Brent Venables provides injury update on OU football RB Xavier Robinson
· Yahoo Sports
NORMAN — One of Oklahoma football coach Brent Venables’ major points of emphasis this spring is fixing the Sooners’ run game, which mightily struggled last season.
With experienced backs Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson out with injuries that are expected to keep them out for the entire spring, there has been plenty of opportunity for Colorado State transfer Lloyd Avant and early enrollees Jonathan Hatton Jr. and Dezephen Walker.
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Venables offered a positive update on Robinson on Tuesday evening following OU’s seventh practice of spring camp.
“He just had a little strain,” Venables said. “So getting some of those young guys some reps so they can play. We’re going to have to lean on some of those guys. We had some really explosive runs from Lloyd, Jonathan Hatton and Dezephen. Dez was fantastic, he scored a touchdown — a really good run — in our scrimmage a couple of days ago. (Running backs coach) Deland (McCullough) has done an excellent job getting those guys prepared to execute a new offense.
“All three of those guys, this is their first opportunity here for their understanding of what we want to do in the run game, in the pass game and protection. Really excited about that group.”
Venables hasn’t been quiet about the run game’s need to improve.
Venables also elevated senior offensive analyst Kevin Wilson and gave him a raise to help improve the run game. The Sooners have been running more outside zone during spring practices under new position coach Deland McCullough — something they haven’t done a ton of in recent seasons.
The key, Venables says, is increased physicality. A rebuilt tight end unit, as well as an improved offensive line, should help.
He has already seen improvement.
"Everybody plays a part. Kevin is a good football coach and so is Bill Bedenbaugh and Jason Witten and Ben Arbuckle and so forth,” Venables said. “All of them together figuring out the personnel and what we need to do to be more effective and efficient and explosive. In our scrimmage, we had a really high explosive play rate for what you really want to be about in both the pass and the run. Both. And being able to complement one another that way.
“We're doing a little better job, getting off the line of scrimmage and running off the ball and being physical, targeting the right people, and playing aggressively, which is what we want to be about."
Colton Sulley covers the Oklahoma Sooners for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Colton? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @colton_sulley. Support Colton's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Xavier Robinson injury update: OU football RB battling 'little strain'