Brent Venables and Oklahoma Sooners Face Setbacks with Nine Players Missing Spring Football Due to Injuries
Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables revealed that nine players will miss the Sooners’ spring football practices due to injuries and offseason procedures.
The Sooners will kick off their spring practices on Thursday, but will be without offensive linemen Heath Ozaeta, Logan Howland, and Darius Afalava, tight end Kade McIntyre, defensive lineman Jayden Jackson, long snapper Seth Freeman, wide receiver K.J. Daniels, and running backs Jovantae Barnes and Andy Bass.
Venables shared during his pre-spring press conference that many of these players had been playing through injuries last season that were not unusual. Ozaeta, McIntyre, Jackson, and Howland all had surgeries to address labrum issues. “Jayden Jackson played all year with a labrum tear,” Venables explained. “Logan Howland, same thing. Guys that just fought through it and battled through it, but they’ll all miss the spring.”
Freeman is recovering from an ACL injury sustained in high school, while Bass had ACL surgery on a knee injury he suffered while preparing for the Armed Forces Bowl, which was the same knee he injured during his final high school game. Daniels is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Barnes is recovering from a foot injury that will sideline him for the entire spring.
Afalava, who arrived with a knee injury from high school, has done some offseason conditioning but will also miss spring practice due to ongoing rehab.
Safety Peyton Bowen will be limited throughout spring practices as he continues to recover from turf toe, which he dealt with last season. Cornerback Gentry Williams will also be limited as he recovers from a shoulder injury suffered last year.
Venables also provided updates on wide receiver Jayden Gibson and defensive back Kendel Dolby, both of whom had their 2024 seasons cut short by injuries. “As of yesterday both of those guys had very limited, non-contact, positional work,” Venables said. “Jayden was working some routes on air and might have had a small setback. We’ll get final word back on that, so I don’t really want to say anything in that regard.”
“Kendel has looked good, again, in a limited capacity as well,” he continued. “Neither one of them went through mat drills just to continue their rehab. But we’ll see where that is.”
The Sooners will begin their spring practice sessions on Thursday afternoon.
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