The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room will play a major role in the team’s success in 2024.
Flashback to a year ago – Oklahoma football had an expansive receiver room that was one of the more considerable unknowns entering the season. Oh, how quickly things can change; thanks in large part to passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach Emmett Jones.
The Sooners’ wide receivers coach has turned OU’s corps from a question mark to an exclamation point. The unit arguably represents the deepest and strongest positions on the entire roster entering the program’s inaugural season in the SEC. Even with the departure of Drake Stoops, last year’s leading receiver, Oklahoma’s broad receiver group has improved from where it was in 2023.
Freshman All-American Nic Anderson is back after a breakout season. So is fellow starter Jalil Farooq, junior Jayden Gibson (having enjoyed a miniature breakout of his own last season), senior Andrel Anthony (coming off an ACL injury), and deep-threat Brenen Thompson. On top of that, the Sooners seamlessly replaced Stoops with one of the top receivers in the transfer portal this cycle, as Purdue transfer Deion Burks comes to Oklahoma.
The Sooners wide receiver room is deep and talented. And, it enters 2024 with a vastly different perception than it did a year ago.
Nic Anderson
Anderson is back after his breakout season in 2023. Anderson caught 38 balls for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards per reception among qualified wide receivers. He’ll look to continue to improve going into this year, and should be a focal point in the Sooners’ offense.
Jayden Gibson
Gibson experienced a breakout of his own in a rotational role last season. He returns looking to build off of a season in which he had 14 receptions for 375 yards and five touchdowns. If Gibson is able to truly supersede expectations, the Oklahoma football team will see a vast improvement.
Jalil Farooq
Farooq is Oklahoma’s swiss army knife. He returns to give the Sooners a veteran amongst their wide receiver room. He had a solid year marred by ball insecurity, however, that reared its head in the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona. Farooq was second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards last season. Because of that, he’s likely to play a major role in the team’s offense this year.
Andrel Anthony
Anthony returns after suffering an ACL tear in the Red River Rivalry win over Texas. Before his injury, however, Anthony was leading the Sooners in receiving. He was also winning at every level of the passing game. It’ll be very interesting to see how Anthony returns from his ACL injury, and how it could hinder him going forward.
Also back are speedsters Brenen Thompson and Jaquaize Pettaway. Though they saw limited playing time, their speed put defenses on notice last year. Thompson provided considerable play ability every time he stepped on the field and will look to earn a more significant role this offseason. As a true freshman, Pettaway was getting his feet wet but could see an increased workload on offense and special teams.
Jones also brought in a talented playmaker in Deion Burks. Burks could start for the Sooners in the slot, taking over for Stoops in 2024. And if that weren’t enough, the Sooners added a perfect first-year class with Zion Kearney, Ivan Carreon, Zion Ragins, and K.J. Daniels.
To say the Sooners are talent-rich at wide receiver heading into 2024 would be an understatement. From top to bottom, it’s easily the deepest position group on the roster. With Jackson Arnold taking over as quarterback for Oklahoma and transitioning along the offensive line, a lot will be expected of this football team in 2024.
