Brent Venables Says Oklahoma is Getting Healthier During Bye Week

The Sooners were without 11 players in their last game against Auburn, but some of those contributors could return after an extra week to recover.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

At this point, the best part of a bye week for the Oklahoma Sooners is less chances for players to get injured. 

The Sooners have been plagued with injuries since before the 2024 season even kicked off. And when action did actually start, those injuries only piled up even more. Most recently, OU was without 11 players against Auburn last week as the Sooners had their first-ever SEC road trip. Yet, even while missing so much talent, OU still prevailed 27-21 thanks to a monstrous fourth quarter, which is usually when depth matters the most. 

“If you would have told me going into the year that we’d be down seven or eight starters as a football team going into our first SEC road game and we come out with a win, I wouldn’t have believed you,” OU coach Brent Venables said during Wednesday’s SEC teleconference. 

Now, the Sooners can rest in the midst of their first of two open weeks this season before taking on Texas next week. The Longhorns are also off this week. 

“Every year is different,” Venables said. “So, just unique from trying to get some guys healthy was probably the biggest thing. And again, the challenge, one of the most challenging schedules that probably we’ve maybe we’ve had. It helps us to build a segment. You break up the season in three different phases. From that standpoint, you are able to look at ourselves and see if from an opponent’s view. 

“Certainly they are going to be able to do the same thing as well. It’s beneficial for both teams, I’m sure, from both a health standpoint. You look at your self-evaluation and you attack the next phase of the season.”

Of the 11 players OU was missing last week, four are out long term. Receiver Jayden Gibson, defensive back Kendel Dolby and offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett will miss the rest of the season. Receiver Jalil Farooq broke his foot in the season opener and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks after having surgery. 

New additions last week to the injury report who could return soon include kicker Tyler Keltner, running back Taylor Tatum and receiver Deion Burks. Keltner was a surprise addition last week after an emergency appendectomy. He was 6-for-7 on field goals so far this season. It seems the Sooners will have Keltner back against Texas, though. 

“We’ll get Keltner back as well, but (Zach) Schmit proved he can step in and be a reliable (kicker), as well,” Venables said. “He had a couple of big kicks for us.”

As for Tatum and Burks, their health is improving with an extra week to recover, but their status for the Red River Showdown is still uncertain. Both were injured in the loss to Tennessee in Week 4. Tatum, a freshman, had just exploded onto the scene and was starting to emerge as OU’s most dangerous ball carrier. He was averaging 6.4 yards a carry after rushing for 116 yards and a pair of TDs on 18 carries. 

With so many injuries at the position, Burks, a transfer from Purdue, had taken over as OU’s leading receiver with 26 catches for 201 yards and three TDs. Burks’ absence on Saturday left the Sooners without their top five wide receivers as freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. made his first career start in a hostile environment. 

“They’re doing good, so expect to have an opportunity to have both of those guys potentially back,” Venables said of Burks and Tatum. “Again, I know Taylor is just a freshman, but I think we played 28 freshmen and sophomores in that game last weekend. Young guys are stepping up. We’re really excited about that group of guys, along with those guys we have to get healthy. That group of guys, an extra week, the bye week, will really help those young guys continue to make big improvements between here and the next stretch of our season.”