By Tim Willert
NORMAN — When Oklahoma running backs coach DeMarco Murray talks, Jovantae Barnes listens.
And Murray, a former Sooners standout who starred in the NFL, had a lot to say Monday as the second week of fall camp kicked off at the Al Velie Rugby Complex.
Much of it was encouraging. Some of it was not. Murray got after a couple of players during drills but Barnes, a sophomore from Las Vegas, was not among them.
“I love DeMarco. A big reason why I picked this school is because of him and his energy and what he brings and his knowledge and what he knows,” Barnes told media following practice. “What we're doing ... he did it already. He was great. He's probably the best running back to go through here and I just love his energy.”
Barnes played in 11 games as a freshman, rushing for 519 yards and five touchdowns. He made the most of his first career start against Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl, running for 108 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.
He averaged 4.5 yards every time he touched the ball, despite playing with a foot injury that started bothering him as a senior in high school.
After speaking with Murray, Barnes underwent a procedure to correct the injury, which caused him to miss the second half of spring practice.
“When I got here, me and (DeMarco) had a talk, and I was like, ‘Shoot, I’m trying to play my freshman year, so whatever it takes, I’m going to get on the field,’ “ he said. "So, I was kind of ignoring it, and then we had a talk, he said, ‘As soon as the bowl game is over, we’re going to get it (taken care of).’ That’s exactly what we did, and I feel great. That’s pretty much how it went.”
This summer, Barnes is competing with a young but capable stable of running backs for more carries in 2023 following the departure of Eric Gray to the NFL.
“I just feel like I’m more hungry and I’m more energized, and I’m more ready,” he said. “I feel like I’m more locked in and focused. “Going step by step, practice by practice. I’m just excited to be back and just be out here with my boys. It’s fall camp; it’s work, but I’m getting through it.”
Murray said Barnes is “ready to go.”
“He didn't miss a ton of time this offseason, but missed enough,” Murray said during OU Media Day on Aug. 1. “For him, he played a lot of football a year ago. You're taking about a guy who comes to work, who appreciates his opportunity, no matter if it's one rep in the first quarter or one rep in the fourth quarter.
“He's a guy who I've always had admiration for because of how he plays the game, how happy is when he's on the field. He just appreciates (the) opportunity to be part of this team.”
Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said Monday it will be important to create depth at the position leading up to the season opener, adding that Barnes is among four players to stand out so far.
“We've got three guys in there who are really capable but, again, we want to see those guys continue to work and end up going into Week One with five or six guys so that you've got an entire stable,” Lebby said.
“The steady guys have been Gavin (Sawchuk), have been Jovantae without a doubt. Marcus (Major) has had a great start to camp, so he needs to continue that trend. Obviously we all know what he can do for us when he's on the field and he's healthy. He's got to stay that way, and he's had a good start as well.”
Sawchuck, a redshirt freshman, missed a portion of Monday's practice but was on the field by the end of the session, according to Lebby.
“Gavin was out here,” he said.
Tawee Walker, 5-foot-9, 215-pound junior, is another standout player, according to Lebby.
Barnes credits Murray, a fellow Las Vegas prep star, with his continued development as a running back.
“Every time he talks ... I just go up and I listen because it's amazing just to see his work and it's just good getting in with him and just getting one-on-one with him because he teaches you more, not even just your job, he teaches you what the O-line is going to do ... what the linebackers are going to do, just pay attention to the little stuff,” he said. “Stuff like that, he knows. He's not just teaching us our position but everybody else's positions, one at a time. I just feel like he knows what he's talking about.”
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