Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables didn’t confirm anything about questions surrounding the status of RB Jovantae Barnes. Yet he got straight to the point. He blamed NIL for creating unique challenges in coaching during this modern era of college football.

“I think every case is a case of its own based on who that person has been and a body of work,” stated the OU HC on Tuesday’s press appearance ahead of hosting LSU for the Sooners’ regular-season finale.

So, try to navigate that appropriately, just as you would when disciplining in the moment or addressing big discipline issues. We have a set of rules, but again, the way you’re dealing with it is based on who they’ve been since they’ve been here.”

In his fourth year at Oklahoma, Barnes opened the season as RB1. But the situation changed fast with Xavier Robinson’s surge, while Tory Blaylock popped. Just like that, the backfield got crowded, and suddenly, there weren’t enough carries to justify Barnes burning his final year for a handful of snaps.

Here’s where NIL comes into play.

In the NIL era, the OU RB has plenty of options to give his final year a fresh start, especially by securing a redshirt season. But with the RBs inconsistently available this year, OU could really use Barnes’ depth if they make a playoff run. In today’s NIL era, a player chooses to do what protects his future, and Venables knows this truth.

“We have a different environment that’s not the player’s fault, mentioned Venables. They have numerous options, and so I view it through that lens. 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.”

While NIL has fostered a “pay-for-play” environment with competitive imbalances, not only Venables but also other CFB coaches have raised their voices about this modern era. Take Nick Saban, for example.

With some schools effectively buying players, he sees it as an unsustainable practice. At OU, Barnes could be part of such a scenario.

But here’s where the Sooners’ HC made his stance clear about his responsibility as a leader. “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,” said Venables.

Although Venables believes the Sooners were “fortunate” to win despite inconsistent depth at running back, that hasn’t silenced the whispers about Barnes. He has been missing for over two months due to an undisclosed injury. Still, when asked about his status, Venables gave a brief.

“He’s in good standing,” said Venables.

That hasn’t stopped the buzz about a possible redshirt being on the table. Barnes hasn’t seen the field since September 20 at Auburn, and now with only four games under his belt, he’s still eligible for a redshirt. If he shuts it down now, this could be his final snap as a Sooner and the likely path: hit the portal to finish his college career somewhere that gives him a bigger runway.

But with such a critical situation at running back, the real question is who will actually play for the Sooners in the game against LSU.

Brent Venables’ take on OU’s RB availability

The Sooners’ RB room has been hanging by a thread for weeks. Against Missouri, they leaned almost entirely on an injured Xavier Robinson. However, the situation appears to be changing, as Brent Venables hinted that more assistance might be forthcoming.

On Tuesday, he confirmed that, stating, “Taylor Tatum was, for the first time, healthy and available. So he’ll be somebody available along with, obviously, Jaydn Ott.”

Ott hasn’t taken a snap since October 18, while Tatum has been banged up all year and appeared in only one game. Along with them, Robinson and freshman Tory Blaylock are both fighting through injuries. So running back depth has become a serious concern for OU, but Venables has kept the mood under control.

“We’ve been fortunate enough to win despite that, said the OU HC. The guys who have been available have done a nice job for us.”

Still, the dark cloud over the room is Jovantae Barnes. He’s become the center of rumblings about a potential redshirt. Whether he returns or shuts it down, Oklahoma’s reality is that the LSU matchup will ride on who’s healthy.