Brent Venables provides injury update following start of 2023 fall camp

Oklahoma football has begun their fall practices as opening kick-off vs. Arkansas State is just a month away. And as the pads come on, it’s important to remember that injuries are inevitable, even in the preseason. Some teams wind up suffering major setbacks due to injuries in practice while others just see a few guys banged up. Any program that can make it through fall camp and to opening kick-off with minimal health setbacks really has a head start on the rest of the country.

So injuries will be a topic all fall, with fans hoping for as little news as possible on that front. After the inaugural week of fall practice, head Sooner coach Brent Venables spoke with media, where he was asked if the team had sustained any injuries yet. His answer:

“We’ve had a couple guys get banged up: Pete Schuh and Emmett Jones III. And so we’re getting MRIs on those guys. But other than that, I think we might’ve had a guy that cramped. But other than that, I think it was good.”

Well, it’s not a perfectly clean injury report but at least there were no huge blows this week. Per Venables, one guy cramped and Schuh and Jones are both just “banged up,” which suggests they shouldn’t be out too long, if at all. Plus, even if they were to miss time, neither player was a large part of the rotation last season, though it’d be nice to see them continue to develop.

Previous injury report from Venables

Unfortunately, Schuh and Jones aren’t the only guys banged up. At his previous press conference, Venables offered a more comprehensive report of all of the team’s various injury situations at the moment. Here was the latest with each of the following players:

Kaden Helms: “I think we’ve said he’s gonna be (out),” Venables said. “Not sure when he’ll get back. Hate it for him. He works incredibly hard and he’s fighting like heck to get back.”

Jason Llewellyn: “He’s been snake bit too since he’s been here, but I do think he’ll be back.”

Emeka Megwa “Emeka will be a little bit limited. He’ll be close.”

Jacob Sexton: “He’s ahead of his timeline and has looked terrific,” the coach said of Sexton, who tore his ACL in the bowl game. “But we’re gonna really work hard at trying to protect him because he’s just naturally eager and aggressive and we don’t want to put him in a compromising position. Some time in middle-to-later September is when he would have a ‘full clearance,’ if you will, but he’s ahead of the curve.”

Walter Rouse: “You didn’t see him in the spring, but he’s been cleared just after the spring and he’ll be ready to go.”

Jacob Lacey: Will carry a “no-contact” tag at the start of fall camp due to blood clots. “He’s in a really good place,” Venables said. “There’s a lot of what you don’t know, but based on his progress and doctors and tests and things of that nature, you’ll see him back in one of the sooner target dates. That might be in the latter part of September or so, but he’s doing a lot. Conditioning and lifting, but he’s in no-contact right now. He’s in great spirits and a really good place mentally.”

Phil Paea: He’s coming off of an ACL injury last season and Venables said he “may or may not” be limited to start fall camp.

Shane Whitter: He’s fully recovered after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in October.

Robert Spears-Jennings: “He had labrum surgery midway through spring and we expect him to be back full speed. He’s doing everything non-contact right now and has looked great. Expect him some time in the early part of September.”

Erik McCarty: “He’s right on target. He’s right back into things. He’s been doing really well. Unless he has some setbacks, we’re gonna ease him right on into fall camp and see what he can do and try to still protect him.”