Oklahoma running back Kennedy Brooks opted out of the upcoming season on Sunday, according to The Athletic.

Neither Brooks nor the Sooners have confirmed the report at this time.

The report comes after Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley announced nine members of the team had tested positive for COVID-19 and others were quarantined on Saturday. In a virtual press conference on Saturday, Riley predicted Brooks would have a productive season. He said Brooks is “in some of the best shape he’s been in right now,” per Sports Illustrated.

Riley believes that expectations of universality in how colleges and universities approach football are unrealistic, SI reports. “We all look at this through our own lens,” Riley said. “You can’t make a blanket decision … at this point we haven’t had any players that have decided to opt out. Will it happen? Hard to say. It certainly could.”

Brooks is one of approximately 40 players at the Power Five level to opt out. He is also one of the biggest names to do so, joining other impact players like Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, Purdue receiver Rondale Moore and Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons. 

The loss of Brooks is big for Oklahoma. The redshirt junior has been the Sooners’ top running back for the past two seasons, accumulating at least 1,000 rushing yards in both.  With Brooks in the backfield, Oklahoma finished 2018 and 2019 in the top-15 in rushing yards per game. 

Though the Sooners will likely cling to the “next man up” cliché, replacing Brooks could be the biggest challenge of the season — if there even is one.