To the surprise of no one, Oklahoma running back Jovantae Barnes is headed to the Transfer Portal.
Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported on Tuesday that Barnes is expected to enter the Transfer Portal once it officially opens on Jan. 2. This has been an anticipated move from Barnes since before the Sooners' season was even over.
Jovantae Barnes expected to enter Transfer Portal
"At the end of the day, we have a different environment that's not the player's fault," OU head coach Brent Venables said ahead of OU's regular-season finale against LSU. "They have lots of different options now, and so I look at it with that lens, as well. Can't blame guys for wanting a little more of this or that and looking out for their futures.
"I don't think it's necessarily a selfish trait, but we've created an environment that has some selfishness to it, from an environment standpoint. My job's to make sure that things are not a distraction and people are contributing and working and showing up with a diligent mindset and work ethic and things of that nature. As long as those things are good, I'm pretty capiche about all of it."
Venables' comment then all but confirmed Barnes' future move, but Barnes still practiced with the Sooners' ahead of their College Football Playoff game against Alabama and was available.
This will be Barnes' first time in the portal after spending his entire career to this point at OU after signing as a consensus four-star recruit in the 2022 class out of Las Vegas. He immediately contributed as a freshman with 519 rushing yards on 116 carries. His production then dipped in 2023 after missing five games because of injury.
Barnes led the Sooners in 2024 with 577 rushing yards on 122 attempts with five touchdowns. After starting two of the first three games this season, Barnes was eventually overtaken by youngsters Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock. Barnes ended up playing just four games this season to maintain a redshirt and have one year of eligibility left at his next destination.