Oklahoma Sooners news: Offensive line injuries, Jim Nagy's pay and more

Offensive line injury update

The Oklahoma Sooners had five offensive linemen on the initial SEC Availability Report ahead of hosting Ole Miss on Saturday, but Thursday evening's update brought both good and bad news.

While offensive linemen Troy Everett, Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor had already been ruled out, right tackles Derek Simmons and Logan Howland were both listed as questionable on Wednesday. Howland, though, on Thursday was upgraded to probable, while Simmons, the usual starter, was downgraded to doubtful. Although having Simmons would be ideal, Howland being healthy at least avoids a possible crisis for the Sooners with no depth at tackle.

Wide receiver Keontez Lewis was also listed as doubtful on Thursday and defensive back Gentry Williams was questionable.

Where Jim Nagy's pay ranks

USA Today on Thursday released its newest database of salaries for general managers across college football. According to USA Today, with a salary of $750,000 for 2025-26, Oklahoma GM Jim Nagy is the eighth-highest paid GM in the country and third in the SEC.

According to USA Today, North Carolina's Michael Lombardi is the highest-paid GM in the country and the only one over the million-dollar threshold at $1,510,000. Alabama’s Courtney Morgan tops the SEC at $825,000.

Only time will tell, though, if these new general mangers are worth the investment.

Lane Kiffin backtracks signal-stealing comment

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin during Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference backtracked his comment from Monday that alleged the Sooners were having so much success on defense this season because of their ability to steal signals.

“Like I said, they do a great job of overall, everything,” Kiffin said. “Playing plays. I said the signal thing, that’s a compliment. That’s part of your job is to ready your players all week for the plays that come, and then try to figure out on game day what they are. They do a great job and, obviously, Coach (Brent Venables) has done it for years. He’s done this for a long time.

“Always been one of the elite information gatherers in the game. That’s a better term.”

Fittingly, OU head coach Brent Venables said on Monday that he took Kiffin's comment as a compliment, in a weird Lane Kiffin way.