Jovantae Barnes injury update: Brent Venables provides latest on Oklahoma RB

Oklahoma RB Jovantae Barnes has not played in over a month now with an injury, specifically due to something that happened pregame ahead of the Red River Rivalry. He has missed three straight games now, and could possibly be set to be out for a fourth based on the uncertain comments this morning by Brent Venables.

Venables was asked about Barnes’ status at his press conference on Tuesday. He was not sure yet of where he stands, with them getting a better evaluation of where he is after practice today.

“I don’t know,” Venables said simply. “Uh, we’ll see what he looks like today.”

Barnes has not appeared since before their bye week, having last played on August 20th. He didn’t play against Kent State, suffered whatever setback he had going into the rivalry game against Texas in Dallas, and then didn’t travel with the team this past weekend in their game at South Carolina. Coming out of Red River, Venables said that they thought it would be a short-term issue with what they thought was a matter with his hamstring, but he has already missed another game because of it with no official designation of what the actual injury to his leg is.

Over the undefeated start to the season in which he played in, Barnes totaled 19 carries for 45 yards, at 11.3 per game and just 2.4 per carry, and a touchdown. Most of that came in the back to back games against No. 15 Michigan, with six carries for 24 yards along with a 16-yard reception, and at Temple, with five carries for a dozen yards and his lone score on the year.

This absence from Barnes, although not all that productive over his games himself, has been part of the problem in the run game this season for Oklahoma. The Sooners are rushing for just 129.3 yards per game, which is nearly outside the Top-100 nationally, at 3.6 yards per carry. QB John Mateer (209 rushing yards, five touchdowns) is accounting for much of that at their quarterback spot, with nearly a quarter of their yardage and almost half of their scores on the ground. Combined, RBs Tory Blaylock (55.9 per game, 4 TDs), Xavier Robinson (18.0 per game, TD), and Jadyn Ott (11.3 per game) are rushing for only 85.2 yards per game at 3.9 yards per attempt.

Oklahoma could use the extra help in the run game with a return by Barnes. Venables didn’t sound optimistic earlier today, though, with a better idea of his status to come tomorrow night with the release of the first of the SEC Availability Reports on Wednesday, before OU plays Ole Miss in a Top-20 matchup on Saturday in Norman.