Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables when he met with media on Thursday rattled off a list of players who did not start spring camp healthy, but that just means more opportunities for other guys as those injured get healthy now rather than when games are on the weekly schedule.
During his injury update, Venables mentioned defensive tackles David Stone and Jayden Jackson, defensive end Adepoju Adebawore, running back Tory Blaylock, and wide receiver Trell Harris. All are expected starters for 2026, or at least major contributors.
Newcomers and returning reserves get more opportunity with long list of injured Sooners
Venables said Stone "won’t play much at all this spring" and Jackson is still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Stone and Jackson were staples along the defensive line last season, but considering everyone already knows what they're capable of, it's best they get healthy now over practicing.
The Sooners are lacking some depth at defensive tackle, so the absence of Stone and Jackson is the perfect time for the guys behind them to get more work and show what they can do, especially newcomers like Georgia State transfer Bishop Thomas, who Venables spoke highly of (kind of).
“He looks like somebody’s crazy uncle,” Venables said. “He’d be a lot of fun to hang out with, and you really don’t think he can play ball. But, man, everything that you saw on tape is what we’ve seen. The guy just knows how to play the game. Stays on his feet, plays strong, understands leverage, plays quick. And he’s done a nice job the first couple of days.”
Venables also mentioned Nigel Smith, Trent Wilson and freshman James Carrington as players stepping up while Stone and Jackson are out. On the edge, with Adebawore sidelined after foot surgery, freshman Jake Kreul, who was the top-rated prospect in the Sooners' 2026 signing class, should get more time for his first impression.
Read more: 3 Oklahoma newcomers who could use spring camp to earn a starting job in 2026
Offensively, Blaylock will miss the entire spring and Harris transferred from Virginia this offseason already nursing an injury. It's important for Harris to build as much chemistry as possible with quarterback John Mateer before the season kicks off, but he'll still likely end up being one of Mateer's top targets.
In the meantime, fellow transfer receiver Parker Livingstone, from Texas, gets to make his first impression, while sophomore Elijah Thomas gets more opportunity to show off after not getting as much time as fans hoped for during his freshman campaign.
Spring camp started on Wednesday and will end with the return of the spring game at noon CT Saturday, April 18, at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.