Jovantae Barnes has seen it all through his first two and a half seasons of college football.
After going 6-7 his freshman year and battling a foot injury throughout his sophomore campaign, these experiences have allowed him to stay positive, even while experiencing moments like the Sooners’ 34-3 loss to Texas on Saturday.
So, while many have labeled Oklahoma’s offensive performances through six games as alarming, Barnes continues to take one step at a time as OU jumps into the second half of its season. Through six games, Barnes has 237 yards on 71 carries with two touchdowns.
“Just not letting it be too big on my mind,” Barnes said of OU’s loss on Monday. “We’ve put a lot of work in since the spring, and just been working our tail off. Just so much we put into this game and put into Oklahoma, but at the end of the day, it ends with us.”
One guy who Barnes has taken under his wing this year has been true freshman running back Taylor Tatum. While Tatum had his first career fumble on Saturday against the Longhorns, he’s shown flashes of potential.
As for words of encouragement for Tatum, Barnes has been impressed with his ability to bounce back from difficult situations.
“He doesn’t let little moments or big moments like that get to him, and that’s where I’m proud of him for that,” Barnes said. “... I know obviously he’ll want to get it back 100 percent, but just letting that fuel him and going into the next game with a hungry mindset and a good demeanor.”
For Barnes, who stepped up as a leader, it is about supporting players like Tatum and freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., who made his second career start against the Longhorns.
While Hawkins did not have the Red River Rivalry introduction he hoped for (19-of-30 passing for 148 yards), Barnes has noticed that the quarterback has still not lost confidence despite Oklahoma’s rocky performance against Texas.
“He’s a competitor, so he’s gonna be hard on himself, but I think he’s been doing a great job,” Barnes said. “... So just make sure he keeps going and keep that confidence.”
Long-standing injuries to OU’s wide receiver room and underperformance from the offense as a whole have limited the unit from showcasing its full potential. Flaws in co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell’s play calls and schemes during games have also been apparent. As a result, OU ranks 125th nationally in total offense and 133rd in 20+ yard plays.
However, Barnes confirmed that Littrell’s message has stayed the same.
“He’s just making sure we keep our hands on our shoulders and just keep going,” Barnes said. “Just stay together as a team and as a brotherhood, and make sure the leaders step up and keep speaking.”
Even amid OU’s struggles players have stepped up, with Barnes noting himself and Gavin Sawchuk have moved into leadership roles offensively this season. He also mentioned offensive lineman Troy Everett, tight ends Bauer Sharp and Jake Roberts, Hawkins and sophomore quarterback Jackson Arnold, along with wide receivers Nic Anderson and Jalil Farooq as players who have led their respective position groups.
“Just making sure we get together and knowing this is what we have to work on,” Barnes said. “(These are) our goals and this is what we have to do to execute, so everybody’s been doing a pretty good job.”
This story was edited by Gracie Rawlings.
