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OU vs. South Carolina availability report (Thursday): Jovantae Barnes status

headshotby: George Stoia10/17/25GeorgeStoia
Jovantae Barnes13
OU running back Jovantae Barnes. (Kyle Ross - Imagn Images)

OU running back Jovantae Barnes was listed as doubtful on Thursday’s availability report. Barnes was listed as questionable on Wednesday and was downgraded in the latest report.

Barnes surprisingly missed the Texas game this past week. And he was listed on the availability report on Wednesday.

“Jovantate, something happened pregame,” coach Brent Venables said on Tuesday. “We thought initially it was his hamstring or something else. But I think it will be a short-term thing. I don’t really have any more information. Practiced yesterday, he’s moving around.”

Offensive lineman Derek Simmons was not listed on the availability report on Wednesday or Thursday, which means he will be available on Saturday. Simmons injured his left ankle during the first quarter of the Texas game and did not return. On Tuesday, Venables said Simmons is “day-to-day.” That might be a surprise considering how bad it looked during the game. But it looks like Simmons recovered well.

OU is still thin at offensive tackle. Backup offensive tackle Logan Howland is also hurt and was listed as doubtful, while Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor are both out.

“I mean, it’s football. Everyone’s going to get hurt,” OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said on Tuesday. “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… We have to continue to work on that, but it’s a next man up mentality.”

Here is the full OU availability report for Wednesday:

  • RB Jovantae Barnes: Doubtful
  • OL Logan Howland: Doubtful
  • WR Keontez Lewis: Doubtful
  • TE Kade McIntyre: Doubtful
  • OL Troy Everett: Out
  • OL Jacob Sexton: Out
  • OL Jake Taylor: Out

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