Sam Franklin was an intriguing transfer when he arrived from UT-Martin. Instead, Franklin operated on the fringes of the rotation.

Now, he'll be looking for a new school.

Franklin will enter the transfer portal as a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.

Franklin arrived at Oklahoma after posting back-to-back impressive seasons at UT Martin, when he rushed for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. He was named as a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2023.

The path to playing time was unclear for Franklin, who was poised to compete with veterans Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk. Franklin began the season fourth on the depth chart but saw some playing time early.

However, as the season progressed, Franklin fell out of the rotation. Barnes emerged as the top running back, while Taylor Tatum cemented himself as the second guy. By the end of the year, Xavier Robinson had also leaped Franklin in the rotation.

Franklin saw some playing time in the season-finale loss at LSU to conclude the regular season, as well as some snaps in the bowl game against Navy. He stuck around during the spring, as he appeared ready to compete for a bigger role in the fall.

However, his path to playing time next season would've been murky at best, especially with Sawchuk, Barnes and Robinson all returning for another season.

Franklin finished the year with 18 carries for 136 yards, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. He logged just 69 snaps in seven appearances, per Pro Football Focus.

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