Oklahoma’s longest tenured running back will look to finish his career elsewhere.
Jovantae Barnes plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens in January, he shared on social media. Barnes has spent the last four seasons at Oklahoma but preserved a redshirt this season while appearing in just four games. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.
Barnes’ decision to hit the transfer portal in search of a fresh start for his final year of eligibility is not unexpected. The 6-foot, 211-pounder entered this season as Oklahoma’s starting running back and appeared in each of the team’s first four games, including the SEC opener against Auburn, but did not take the field against for the Sooners during their 10-3 campaign that included a first-round exit in the College Football Playoff.
It was clear that Barnes intended to preserve his redshirt opportunity, and last month head coach Bren Venables acknowledged that the running back remained in “good standing” with the program in light of that decision.
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“IÂ think every case is a case of its own, based on what that person has been and the body of work,” Venables said Nov. 25, when asked about players choosing to redshirt. “So, trying to navigate that appropriately just like you would with discipline in the moment or big discipline issues. We have a set of rules, but, again, how you treat everybody based on, again, maybe it’s a young guy so you give him more grace, you know, an older guy, ‘man, you should know better,’ things like that. So, that’s really the way dealing with it is based on, again, who they’ve been since they’ve been here, and at the end of the day, we have a different environment that’s not the players’ fault, they have lots of different options now.
“I look at it with that lens as well; can’t blame guys for wanting a little more of this or that and looking out for their futures. I don’t think it’s necessarily a selfish trait, but I think we’ve created this environment that has some selfishness to it, again, from an environment standpoint. So, my job is to make sure that those things are not a distraction, and people are contributing, working and showing up with a diligent mindset and work ethic and things of that nature. As long as those things are good, you know, pretty capisce about all of it.”
Barnes signed with Oklahoma as part of its 2022 class — the first under Venables—and emerged as the team’s second-leading rusher behind Eric Gray. He ran for 519 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry that season as the Sooners’ No. 2 option in the backfield. Barnes capped the year with one of two 100-yard performances as a freshman.
Barnes dealt with foot injuries during his sophomore and junior seasons, appearing in 16 total games across those two campaigns. He had just 37 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown in 2023, and then he followed that up with 577 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry as a junior, when he led the team in rushing amid a dysfunctional season for OU’s offense.
This year, Barnes had 19 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown through the first four games. He was available to play in the College Football Playoff against Alabama but did not see the field.
Barnes is the latest offensive player to announce an intent to hit the portal since the season ended Friday, joining tight end Kaden Helms and offensive linemen Jacob Sexton and Isaiah Autry.
The college football transfer portal will officially open Jan. 2, marking the start of a single two-week transfer period that’s different from last cycle’s multi-window format of a winter and post-spring portal period.Â