For once, Oklahoma is the team with the shorter injury list.
The first SEC availability report for Saturday’s Oklahoma-Ole Miss matchup came out Wednesday evening, and the numbers landed in a way the Sooners haven’t seen much lately. OU had 12 players listed. Ole Miss had 17.
That’s a rare flip for Oklahoma, which has usually been the team dealing with the heavier injury burden over the last three seasons. Since availability reports were introduced in 2024, this is only the second time OU has had fewer players listed than its opponent. The other came before the Sooners’ loss to Alabama in the first round of the College Football Playoff last season.
Ole Miss is still carrying a heavy load into Norman, and it’s not just depth pieces. The Rebels already have 11 players ruled out for the week, including star running back Kewan Lacy, who has missed the last two games with a lingering shoulder injury.
When Lacy is healthy, Ole Miss looks like a different team. The Rebels are 1-2 this season without him, and that includes last week’s 42-7 loss to Georgia. Lacy left the 34-27 defeat to Texas in the third quarter after suffering the injury, so the Rebels could also be viewed as 1-3 without him.
The production drop is hard to ignore. In the five complete games Lacy played this season, Ole Miss averaged 39.4 points per game. In the games without him, that number falls to 26.7.
And he’s not the only offensive piece missing. Starting right guard Patrick Kutas will also be out, another hit to the Rebels’ run game.
“There will be some moving parts to that, and looking at some guys bumping inside, and we’ve been rotating some guys anyway. But he’s the only one (besides Lacy) that we know for sure won’t be available on Saturday," Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding said during his weekly press conference.
Oklahoma, meanwhile, is trending the other way on offense as it enters Game 2 under interim offensive coordinator Jason Witten. Offensive lineman Ryan Fodje is still listed as doubtful, but that’s still the closest the Sooners have been in weeks to having their starting offensive line fully intact.
A few other OU names moved in the right direction on the initial report. Linebacker Cole Sullivan is questionable, while cornerback Jacobe Johnson is probable.
The biggest question for the Sooners is running back Tory Blaylock, who is listed as questionable. Blaylock has dealt with injuries for much of the season, but he had started to emerge as RB1 once he got healthier.
Last week, Lloyd Avant led the backfield with 13 carries for 47 yards, while Blaylock followed with seven rushes for 30 yards. If Blaylock can’t go, freshman Jonathan Hatton Jr. should see more work.
That injury edge, along with OU’s recent offensive uptick, is a big reason the Sooners are only 1.5-point underdogs despite Ole Miss being a top-20 team with a dangerous offense led by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. Still, the report only tells part of the story. Being healthier doesn’t automatically mean Oklahoma will be the better team on Saturday.
In Other News...
Jason Witten Is Already Changing Oklahomas Offensive Identity
Jason Wittens first weeks as Oklahomas offensive coach have already brought a noticeable shift in how the Sooners are operating on the practice field. The former NFL tight end has pushed a more intentional, professional approach, with an emphasis on clarity, communication and situational football, and that has stood out to Brent Venables in the early going.
Venables has pointed to Wittens organization and the way he gets through to players as a real asset for the offense. Even after just one game in the role, the early signs suggest the Sooners are getting a cleaner understanding of what is expected, along with a stronger sense of accountability as the unit adjusts to a different voice and a different standard. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Waits On Key Line Decision Before Ole Miss Showdown
Oklahomas preparation for Ole Miss has been shaped by the injury report, with offensive lineman Ryan Fodje listed as doubtful after getting hurt on Oct. 17. The Sooners could use the extra help up front in a matchup that figures to test every part of the offense, while cornerback Jacobe Johnson is listed as probable and should give the secondary a needed boost if he is cleared to go.
Ole Miss, meanwhile, is dealing with its own long list of absences, including 11 players ruled out, among them running back Kewan Lacy and guard Patris Kutas. Even with a few Rebels listed as probable or doubtful, the bigger question for Oklahoma is how the line holds up if Fodje cannot make it, because that decision could shape both the protection plan and the way the Sooners attack in a game with plenty on the line. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Sent A Blunt Message About Brent Venables Future
Brent Venables may have signed a two-year extension in August, but the bigger message around Oklahoma football has been about stability, not anxiety. The deal pushed his tenure through 2031, came with a salary bump, and significantly increased his buyout, all of which signaled that the university was willing to make a long-term commitment even as the on-field results have fallen short of expectations.
Rick Nagel, the chair of the Oklahoma Board of Regents, added to that picture by publicly saying Venables is not on the hot seat despite the disappointing season. For a program with championship standards and a fan base that does not like to wait, that kind of backing matters, because it suggests Oklahoma is not looking to make a snap judgment about its coach even as the pressure around the program continues to build. [Read more 🡒]