Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables opens up on a player the team will desperately need soon

There's not really a way anyone could have predicted the Oklahoma Sooners would start their 2024 season, their inaugural SEC season , with the amount of injuries they have now sustained. Their wide receiver and offensive line rooms are depleted, which is a big reason why the offense is struggling as much as it is. The run game, because of the passing game not working out well, has to be better, and it has to come together better.

That means they need to see more from both Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes, and even the freshman, Taylor Tatum. But Sawchuk, is now he's the guy that needs to come through the most, as he is a young starter hoping to carry the workload.

Sawchuk redshirted in 2022 but made an impact in the Cheez-It Bowl, where he carried the ball 17 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, hinting at his potential. Last year saw him emerge as a key player for Oklahoma. He earned honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition, playing in 11 games and starting the last six. His stats included leading the team with 610 rushing yards on 105 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per carry, and scoring eight rushing touchdowns.

His performance was highlighted by a streak of games where he rushed for over 100 yards, indicating his growing reliability and skill. So, we know he can do it, but that wasn't against SEC defenses. Sawchuk is fast, very fast, which makes sense and is evident from his track background.

The Sooners are confident in that he will be able to help fix the offense, which means opening up a running game that is forced to be reckoned with.

“DeMarco [Murray, RBs coach] feels good about him," head coach Brent Venables said. "We are counting on him for what we are doing offensively.”

Sawchuk is 10 for 19 on the year, which comes out at 1.9 yards per carry. The offensive line hasn't been great in run blocking either, but man, that has to be better from Sawchuk. You would think those numbers are from one game, but that's two games of bad performance and a big reason the offense can't get in a groove.

If the Sooners are trusting in him, and they know it will get to where it's supposed to be, then we have no choice but to believe them.

Related: Can the Oklahoma Sooners Fix Their Offensive Line Before SEC Play Begins?