Spring football for the Oklahoma Sooners begins Thursday, but not all players on the roster will be able to participate.
Ahead of the start of spring football, OU head coach Brent Venables spoke with the media on Wednesday. During his 25-minute address, he shared that nine players would miss the entirety of spring football due to injuries, and a few others would be limited. Among the players who will be limited are defensive backs Peyton Bowen and Gentry Williams. Venables mentioned that Bowen dealt with turf toe throughout last season, playing in 12 games and making four starts as a sophomore.
Williams appeared in only two games last year before suffering a season-ending injury.
Venables also provided an update on wide receiver Jayden Gibson, noting that Gibson “might have had a small setback” while running routes on Tuesday as he worked his way back from injury. Gibson missed the entire previous season after suffering a knee injury during fall camp, before the season even began.
Here’s the full list of players who are expected to miss all of spring football:
Spring football starts Thursday for the Oklahoma Sooners, but not everyone on the roster will get to participate.
In anticipation of spring football kicking off, OU coach Brent Venables met with media on Wednesday, and during his 25-minute opening statement he gave a list of nine players that will miss all of spring football because of injuries, plus a few others who will be limited.
Among those limited, according to Venables, will be defensive backs Peyton Bowen and Gentry Williams. Venables said Bowen fought turf toe all of last season while playing in 12 games and making four starts as a sophomore.
Williams played only two games last year before suffering a season-ending injury.
Venables also updated that wide receiver Jayden Gibson “might have had a small setback” during his return from injury while running routes against air on Tuesday. Gibson missed all of last season after suffering a season-ending knee injury during fall camp before the season even kicked off.
As for those expected to miss all of spring football, here’s the entire list:
Heath Ozaeta (OL)
Kade McIntyre (TE)
Jayden Jackson (DL)
Logan Howland (OL)
Seth Freeman (LS)
KJ Daniels (WR)
Andy Bass (RB)
Jovantae Barnes (RB)
Darius Afalava(OL)
From that list, four players were regular starters for the Sooners last season. Jovantae Barnes was the team’s leading rusher before injuring his foot against Maine, which caused him to miss the final three games. Venables also mentioned that freshman All-American Jayden Jackson is currently out due to a labrum injury that he battled last year.
Heath Ozaeta, Kade McIntyre, and Logan Howland are also dealing with labrum injuries. The labrum is a ring of cartilage around the shoulder socket that helps stabilize the joint.
Freshman KJ Daniels has been dealing with a hamstring issue that dates back to high school, while Darius Afalava has a lingering injury from his high school days. Seth Freeman arrived at OU with an ACL injury that had gone undetected until the medical staff discovered it. Additionally, Andy Bass tore his ACL for the second time.
OU experienced a troubling number of injuries last season, including to all five of their top wide receivers. Venables mentioned that the program is investigating the cause of these injuries to avoid a similar situation in 2025. These injuries also played a role in OU canceling its annual spring game.
“We reviewed the data, and it’s been nearly a 2-to-1 ratio in terms of injuries, with more injuries occurring in games compared to the first two years,” Venables said. “This isn’t surprising, as that’s typical in the game, but we’ve been evaluating every aspect of our program to improve efficiency and better keep our players healthy. That factor contributed to our decision regarding the spring game. College football has changed, and while I’m a traditionalist, the current setup is a scaled-down version. You’re not showcasing much and keeping things safe with quick whistles and getting key players out quickly. Our roster is smaller now, with nearly 30 fewer players than last year due to roster limits. Add to that the nine players who aren’t participating, plus another eight to 10 who aren’t available for contact, and that’s a significant number of players missing.”
