The Oklahoma Sooners are looking to replace a large amount of production that departed for the NFL in the 2023 draft. Gone are [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] and [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] is off to Missouri in the transfer portal.
With players departing comes opportunities for guys to step into bigger roles. One player that showed he is capable of stepping into a bigger role in 2023 was [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who had significant playing time for the first time in his collegiate career. He turned in 37 receptions for 466 yards and five touchdowns. He also carried the ball 15 times for 140 yards.
Farooq may not be a household name across the country yet, but in 2022, he displayed a playmaking ability that was enough for our friends at Longhorns Wire to take notice. In their rankings of every Big 12 offense, the Sooners came in at No. 3 and Farooq is one of the reasons.
The more film I watch on Oklahoma receiver Jalil Farooq, the more he reminds me of great Sooners receivers of the Bob Stoops era. Dillon Gabriel is perhaps the most proven quarterback in the league and his offense should score plenty in 2023. — Hickey, Longhorns Wire
Farooq proved a valuable asset in Oklahoma’s multi-dimensional offense, which asks its wide receivers to run reverses and jet sweeps, catch screen passes and run a traditional route tree. Farooq’s size and ability to run with the ball in his hands gives offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby a wide receiver that fits exactly what he’s looking for in a wideout.
With the departure of Marvin Mims and Brayden Willis, the Sooners need Farooq to take the step many are expecting. He has the skills to see 100 targets in Oklahoma’s offense and that should turn into a big-time season for the former four-star wide receiver.
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