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Derek Simmons is 'day-to-day' after injury vs. Texas

headshotby: George Stoia10/14/25GeorgeStoia
Screenshot 2025-07-31 at 9.56.05 AM
Oklahoma offensive tackle Derek Simmons on the practice field (Photo: Parker Thune)

OU offensive tackle Derek Simmons is “day-to-day” after his injury versus Texas on Saturday.

Simmons left the game in the first quarter with an ankle injury and did not return. In the moment, Oklahoma feared the worst. But according to coach Brent Venables, it sounds like Simmons might have dodged a bullet.

“It’s a day-to-day (injury),” Venables said on Tuesday. “He responded well.”

Simmons has started every game but the season opener at right tackle for the Sooners. And if he can’t go this week against South Carolina, it would be a big loss. Stanford transfer Luke Baklenko replaced Simmons during the Texas game.

Oklahoma struggled to move the ball after Simmons’ injury.

“It’s hard to say, have to wait and see the film to see how we performed without him,” Venables said after the game. “But it was a lot more than just Derek not being in there.”

But OU is already down several other offensive tackles with Jacob Sexton, Jake Taylor and Logan Howland all battling injuries. Their timetable to return is unclear.

“I mean, it’s football. Everyone’s going to get hurt,” offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said. “There’s a lot of people around the country are probably a little bit banged up. The biggest thing we can promote is the next man up mentality. And the standard doesn’t change, just cause the next man’s up. You have to find different ways as a coach to put those guys in position to be successful, help them out if there needs to be some help somewhere.

“But it’s the next man up mentality. So you got to continue getting guys back and healthy. So that comes from their process and recovery. But you have to find creative ways in practice, too, to make sure you’re getting what you need to get done at the standard you need to get done, but ultimately not just working the absolute dog out someone too. So I think there’s really an artsmanship to it. A craftsmanship to it. And we have to continue to work that, but it’s next man up mentality.”

The first availability report of the week will be released on Wednesday at 7:10 p.m. CT.

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