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OU RB Jovantae Barnes defends former teammate Jackson Arnold ahead of return to Norman

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh09/16/25griffin_mcveigh
NCAA Football: Alabama at Oklahoma
Nov 23, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Jackson Arnold (11) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

A familiar face will be in Norman on Saturday afternoon. Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold returns to where his career began for a critical SEC showdown. Plenty of Arnold’s former teammates, offensively and defensively, are still with Oklahoma and ready to go up against him.

One of those is running back Jovantae Barnes. While the duo will not share the field at the same time, Barnes admits it’s going to be “crazy” seeing Arnold in another uniform. Maybe not what he expected when the two committed to OU in the same recruiting class.

“It’s going to be pretty crazy,” Barnes said via George Stoia of On3’s Sooner Scoop. “We were in a backfield together, we were here for two years together. I’m proud of him and where he’s at right now and it’s going to be pretty fun.”

Barnes took 122 carries for the Sooners in 2024, rushing for 577. Most of those were from Arnold but a few mixed in when Michael Hawkins was running the offense. That does not include what reps were produced in practice, probably a countless number.

However, there is a reason Arnold decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal. Oklahoma completely revamped the offense under Brent Venables, bringing in Ben Arbuckle. Quarterback John Mateer followed Arbuckle from Washington State, giving a new sense of life.

Success has since followed, looking a whole lot better than last season. Arnold faced plenty of criticism for the shortcomings, especially early in the year. Barnes decided to defend his former teammate, believing Arnold did a great job handling the entire situation.

“People are going to have some things to say about you,” Barnes said. “But I think he did a great job with just being him and being who he is and what he’s good at. Like I said, I’m proud of where he’s at and what he’s doing. So, I’m looking forward to playing against him and seeing him after the game.”

Both Arnold and Barnes have tough tasks ahead of them. The two defenses taking the field are proud units, wanting to be among the SEC’s best. Arnold gets to face Brent Venables in game action while Barnes attempts to run through an impressive Auburn defensive line.

After the game, there might be some hugs going around. Barnes will cheer for Arnold to find success for most of 2025, just not on Saturday beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT.