[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] didn’t see the field often during his freshman year. However, he saw it enough not to receive a redshirt and made his best impression in the Sooners’ bowl game win over the Oregon Ducks.
He had an excellent performance in the game and entered the offseason with a lot of momentum and a real opportunity to make an impact in year two. With the losses of [autotag]Mario Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag] in the transfer portal and Michael Woods to the NFL, snaps were available, and Farooq earned an opportunity to star in [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag]’s offense.
He started out slow in the first few games until an early touchdown in the road opener against Nebraska.
An injury to starting QB [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] pushed the passing game to the side for a few games, but Farooq still found a way to have an impact. Against the TCU Horned Frogs, Farooq had four kickoff returns for 123 yards, nearly breaking several opportunities for touchdowns. In the loss to Texas, Farooq carried the ball five times for 60 yards.
Since Gabriel’s return against Kansas, Farooq has started to ascend into the number two role supporting star receiver Marvin Mims. Prior to the bye week versus Kansas, Farooq tallied four catches for 42 yards and caught every single pass that came his way. He followed that up with Saturday’s performance against Iowa State with four receptions on four targets for 74 yards and a touchdown. That’s two consecutive games with a 100% catch rate.
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Farooq has also seen an uptick in his usage in the run game. Jeff Lebby hasn’t shied away from finding a variety of ways to get his playmakers at receiver the football. It’s about getting the ball in their hands and letting them be athletes. Ultimately, that’s where Farooq’s value may be at its highest. With the ball in his hands, he’s fast, powerful, and hard to bring down. For good measure, he’s also not afraid to put his body on the line to make a catch.
What a catch by Jalil Farooq. π±#OUDNA βοΈ @jalilway_ pic.twitter.com/0t1D1LbK3V
— ππππΈβπππΈ-ππ-πβπΌ ππβππ» (@soonergridiron) October 29, 2022
Game by game, he’s becoming a reliable option for Dillon Gabriel and coming into his own as a receiver. For a guy buried on the depth chart this time last year to picking up the slack when the team’s number one receiver had one of his worst days, things have come full circle for Jalil Farooq.
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