Sophomore running back Jovantae Barnes had an underwhelming 2023 campaign with the Oklahoma Sooners after a more-than-promising true freshman campaign in the 2022 college football season. During his initial campaign with the Sooners, Barnes tallied 519 rushing yards on 116 attempts in 11 games, scoring five rushing touchdowns.
To follow up the potential-filled season, Barnes appeared in just seven games a season ago, seeing limited playing time as he constantly dealt with injury. In 37 attempts, the sophomore running back rushed for 140 yards and one touchdown on the season.
On the season, the running back situation was one of the more unique storylines. While the former four-star recruit saw just 94 snaps, Tawee Walker — a walk-on — and Gavin Sawchuk were the two primary backs featured in the backfield. Overall, the production from the position simply wasn’t good enough to get the Sooners where they needed to go.
Barnes breaks down injury
Barnes had the opportunity to explain his season and decline from his freshman year on Monday after a spring practice.
“It was just a lot to do with my foot surgery and just the timing and just me kind of trying to rush it and make sure I can make it back for the season and be out here for the coaches and make sure they can depend on me,” Barnes said. “I just wasn’t ready. There would be sometimes I would be like, ‘Ok, I feel good at practice. I feel good this week’ and I would go back out there and I just wouldn’t be able to burst.”
The eye-test would agree that Barnes couldn’t quite get back to 100 percent. He never had the same burst he showed against Florida State in the 2022 Cheez-It Bowl, which saw him rush for 108 yards. Without that, it was easy for the Sooners to turn towards different options in the backfield.
“It was very frustrating, but at the same time, I know that God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers,” Barnes said. “So, at the same time, I just had to take that as a mental error and make sure I can just be happy for my boys and make sure I was happy for Gavin. Make sure I was happy for Tawee, make sure I was happy for everybody in the room.”
Evidently, the Sooners finished the season 10-3 after a solid final year in the Big 12. The season wasn’t horrible, though they weren’t able to secure a spot in the conference title game and ended up losing the Alamo Bowl. A 10-win season to build momentum towards their first season in the SEC was ideal, given the 6-7 record in 2022.
Preparing for 2024 campaign
Barnes and the Sooners are staring at a big opportunity in 2024. Playing in their first season in the SEC, the competition and opposing defenses are going to be much, much tougher. The stranger strength of schedule allows for Barnes to not only show his progress, but do so on the biggest stage. The sophomore running back feels ready to return for his third season at full strength.
“It’s doing great, I feel back to normal. I feel back explosive,” Barnes said. “I’ve just been working on that [this] offseason. Making sure I just keep my head up and just getting closer with my teammates and making sure I call my family everyday so they can give me some motivation.”
Running backs primed for bounce back season
With Barnes healthy, he’s primed to lead the running back room alongside Sawchuk in a year where the position group can provide some help to quarterback Jackson Arnold and the rest of the offense. With a new offensive coordinator and DeMarco Murray signing a contract extension, the offense is ready to build a new narrative in the SEC.
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