SEC Announces Oklahoma Injury Data for Saturday's Game at Ole Miss

A handful of key players continue to be listed as out for the Sooners' first-ever trip to Mississippi.

Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks (right) / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold missed two starts, but will still apparently beat wide receiver Deion Burks back into the Sooners’ starting 11 on Saturday. 

Who Arnold will be throwing to this week, however, remains a bit of a mystery, as the team's five best receivers remain at the top of this week's injury report.

Burks, who was labeled as “day-to-day” during the Brent Venables coach's show on Monday, was listed as questionable on the first SEC Availability Report of the week on Wednesday night. 

The Purdue transfer is still OU’s leading pass catcher in 2024 with 26 receptions for 201 yards and three scores, though he hasn’t featured since Oklahoma’s Week 4 loss to Tennessee. 

Burks was a game-time decision against South Carolina and participated in pregame warm-ups, but returned to the locker room and was unable to make his return. 

SEC Availability Report / SEC

OU also continues to be without wide receivers Andrel Anthony, Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson in Oxford on Saturday as their rehabilitation processes continue. Gibson is out for the year with a patellar tendon injury, while Anderson has a "significant tear" on his upper thigh/hip area, Venables said. Farooq suffered a bone fracture in his foot in the season opener and is "on schedule," Venables said, getting out of his protective boot last week. Anthony is still coming back from last year's midseason ACL surgery, as Venables said he's experienced "collateral damage" and has needed some additional clean-up procedures.

“These guys aren’t like holding out and wanting to go somewhere else,” Venables said of his banged up receivers on Monday. “They love Oklahoma. They want to get on the field.”

Venables also said Tuesday that running back Gavin Sawchuk strained his quad ahead of the meeting with the Gamecocks, which caused him to log zero snaps in the loss. 

Sawchuk was listed as doubtful for this Saturday.

Fellow running back Sam Franklin was ruled out of the South Carolina bout late last week, and this week he is not listed as OU heads east to take on No. 18 Mississippi. 

Tight end Kade McIntyre missed the contest against South Carolina, and he is also not listed this week. 

On the other side of the ball, the Sooners will continue to be without cornerback Gentry Williams, who hasn’t featured since the victory over Houston, as well as defensive back Kendel Dolby, who suffered a season-ending injury against Tennessee, and offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett, who's been out with a torn biceps, bringing to seven OU's total number of players listed as out this week.

A total of nine OU players were listed as out on last Saturday's closing availability report, but that wasn't even most in the SEC. LSU also listed nine players out, while Florida listed 14.

This is the first year the SEC has utilized an availability report, which categorizes players as "out," "doubtful," "questionable" or "probable" during the week and then adds the designation "game time decision" on gameday if necessary. Wednesday's report will be updated Thursday night, Friday night and then again on Saturday within a 90-minute window before each game.

In other SEC games this week, Arkansas plays at Mississippi State at 11:45 a.m. (SEC Network), No. 21 Missouri visits No. 15 Alabama at 2:30 p.m. (ABC), No. 5 Texas visits No. 25 Vanderbilt at 3:15 p.m. (SEC Network), No. 8 LSU visits No. 14 Texas A&M at 6:30 p.m. (ABC) and Auburn plays at Kentucky at 6:45 p.m. (SEC Network).