Evaluating the current roster, Sooners Wire profiles the current players, with running back Jovontae Barnes up next.
Jovantae Barnes entered his freshman season with a fair amount of hype and the expectation that he would have opportunities to produce largely because of uncertainties at running back behind Eric Gray. Those uncertainties never were alleviated, and that opened the door for Barnes, who ran through it from the moment he stepped on campus as an early enrollee.
His spring game performance showed promise, and he carried that through to the regular season when he usurped Marcus Major on the depth chart and became the full-time RB2.
Jovantae BARNES.
Huge TD for Oklahoma.
Tied game. pic.twitter.com/57n0eq6Xtu
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 30, 2022
Barnes is the de facto number one back for the Sooners entering 2023. He’ll be flanked by fellow sophomore Gavin Sawchuk, who had his coming out party against a talented FSU squad in the Cheez-It Bowl.
Another full offseason in the weight room and a year of experience knowing the playbook will only help Barnes become an even more impactful part of this Sooners’ offense in his second year. He’ll be relied upon as a significant part of this team’s offensive game plan.
Preseason Player Profile
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Ht:6-0
Wt:200 Lbs
Class in 2023: Sophomore
247Sports Composite Ranking
Four-star | No. 10 RB | No. 3 player in Nevada
Career Stats
| Rush | Rush | Rush | Rush | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Scri | Scri | Scri | Scri | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Class | Pos | G | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD |
| *2022 | FR | RB | 11 | 116 | 519 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 0 | 121 | 545 | 4.5 | 5 |
| Career | 116 | 519 | 4.5 | 5 | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 0 | 121 | 545 | 4.5 | 5 |
PFF Rankings (Team Rankings) for 2021
| Grades | Offense | Rush | Receiving | Blocking (Run/Pass) |
| Jovantae Barnes | 69.8 (11th) | 73.8 (5th) | 41.4 (18th) | 54.9/29.3 |
Depth Chart Overview
The Sooners have no clear-cut No. 1 back like they did last season with Eric Gray. But based on what he did in 2022, the starting running back role will likely go to Barnes. He had more in-game experience and produced over a larger sample size than Sawchuk.
If anything, Barnes is the 1A to Sawchuk’s 1B as the Sooners enter the offseason. Improving his pass-blocking and trusting his blockers will help him ascend to a full-time role as a bonafide star. He’ll have all the opportunities to do so, considering the load he’ll be carrying as the season wears on.
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