Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Updates OU's Injury Situation

Geirean Hatchett missed all of Week 2 after taking over center duties in Week 1 after starter Branson Hickman was also injured.

Geirean Hatchett / John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

Another week, another season-ending injury for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2024. 

OU coach Brent Venables announced on his coach’s show Monday night that offensive lineman Geirean Hatchett will miss the rest of the season because of an injury. Hatchett had been dealing with a left arm injury and wearing a brace since before the season kicked off. Hatchett went through pregame warmups without a brace Saturday night before the Sooners’ win against Houston, but then returned from the locker room in street clothes just before kickoff and never saw the field. 

“Geirean Hatchett, he’ll be finished for the year,” Venables said. “He had a biceps surgery.” 

In a bit of good news, Venables also said wide receiver Nic Anderson, who scored nine touchdowns last season but has missed the first two games of 2024, could be back for this week's game against Tulane.

"Really soon," Venables said of Anderson, "if not this week, then next."

A transfer from Washington, Hatchett stepped up to play a major role in OU’s offense Week 1 against Temple because of an injury to center Branson Hickman, who still hasn’t returned. Hickman exited the game in the first quarter of the Sooners’ season opener. He’s played only 10 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, since transferring from SMU to presumably take over the center job for OU. 

When Hickman left Week 1, Hatchett, listed as the backup right guard on the initial depth chart, moved to center for the game. The right-handed Hatchett was already battling his left arm injury then, while taking over snapping duties. 

“I practice snapping every single day, so I'm pretty used to the snapping aspect of center," Hatchett said the Monday after Week 1. "Definitely caught me off guard. No one's expecting anybody to go down that early like it happened. But I was able to adjust and the only thing I felt like I needed to get under control were my snaps — I had a couple of bad snaps — but then after that felt fine, felt natural being back at center."

When Hatchett met with the media the Monday night after OU’s win against Temple he mentioned he was dealing with an injury of his own but did not note it was serious. 

“It’s just something I gotta just deal with it,” Hatchett said. “It’s just a thing.” 

Hatchett transferred to Norman this past offseason from Washington, where he started four games last season as a redshirt junior but was also sidelined for three contests because of an ankle injury. He played in every game as a backup in 2022.

The injury to Hickman and then Hatchett forced Josh Bates to play center against Houston. Bates was listed on the depth chart as a possible starter at the position with an “OR” between him and Hickman. The depth chart looks the same there ahead of Week 3, with freshman Josh Aisosa also included as a backup. 

Taking over at center, Bates played 62 snaps, according to PFF, which was tied with quarterback Jackson Arnold and fellow linemen Jacob Sexton and Febechi Nwaiwu for the most on the team. PFF gave Bates, a redshirt freshman, a grade of 55.3, the worst grade on the offensive line, in his first college start. PFF graded Hatchett a 43.3 Week 1, which was also worth among the o-line.

“We’re on our third center, and that’s a real thing,” Venables said. “That’s the guy that touches the ball every snap. (Bates) started his first college game last week and he did pretty good. Can he be better? Yeah, who couldn’t? Billy Bowman could have been better. Danny Stutsman could have been better. And they played really good.”