Depth charts carry a lot of weight in football. But in the case of Oklahoma’s running backs, it’s different.

Adrian Peterson, simply put, is the biggest cog of the Sooner offense. He is the straw that stirs the drink.

“If he’s healthy and feeling great, we’ll feed it to him,” OU coach Bob Stoops said.

Peterson has shown he’s one of the best workhorses in college football. In 2004, his freshman season, he set an NCAA freshman rushing record with 1,925 yards and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting.

Last season, he added 1,108 yards to his career rushing total despite an ankle injury that caused him to miss all or parts of four games.

His workload won’t decrease in 2006.

“Let’s face it, he needs to get the ball a certain number each game,” Stoops said. “But I don’t say he has to have a certain number game to game, but I think it’s fair that he’ll get somewhere to 30-35 a game maybe.”

That’s fine with Peterson.

In July, he stunned a room full of reporters when he said his goal for 2006 was to rush for 2,200 yards.

That’s a huge number, considering the Sooners have never had a back cross the 2,000-yard plateau in their rich history.

“I set my goals high, because I always have,” Peterson said. “That’s how I am.”

Fact is, OU needs Peterson at that high level if it expects to compete for a Big 12 championship. His blend of power and speed torments defenses.

He can power through tackles and out-run defensive backs. He can score on an 80-yard run and methodically wear a defense down in the fourth quarter.

Peterson’s made those things look routine during his two Sooner seasons, but believes he’s added more to his repertoire for his junior season.

The passing game is the final frontier for Peterson’s offensive exploits. He’s caught 14 passes in his two seasons. OU would like to use him more in that capacity.