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Oklahoma Lands Talented 2022 Running Back Commit

Las Vegas native Jovantae Barnes announced his commitment to Oklahoma during the Under Armor All-American game.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma Lands Talented 2022 Running Back Commit
Oklahoma Lands Talented 2022 Running Back Commit

DeMarco Murray struck gold again on the recruiting trail.

Jovantae Barnes, a 6-foot-0, 190-pound running back from Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday afternoon.

Making his call at the Under Armor All-American Game, Barnes picked OU over Florida State and USC.

Rated a 4-star prospect by both 247 Sports and Rivals, Barnes sat just outside the top 10 running backs in the country in Sports Illustrated All-American’s running back rankings.

Barnes is a strong runner, utilizing his muscular lower half of his body to both run through and around would-be tacklers.

His powerful running style will pair nicely with Gavin Sawchuk’s top-end speed in the open field, as Sawchuk signed with the Sooners back in December.

The Sooners tweeted out a welcome video for Barnes, meaning he signed alongside Sawchuk in the early period, though Barnes waited until Sunday to announce his future destination.

Barnes’ commitment brings OU’s total to 16, with defensive back Gentry Williams being the only other commit currently not signed.

Linebacker Jaren Kanak has also reportedly enrolled at Oklahoma, though he hasn’t officially announced his commitment to the Sooners.

With Kennedy Brooks’ decision to enter the NFL Draft, Murray’s running back room appears to be in great shape headed into 2022.

Eric Gray flashed big-play potential during his first year in Norman, and Marcus Major again had a strong bowl performance to pair some experience with the incoming Barnes and Sawchuk.

Despite the shocking coaching change, the Sooners are now positioned to try and land a top 10 class for 2022 with a strong close during the late signing period. New head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby have done a nice job to grow the class despite the chaos, and Barnes is just the latest victory to keep the recruiting momentum rolling in a positive direction.

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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