Taking a look at what Purdue transfer Deion Burks can bring to the aOklahoma offense next year.
Oklahoma made a significant splash in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] market this week when they landed Purdue wide receiver Deion Burks. Burks entered the portal after a solid year as a Boilermaker in the Big Ten, but middling quarterback play did him no favors.
Burks is as talented a playmaker to enter the portal this cycle, and his commitment to Oklahoma is significant. The Sooners weren’t particularly searching for additional wide receiver help and would only take a commitment from someone they knew was a stone-cold killer and could contribute immediately.
That fits Burks to a tee, considering multiple people, including Pete Thamel, are reiterating that Burks has the ceiling of a top 100 prospect in the NFL Draft. Thamel confirmed he had also spoken to NFL sources that corroborated this notion. Specific metrics like explosive and chunk play percentage compared Burks favorably to upcoming first-round draft pick Keon Coleman of FSU. Those types of guys are the types you take flyers on, no matter what your numbers look like.
In landing Burks, they have found a replacement and potential upgrade to Drake Stoops in the slot. Stoops is a fan favorite, but Burks is a better and more explosive athlete. For obvious reasons, he may never endear himself to fans the way Stoops did. However, his athleticism what he can do as a slot receiver adds layers to the Sooners’ offense under offensive coordinators Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley.
Burks was a track star in high school. His vertical straight-line speed is a nightmare for opposing defenses. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound receiver could stretch the field from the slot while opening up the intermediate areas for other Sooners receivers.
His tape showcases his ability to make tough catches in traffic. He isn’t limited to just the slot. Purdue isolated him outside the numbers, where Burks utilized his speed to stack defenders and create separation to win routes. This should open up Oklahoma to get creative because of the depth of their receiver room. Not being able to bracket coverage any receiver next year will be paramount.
If Burks’ ability to win downfield isn’t appealing enough, he is a player the Oklahoma offensive brain trust can also get involved in the run game with handoffs, sweeps, and screens. He is explosive and dynamic with the ball in his hands. The apprehension of jet sweeps from the Lebby days may still exist among many, but the jet sweeps aren’t the problem. The person running them or the situation in which they were called never made much sense. Someone like Burks is precisely the type of athlete you scheme to get the ball in their hands and sit back while he gets to the edge or finds open space.
We’d also add that with a dynamic slot guy like Deion Burks, Oklahoma can create matchup advantages in the running game next year.
With their wide receiver depth, Oklahoma should consider utilizing more ten personnel (one running back, four wide receivers, and no tight ends) next year. It would take the tight end off the field but allow the Sooners running backs and Jackson Arnold to see lighter boxes in the running game. Teams would have to deploy more defensive backs to respect the capabilities of the receivers Oklahoma has. Instead of seven or eight-man boxes, Gavin Sawchuk may see five or six-man boxes. That one less defender makes all the difference between a decent play and a chunk play.
To conclude, Burks should improve this offense next year. His inclusion gives Oklahoma five legitimate receivers with production. Jackson Arnold will have no shortage of weapons in his first season as the starting quarterback.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.
