OU fall camp intel: Scrimmage notes Aug. 14

OU held its second scrimmage of fall camp Wednesday.

The Sooners are just 16 days away from kicking off the 2024 season against Temple on Friday, Aug. 30. Oklahoma has had a physical camp so far, with several key position battles still being played out with only a few practices remaining. Here’s what SoonerScoop.com is hearing about fall camp and the second OU football scrimmage.

Jackson Arnold and the offense were better in this scrimmage than the last. Still, it sounds like the defense won the day. That might not be saying much considering how the first scrimmage went. However, the offense was able to move the ball more efficiently and connected on some explosive plays that put them in scoring position. The only problem is that it sounds like they couldn’t take advantage of some of those situations in the red zone. Arnold turned the ball over once, throwing an interception early in the scrimmage.

Leading the way on offense has been running back Jovantae Barnes and wide receiver Deion Burks. That shouldn’t come as a surprise if you’ve been paying attention for the past two weeks. Barnes has been extremely good in camp and again showed that in Wednesday’s scrimmage. He had several long and physical runs. Meanwhile, Burks has become Arnold’s go-to receiver. A large part of that might be because of how many guys have been injured at the position, but it sounds like he is the guy Arnold continues to find down the field for big plays. Again, not surprising.

As for the offensive line, OU is dealing with several injuries up front. It doesn’t sound like anything too serious, but Branson Hickman and Jake Taylor are all dealing with some bumps and bruises. Hickman did not participate in the scrimmage and it’s unclear if Taylor did. But Bill Bedenbaugh continues to tinker with that group. I still think it’s safe to say Jacob Sexton and Febechi Nwaiwu will start, while the other spots are up for grabs. With Hickman banged up, Josh Bates and Josh Aisosa led the way at center Wednesday.

On defense, it’s the usual suspects who continue to stand out. Across the board, the defense has been very good in the red zone. They made it difficult for the offense to score Wednesday, despite having some issues stopping the run at times. (The run game has been the highlight of the offense in fall camp.) Part of the reason for the defense’s success has been the secondary. OU receivers — which is down a couple of guys — have had a difficult time separating in man coverage. It’s reached a point where I feel comfortable saying the cornerback room might be one of the deepest rooms OU has right now.

One of the corners who really stood out in the scrimmage? Jacobe Johnson. He is starting to make a serious push in the rotation. While he’s inexperienced and still makes youthful mistakes from time to time, the staff loves his playmaking ability. It sounds like that was showcased on Wednesday. He has had a strong camp and while I don’t anticipate him starting, it would not surprise me if he received serious playing time this season.

On the injury front, nothing serious to report. But it does sound like OU has several guys with minor injuries. That’s likely from how physically demanding camp has been. The team is scheduled to scrimmage again on Saturday, with Thursday off and practice on Friday. I wonder if that will be a light scrimmage with several guys being held out due to precautionary reasons.

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