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Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Gives Injury Update Ahead of Fall Camp

The Sooners are slated to kick off practice on Thursday, but there will be a few holdouts from fall camp.

Ryan Chapman

Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Gives Injury Update Ahead of Fall Camp
Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Gives Injury Update Ahead of Fall Camp /
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NORMAN — As the Sooners fire up fall camp on Thursday, there will be a few holdouts.

Oklahoma tight end Kaden Helms will still be fighting back to full clearance coming off a spring plagued by injures.

“Not sure when he’ll get back,” OU coach Brent Venables said during a press conference on Tuesday. “Hate it for him. He works incredibly hard and he’s fighting like heck to get back.”

Helm’s teammate in the tight end room who also missed spring football, Jason Llewellyn, appears to be closer to a return to full contact practice .

“(Llewellyn’s) been snake bit too since he’s been here but I think he’ll be back,” Venables said.

Running back Emeka Megwa was also classified as limited to start fall camp per Venables, and Texas transfer receiver Brenen Thompson may miss a few days because he had his tonsils removed.

The news wasn’t as good for Missouri transfer J.J. Hester, who missed last season with injuries.

“He won’t be available for a little while,” Venables said of Hester.

Offensive lineman Jacob Sexton, who tore his ACL on the first drive of the Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State, is recovering quickly, but the Sooners won’t rush him back to action as Venables said OU expects him back in “middle to later September.”

Defensive tackle Jacob Lacey, who transferred to Norman from Notre Dame, will also miss time to start fall camp.

“He had some blood clots,” Venables said. “And he’s in a really good place… But based on his progress and doctors and tests and all that, I think you’ll see him back in the sooner target dates.”

Safety Robert Spears-Jennings will also be limited after repairing his labrum during spring practice.

Oklahoma is scheduled to open fall camp on Thursday as the Sooners prepare for the season opener on Sept. 2 against Arkansas State. 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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