2025 Oregon State football positional previews: Running back

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Oregon State football's bread and butter is still the ground game, and that starts at the running back position.

The Beavers' two-headed rushing attack of Anthony Hankerson and Jam Griffin looked unstoppable for the first month of the 2024 season, averaging nearly five yards a carry each. Hankerson became Oregon State's lone lead back after Griffin suffered a season-ending injury week five against Colorado State and the offense never looked quite the same, losing six of their final seven games.

Running backs coach Thomas Ford departed the program following the year and was named FCS Idaho's head coach. Beavers head coach Trent Bray hired Ray Pickering, who spent 2024 as Buffalo's running backs coach, to lead the room in 2025.

"They always hear me say, 'I don't care who runs the football, so long as it gets done,'" Pickering said. "I wouldn't care (who's on the field), but the standard is the standard in the room... and we always work towards our opportunity. So, once you get that opportunity, go make the most of it."

Offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson also said following the Beavers' first scrimmage that he believes the group is very deep with experience and young talent.

Returning starters: Anthony Hankerson, senior

Returning players: Cornell Hatcher Jr., redshirt-freshman; Salahadin Allah, sophomore; Jake Reichle, redshirt-junior

Departures: Jam Griffin, Dyontae Navarrete (transferred to Drake)

Additions: Marquis Crosby, redshirt-senior (Transfer, Louisiana Tech); Kourdey Glass, freshman; Skyler Jackson, freshman

Aside from perhaps quarterback Maalik Murphy, no one's role appears safer than Hankerson's as the starting running back. The senior will be the Beavers' go-to in the backfield, looking to build on 2024's 1,000-yard performance, but Pickering said Oregon State is hunting his counterpart.

"Every Batman needs a Robin, that's what I think," Pickering said. "(Hankerson) needs that guy that's going to be right beside him."

Sophomore back Salahadin Allah is the likely candidate to fill that role. He had a limited, but promising, freshman campaign following Griffin's injury, rushing for 288 yards and a touchdown. With a full offseason under his belt, Allah seems poised for a larger and more productive role.

Marquis Crosby is as close of a Jam Griffin clone as you'll find in college football. Like Griffin was, Crosby is another sawed-off, bowling ball of a back, standing at a listed 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds. The redshirt senior isn't a stranger to college football, rushing for just shy of 1,000 yards at Louisiana Tech in 2022, but has dealt with injuries ever since. He appears to be healthy now, but how much he factors into the equation is yet to be seen.

Cornell Hatcher Jr. came to Corvallis alongside Allah, but redshirted his freshman season. The former three-star recruit hails from high school powerhouse Centennial in Corona, California, but is an unknown quantity at the college level. He and Crosby are the likely candidates to be the third back, behind Hankerson and Allah.

Jake Reichle will have a role for the Beavers in 2025, it's just more likely to be as a special teamer and fullback than as a running back.

The Beavers' coaching staff has given freshman Kourdey Glass a lot of run in the backfield and return game this fall, but remains a candidate to redshirt. Fellow freshman Skyler Jackson -- yes, Steven Jackson's son -- is also likely to redshirt.

Most interesting storyline: Allah was still picking up the offensive scheme by the time Griffin's season ended. He could be poised for breakout with a full year under his belt.

Keep an eye on: Crosby. He had an incredible season at La Tech before injuries derailed him. He could push Hatcher for the RB3 role, if not Allah for the RB2 job.