Oklahoma State recruiting: Rennie Childs changed running style, nearly reached 2,000 yards

An under-the-radar prospect, Childs altered his style as a senior Cypress Ridge High and posted a premium personal goal: 2,000 yards.

And nearly got there.

“I went into the year with the goal of winning district, and personally running for 2K,” Childs said. “We won district, but I fell short of my personal goal.”

Barely.

Adding a physical factor to an arsenal that already featured speed, Childs ran for 1,945 yards and 21 touchdowns, raising his recruiting profile to the point that the Cowboys rode in late to add him as a replacement for the NFL-bound Joseph Randle.

And it was another NFL-bound back — Alabama's Trent Richardson — who spurred Childs' enhanced running style last offseason.

“Coming into my senior year, I wanted to make a change,” said Childs, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound back with surprising power. “I wanted to change the way I ran. After watching Trent Richardson, I was like, ‘Dude, that's how I want to run.'

“I wanted to be more explosive, lower my shoulder on somebody, run them over and really showcase my skills and what I can do.”

The result was a breakout season that commanded the attention of several major college programs.

“Trent Richardson, he's not my idol, I just like the way he runs,” Childs said. “But I wanted to be more aggressive. I saw him running over people and I thought, ‘I can do that.' So I wanted to put it out there and show people I could.

“I recorded one of our games on TV, and the announcers kept saying, ‘Rennie, you're running like you're mad or something. Like you're underrated.' I know I'm underrated, but I know what I can do.”

First, opponents found out what Childs could do.

Then his consistent production caught on with the colleges.

OSU coaches liked what they saw, but worried about a logjam at the position, with Randle and Jeremy Smith already in the fold, Desmond Roland and Caleb Muncrief pressing for playing time and this class's one commit — Corion Webster of Atlanta, Texas — all stacking up at running back.