Brent Venables says Jovantae Barnes looks like ‘old self’; Taylor Tatum ready to play as freshman

From the outside, believing in Jovantae Barnes is not something many OU fans and media are choosing to do. And for good reason, after Barnes had a tough and mysterious 2023 season. 

Barnes, now a junior, battled injury all last season. Though, few knew about it because it was never specified why he wasn’t playing. And when he did play, it was clear he didn’t have the same burst he did as a true freshman in 2022.

As a freshman, he totaled 519 yards and five touchdowns on 116 carries. Last year? Just 140 yards and one touchdown on 40 carries. 

There’s good reason for the skepticism surrounding Barnes. He also didn’t play in the spring game, leaving some to think he was going to transfer. But now, three practices into fall camp, he’s getting reps with the first-team offense, along with junior Gavin Sawchuk. And according to coach Brent Venables, there is still a lot of confidence there in Barnes. 

“He got up in front of the team several nights ago. I love some of the things he said,” Venables said Saturday. “A great testimony. What his expectations were. The disappointment that he experienced last year. Some of that is not his fault. A lot of times you have to get out of your own head and all part of making progress. That was good. He had a great summer and a really good first three days — in many ways looks like his old self. I don’t want to jinx him, but he’s done well in the first three days.”

It’ll be interesting to see what Barnes’ role is on this team. It seems clear that Sawchuk will be the starter for the Sooners this fall. But OU does have some young talent who will push for playing time. One of those young guys is former No. 1 running back in the class of 2024, Taylor Tatum. 

Tatum arrived on campus this summer and has high expectations. While he may not be a starter at the beginning of the season, many anticipate he will find a role this year. He’s too talented not to. And so far, he’s impressed the coaching staff. 

“Fearless. Confident. A physical presence. Handles tough coaching,” Venables said. “Trying to get him prepared and ready. He’s done those things well. He did a good job obviously over the course of the summer mentally, because it shows in his ability to get out there and execute whatever it is that we’re doing.

“I wouldn’t put any limits on what he’s gonna be able to contribute this fall based on what we’ve seen. A very small sample size, first few days, his mental capacity and his eagerness to be competitive within the framework of what we’re doing on offense.”

Whether its a veteran in Barnes returning to old form or a young guy in Tatutm taking over the room, OU is confident it has plenty of talent in its running back unit. 

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