeded even what Montgomery was expecting.
“We felt like we had a really good player in Shamari, and then when he got here, just seeing how fast he picked things up and was able to get adjusted to the college game, it was amazing,” Montgomery described. “He’s going to be a major factor in what we are trying to do next season. Just a special player.”
Backing up Brooks will be Corey Taylor, who was on his way to having a strong season before breaking a foot in the second game of the season. Taylor, like Brooks and Brewer, is from Tulsa, having played for Holland Hall.
A 5-10, 214-pound sophomore, Taylor rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against Oklahoma State, including a 55-yard touchdown, in the season opener. He finished with 179 yards and four touchdowns and a 5.3 average yards per carry as a freshman.
“I think we’ve got a great one-two punch between Shamari and Corey,” Montgomery said. “Corey’s a much bigger, heavier guy. He’s real dense when you hit him. He’s not going to move a lot. He’s got good speed. He catches the ball pretty well coming out of the backfield. He can run downhill and break tackles and be violent about his running style, and so we’re excited to get Corey back.”
Who will be next in line behind Brooks and Taylor remains to be seen. Ramadi Warren, a player who had an impressive freshman season before missing the last two years due to academic problems, went through spring practice. But he is not being counted on, and he is still facing an uphill battle to regain his eligibility.
Javon Thomas is next in line for an opportunity. The 6-2, 237-pound redshirt junior has been a mystery to Golden Hurricane fans since signing. However, Montgomery sees major signs of progress with Thomas, and is expecting him to contribute in 2018.
“I really believe Javon has got a chance to have a breakout year next year,” said Montgomery. “He is a big kid that has great speed. He’s just finally learning how to be a college running back. He can be really physical because of his size. He’s a guy that I think has a chance to be that surprise guy that people have kind of forgotten about that can get the job done.”
Reed Martin, a 6-1, 205-pound redshirt freshman from Lincoln Christian, will also get a chance.
“Reed is a productive young runner,” Montgomery explained. “He still needs some more maturity, but has done a nice job for us. He still needs some time to continue to grow.”
The wild card of the running backs may be 3-star recruit TK Wilkerson. The 6-2, 210-pounder from Skiatook could very well figure into the mix this season, and could get significant playing time.
“We’re really excited about TK. He’s another bigger back type of guy. He runs very physical, he’s got great hands, is able to break tackles, got good speed to take it to the house,” said Montgomery. “He’s a guy we think can possibly come in here as a young kid and get some playing time. He’s a guy, who I would not hesitate, if he’s ready, to put in, because physically, I know he can handle it.”
With the talent returning and incoming, there is every reason to believe Tulsa’s running game will continue to be the success it has been during the Philip Montgomery era.
