After a scintillating performance in the [autotag]Valero Alamo Bowl[/autotag], sophomore wide receiver Jalil Farooq seemed destined for greatness. He entered the offseason amid uncertainty as to who would be his new quarterback and who would be calling plays. Even with those doubts and those questions unanswered, his play provided a glimpse of what Farooq could be.
Now and Farooq has Dillon Gabriel throwing him the ball, and Jeff Lebby is the man on the headset calling the plays. Lebby’s lightning-fast offense will provide plenty of opportunities for playmakers as the tempo wears teams down.
Farooq was included in Pro Football Focus’ 31 players they expect to break out in 2022.
Oklahoma lacks proven, high-quality wide receivers outside of Marvin Mims, but that’s not to say other players won’t step up. Former five-star recruit Theo Wease, Arizona State transfer LV Bunkley-Shelton and Farooq are all breakout candidates, although the latter is arguably the most likely of the bunch to do so. The 2021 four-star recruit flashed as a freshman and shined in the spring, showing that he is nimble for his size and has that extra gear that shows up after the catch. He caught just four passes for 69 yards in 2021 — 54 of which came after the catch. Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby will call plenty of screens, and Farooq can handle those underneath targets as well as the vertical shots the offense will be predicated on. — Anthony Treash, Pro Football Focus
Farooq comes into this season with a lot of hype behind him. His primary focus will have to be playing his game and doing what he does best which is his ability after the catch.
He showed it against Oregon, and with Lebby’s penchant for the wide receiver screen game and vertical passing, Farooq looks perfectly set up to showcase himself for in 2022. He’ll get his opportunities with teams trying to figure out how to slow down [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag]. This will open the field up for Farooq, Theo Wease, and others like Drake Stoops to shine.
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