Oklahoma Coach Brent Venables Talks RBs Tory Blaylock, Jaydn Ott's Futures

Brent Venables sounded hopeful update Monday about a promising young Sooner.

Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock, who led OU in rushing yards during Saturday night’s 35-3 victory over Illinois State in the season opener before leaving with a shoulder injury, could possibly return to action this week against Michigan.

Without addressing Blaylock's health or the injury specifically, Venables said on his weekly coaches show, “Sooner Sports Talk with Brent Venables,” that Blaylock "has got a great future in front of him" going into this week's national showdown with the Wolverines, which includes ESPN's "College GameDay" coming to campus.

"He led the offense in explosive plays in the spring, and he put in a lot of work since January, all the way through the summer. Added close to 15-18, pounds, gained in every category in the weight room. And his speed. He's got elite speed and great power," Venables said as a Blaylock highlight played. "You see him knock the (defensive back) back right there.

"He knows how to get vertical quickly. He's got great instincts, both behind the ball and in the box and then out on the perimeter, as well, as a real weapon, catching the ball. But he runs through trash, just he plays with his pads forward all the time. He seemed every single one of those, he's falling forward, and that's what the good backs can do. Almost keeps his feet right there. But you know, he's got a great future in front of him."

Oklahoma’s freshman running back showed good versatility out of the backfield, with two pass receptions for 16 yards. He also got lots of action as a runner, earning eight attempts for 42 yards and a touchdown.

Blaylock, a 4-star recruit from Atascocita High School in Humble, TX, rushed for 1,262 yards and 26 touchdowns as a senior. He also was part of the 4x100 relay team that broke the national record during his junior year. Since then, however, Blaylock has added nearly 30 pounds of muscle (now at 203) to his 5-foot-11 frame — which paid off big-time against the Redbirds.

Blaylock finished almost each of his 10 touches with a punishing blow, lowering his pads and running with power and confidence. His most authoritative play was when he smashed over a tackler at the end of a 16-yard swing pass. He also made a nice cut and powered through traffic on his 5-yard touchdown run.

“He’s the same guy we’ve been talking about," Venables said Saturday night. "He took all the habits he’s created, the confidence that he’s created through a lot of hard work and consistency, and it showed up tonight. Game day execution. We talk about it all the time. Your practice habits become great game day execution.

“And so some guys practice for comfort and some guys practice for execution. He’s a guy that has a game rep mentality every day. Like every day it’s to win the game on the next play. He has a unique maturity to him and hunger and humility to work and be coached and to learn and play his role and be prepared and go in and compete at a high level.”

However, Blaylock left the game in the third quarter with what appeared to be a right shoulder injury. Monday night on the “The Huddle,” sideline reporter, OU insider and former Sooner Gabe Ikard confirmed the injury as a shoulder.

Under running backs coach DeMarco Murray’s watchful eye, Blaylock is competing for playing time with Cal transfer Jaydn Ott, senior Jovantae Barnes and returning sophomores Xavier Robinson and Taylor Tatum.

Tatum sat out Saturday’s opener with injury. Barnes, who led the Sooner running backs last year with 577 yards on the ground despite missing the last four games with a foot injury, gained just 9 yards on seven carries against Illinois State. Robinson got eight rushes for 24 yards. Ott, who missed time in preseason camp, got one carry for minus-3 yards late in the season-opener.

Venables also talked Monday about Ott's situation and his availability moving forward.

"He missed a lot of practice," Venables said. " ... But you're gonna see a lot more of him."

Oklahoma will need Blaylock and all hands on deck this week when the No. 14-ranked Michigan Wolverines come to Owen Field. Michigan, coached by former Sooner offensive lineman Sherrone Moore, won the national championship in 2023 and last year took down rival Ohio State as the Buckeyes were on their way to winning the first 12-team College Football Playoff.

Blaylock is the son of seven-year NFL veteran Derrick Blaylock, a former Kansas City Chiefs draft choice.