After a strong showing in the Alamo Bowl, there was an expectation that [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] was destined for a breakout season. But in the first two games of the season, Farooq felt like an afterthought in the passing game.
Against UTEP and Kent State, the sophomore wide receiver saw just five targets and had one reception for nine yards, hardly what was anticipated after producing three catches for 64 yards against Oregon at the end of last season.
During the week following Oklahoma’s 33-3 win over Kent State, Jeff Lebby expressed confidence in Farooq and believed that a breakout was coming. And he was right.
In the Nebraska game, Farooq had three receptions for 58 yards and his first career touchdown in the Sooners’ 49-14 win in Lincoln. And he’s been an important cog in the offense ever since. The following week against Kansas State, Farooq set career highs in receptions with five and yards with 68.
Against TCU, he didn’t get many opportunities to catch the ball with Dillon Gabriel suffering a concussion, but with the injury to Billy Bowman, Farooq was slotted in as the kick returner and averaged 31 yards per return, nearly breaking a couple with one going for 47 yards in an attempt to spark a listless offense.
Again, against Texas, with Gabriel sitting out, there weren’t many opportunities for the pass catchers, but that didn’t stop Farooq from making an impact. With the Sooners running primarily a wildcat offense, he carried the ball five times for 60 yards, showing off a tough running style. He averaged 12 yards per carry and six yards per carry after contact. He had three runs of 10 yards or more, two of which went for 15 yards or more.
Now, with [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] back for the last two games, Farooq’s benefitted. In the last two contests, Farooq has been targeted eight times. He’s picked up eight receptions for 116 yards and a touchdown. Against Iowa State, he rushed for 26 yards on two carries.
Like fan favorite and team captain [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], Jalil Farooq shows up ready to do all the little things it takes for the Oklahoma Sooners to be productive.
“Just he’s really athletic and can do many things. And I think the beauty of him is he can play inside, he can play outside,” quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “You can get them in the run game, and then also he’s just really good on the perimeter blocking. So, just having his type of body type but then also his mentality, he’s just down to do whatever and wanting to get the ball or help out in every single way he can.”
Over the course of the season, Jalil Farooq’s displayed an versatility and “whatever it takes” attitude that is invaluable for a football team.
And boy, he displayed great toughness, certainly a versatile skill set, made a couple of huge plays,” [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] said in his weekly media appearance. “We gave him the Play of the Game, and we gave him the Player of the Game. He had 100-plus total yards on the day. But played with tremendous will and passion and toughness that can deflate. You know, he’s over there on their sideline on a couple of them, and that’s deflating when you see a guy just showing tremendous will and toughness. But he has developed that, too. And he’s earned his first captain position this week through his work and his consistency and his dedication and his toughness.”
There’s something infectious about watching a player take Jalil Farooq’s approach. It doesn’t matter if it’s on special teams, in the running game, or fulfilling the role that brought him to Norman, Farooq’s become an important player for the Oklahoma Sooners offense. As Marvin Mims looks destined for the NFL in 2023, the Sooners needed to figure out who will be their go-to wide receiver, and Jalil Farooq’s saying, “here I am, feed me.”
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