Tag: J.J. Hester

Oklahoma Sooners lose another wide receiver to the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Andrel Anthony entering the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have experienced a lot of transition on the offensive side of the ball this offseason. They have a new offensive coordinator. Oklahoma will also deploy a new starting quarterback and a new group of pass catchers projected to start for Oklahoma in 2025.

Joining [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], and [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] is [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], according to On3. Anthony joined the Sooners prior to the 2023 season, coming over from Michigan. He was Oklahoma’s leading receiver before tearing his ACL in the Sooners’ win over Texas in the Red River Showdown. That injury kept him out of action during the offseason, but there was optimism he could contribute at some point in 2024.

He appeared in the season opener against Temple and caught one pass for four yards but couldn’t get back on the field for the remainder of the season.

Now, he’ll look for his third college team in 2025, hoping to rebound from missing nearly all of the 2024 season.

In response to their departures, the Sooners are actively pursuing wide receivers Donaven McCulley and Reginald Virgil via the portal.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDcUYOdRv1m/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners lose starting wide receiver to transfer portal

Oklahoma has lost another wide receiver to the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners will be replacing their top two pass catchers this offseason.

[autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] entered the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] earlier this week, and now, [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] has as well. Hester is the third wide receiver to depart via the portal this cycle, following [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag].

“First and foremost, thank you to my brothers and OU,” Hester shared on social media. “I’m grateful for everything that has happened throughout my career. Memories that’ll last forever. With that being said, I’ll be entering my name in the transfer portal.”

Hester was second on the Sooners in receiving yards with 315 yards on 14 receptions. He had one touchdown, a 90-yard score against Maine. His big game came against the Auburn Tigers: three receptions for 86 yards. His 60-yard reception helped set up a Jovantae Barnes two-yard score that put the Sooners back in the game at 21-16. Kip Lewis’ interception return for a touchdown followed and the Sooners earned their first SEC win.

After transferring from Missouri in 2022, Hester had a hard time getting on the field during his first two seasons in Norman. But with injuries at wide receiver, 2024 provided an opportunity to see extended playing time. Though the numbers may not be eye-popping, he provided an explosive element in the Sooners’ struggling passing game, averaging 22 yards per reception. Hester was second among Sooners wide receivers in snaps this season.

Oklahoma has been linked to wide receivers [autotag]Donaven McCulley[/autotag] and [autotag]Reginald Virgil[/autotag] in the first few days of the transfer portal as the Sooners look to rebuild their wide receiver corps.

More: 2024 Oklahoma Sooners transfer portal tracker

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDaHuE-vSCn/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Sooners lose finale 37-17 to the LSU Tigers

The Oklahoma Sooners offense stagnated and the defense gave up a number of big plays in their 37-17 loss to the LSU Tigers.

There was a lot of optimism heading into the Bayou as the Oklahoma Sooners were looking to build off of a strong performance against the Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 13. But the LSU Tigers put together an impressive performance on offense and the Sooners weren’t able to respond in a 37-17 loss to the close the 2024 regular season.

The Oklahoma Sooners deferred to start the game and forced a punt on LSU’s opening drive of the game. But the Sooners offense struggled to get going and LSU was able to make something happen on their second drive of the game when Garrett Nussmeier found Kyren Lacy for an 18-yard touchdown.

Oklahoma punted the ball back on their next possession, but with LSU facing a third-and-10, Gracen Halton created pressure up the middle and as Garrett Nussmeier attempted to elude the rush, Halton swiped the ball away and R Mason Thomas recovered it and returned it for a game-tying score.

After the two teams traded punts, the game looked like it might turn in OU’s favor when Thomas beat projected first-round pick Will Campbell around the edge and hit Nussmeier, who landed hard on his throwing shoulder. But a big run from Caden Durham set up an LSU field goal to give them the 10-7 lead.

Oklahoma answered right back, though, as Jackson Arnold connected with J.J. Hester for a 50-yard strike to get the Sooners offense going. Arnold then picked up 28 yards on the ground, and Xavier Robinson punched it in for the two-yard score to give the Sooners a 14-10 lead.

But the lead was short-lived as Aaron Anderson took the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

Though OU answered with a field goal, the momentum was clearly in the hands of the Tigers.

Nussmeier returned to the game with just over two minutes remaining in the half, and after a few short passes to get the ball moving, the LSU quarterback hit Chris Hilton Jr. for a 40-yard touchdown with Eli Bowen in coverage.

Oklahoma elected to run out the clock to end the first half trailing 24-17.

The second half saw the Sooners punt on their opening possession. The Tigers then found another big pass play as Nussmeier connected with Hilton for another score, this time a 45-yard strike and again with Bowen in coverage.

That put the Sooners in a position they didn’t want to be in, forced to throw down multiple scores, and Arnold couldn’t create enough in the passing game to move the football. The LSU Tigers’ pass rush was simply able to tee off at that point with little concern for the Sooners’ passing attack.

And with that, the Oklahoma Sooners first season in the SEC ends with a whimper. There was a lot of hope after Oklahoma earned a big win over Alabama a week ago, but outside of the quarterback run game, the Sooners offense was back to their inconsistent ways.

Robinson suffered a groin injury during the game but he and the offensive line weren’t nearly as good this week as they were a year ago. The LSU Tigers defense held the Sooners to 277 total yards, with 167 coming on the ground. 75 of those rushing yards came from Arnold.

Through the air, Arnold was 14 of 21 for 110 yards in the loss. 50 of those yards came on the deep ball to Hester. Otherwise, Arnold had just 60 passing yards on his other 20 attempts, or just three yards per attempt.

For the game, LSU put up 395 total yards and were 8-of-17 on third and fourth down. Nussmeier, who battled back from the shoulder injury finished the game 22 of 31 for 277 yards and three touchdowns.

This wasn’t at all the performance that many were expecting after how well OU played a week ago against Alabama. But LSU provided a different challenge and Oklahoma couldn’t keep up with their passing attack.

The Sooners close the season 6-6 and have a lot of questions they’ll have to answer on the offensive side of the ball.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Relive Oklahoma’s big win over Maine with the best photos from Week 10

Relive the Oklahoma Sooners big win over the Maine Black Bears through these fantastic photos.

Man, the Oklahoma Sooners needed that. Outside of the first offensive and defensive possessions, it was pure domination for the Sooners in their 59-14 win over Maine.

The Sooners outgained Maine 665 to 251 with 381 rushing yards.

Jovantae Barnes led the way for the Sooners with a career-high 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It was a huge day for Barnes, who was injured for much of the 2023 season after a strong start to his career as a true freshman in 2022.

J.J. Hester also had a big day with a career-high 112 receiving yards, featuring a 90-yard touchdown reception from Jackson Arnold.

This win doesn’t mean the Oklahoma Sooners are back or are without questions, but it was a refreshing turn of events that helped break a three-game losing streak.

The Sooners have a challenging trio of games to end the season but they have a chance to end on a high note if they can build on this performance.

Here’s a look at some of the best photos from the Sooners win over Maine

Oklahoma Sooners run wild in big win over Maine

The Oklahoma Sooners ran for over 300 yards in their dominant win over the Maine Black Bears.

It was a dreary day in Norman as the Oklahoma Sooners took on the Maine Black Bears from the FCS. Though Maine scored first, the Oklahoma Sooners ultimately took care of business to pick up the 59-14 win.

The Sooners got the run game going early with [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], who ripped off a 73-yard run before being tackled just short of the end zone. Two plays later, Barnes punched it in to tie the game at seven.

Oklahoma then added to the lead on a one-yard run by [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag]. The score capped off a 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. Oklahoma converted two third downs and a fourth down on the drive to come away with points and take the lead.

After the Sooners allowed the opening touchdown drive, the defense settled in and took control, forcing punt after punt.

An Oklahoma fumble ruined the Sooners’ opportunity to expand their lead Sam Franklin couldn’t handle the option pitch from Jackson Arnold. But OU’s defense forced a three-and-out, and after a short punt, the Sooners got the ball back in Black Bears territory.

Barnes ripped off another big run to put the Sooners inside the 10, and Jackson Arnold finished it off with a one-yard touchdown to make it 21-7.

Maine was able to pick up a couple of first downs on their next drive but had to punt it back to the Sooners, pinning OU at the 10-yard line. Two plays later, Arnold hit [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] for a 90-yard touchdown as the OU quarterback scrambled to his left.

Another three-and-out gave the Sooners the ball with just under two minutes to play. Oklahoma rode the legs of Jovantae Barnes, who had a huge day. Barnes carried the ball four times for 37 yards and his second touchdown of the day to put Oklahoma up 35-7 before halftime.

After halftime, it was more of the same as the Sooners forced a fumble on Maine’s opening drive and then responded with another Barnes touchdown, his third of the game.

The Sooners scored on every drive of the second half. Tight end Kaden Helms scored his first career touchdown on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Arnold.

Xavier Robinson also scored his first career touchdown on the Sooners’ final drive of the game. OU got Robinson heavily involved, giving him the ball seven times on the eight-play drive. Robinson accounted for 75 yards, including a 46-yard reception from quarterback Michael Hawkins, Jr.

In the win, Arnold was 15 of 21 (71%) for 224 yards and two touchdowns through the air. On the ground, he ran nine times for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Barnes had a career day with 203 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. He had just one reception, but it went for 19 yards. He had another great game for the Sooners, showing speed and elusiveness as the Sooners lead runner.

Thanks to his 90-yard touchdown, Hester caught four passes for 112 yards.

The Sooners ran for 338 yards and averaged 7.3 yards per carry in the game. They were 10 of 14 on third down and 2 of 2 on fourth down and gained 665 yards of total offense.

Defensively, Danny Stutsman led the way with six total tackles and a sack. Defensive tackles Davon Sears and David Stone also recorded sacks in the win, as the Sooners’ defense only allowed 251 yards.

Oklahoma’s defense allowed more points than one would expect. Aside from a big play on Maine’s second-to-last drive, the Sooners played solid football while playing several young defenders throughout the contest.

It was a strong performance from the Sooners, who did what they needed to do on both sides of the ball to move to 5-4 on the season. Now, Oklahoma looks to build off of it with a road trip to face Missouri before closing the season with matchups against Alabama and LSU to close the season after the bye.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Time is now for Oklahoma’s Wide Receiver depth to breakout

Amid a number of injuries, the Oklahoma Sooners need several wide receivers to step up and become big-time playmakers.

When the ball begins the 2024 edition of the Red River Showdown, nobody will feel sorry for the Oklahoma Sooners injury situation at wide receiver. Not the broadcast crew, not the officials, and certainly not the Texas Longhorns.

It was revealed on Thursday that leading receiver Deion Burks will miss Oklahoma’s matchup with No. 1 Texas in the Cotton Bowl.

It’s put-up time.

The Sooners have talented depth on the roster. Guys like Brenen Thompson, J.J. Hester, and Jaquaize Pettaway have been thrust into roles they weren’t necessarily expected to hold when the team reported for fall camp. They’ve been baptized by fire through the first five games of the season and have had some good moments.

There’s a reason they were considered blue-chip prospects coming out of high school. There’s talent to be impactful playmakers at the Power Four level, and the Sooners need them to realize that potential on Saturday in the Cotton Bowl.

Brenen Thompson has been solid this season, showing off his route-running ability. He’s played tough despite his size. Thompson has fantastic speed, capable of taking the top off of the defense. J.J. Hester was the talk of fall camp. It’s taken him a minute to get his feet under him, but he came through with a couple of big catches against Auburn to help the Sooners win the game. When the Sooners found some offensive success in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, it was Jaquaize Pettaway who helped spark the passing attack.

Those guys, plus the true freshmen trio of Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney, and Ivan Carreon, have to emerge as reliable options in the passing game. As the running game has struggled to get going through the first five games of the season, the Sooners need their pass catchers to step up.

True freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. is a special talent. He has the playmaking ability and intangibles to lead the Sooners, but he can’t do it all alone. Hawkins needs his wide receiver trio to step up.

The Red River Showdown is a game where legends are born. Careers have been defined by this game.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Oklahoma Football releases depth chart for week 2 vs. Houston Cougars

What’s new on the Oklahoma Sooners depth chart ahead of their week two matchup with the Houston Cougars?

The Oklahoma Sooners released their depth chart for their week two matchup against the Houston Cougars on Friday night. Though a lot has stayed the same from week one, there are a few notable differences.

With Jalil Farooq out for six to eight weeks with a foot injury, J.J. Hester is slated to start opposite Brenen Thompson OR [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], while [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] continues to occupy the slot position. Behind Hester are true freshmen [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag]. The Sooners may have to go to their talented former four-star prospects if Hester’s unable to improve from his performance against Temple, where he had a couple of drops.

The offensive line is pretty much the same as last week, but [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag] has moved and is now listed as a co-starter alongside [autotag]Branson Hickman[/autotag]. Bates impressed during fall camp and earned some first-team reps but dealt with injuries in the latter stages of camp. Hickman, who was the solo starter last week for Temple, hurt his ankle in the first quarter. Initially, the Sooners slid Geirean Hatchett over from left guard to center to fill in for Hickman, but in the second half, it was all Bates.

Notably, the Sooners ran for 40 more rushing yards and just over nine yards per carry in the second half, albeit more against Temple’s backups. Given Hickman’s injury situation, the Sooners may choose to be conservative with their veteran center against Houston, making sure he’s healthy for the remainder of the season.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Bauer Sharp answered the question at tight end for the Sooners

Bauer Sharp impressed in this first game as a Sooner. Can he step up in the passing game?

Coming into the 2024 season, the Oklahoma Sooners had some questions at the tight end position.

Two years ago, [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] was one of the best players on the team, combining his ability as a receiver with his excellent blocking skills to have a very productive season. Though OU went just 6-7, the senior had a career year in his final collegiate season, catching 39 passes for 514 yards and seven touchdowns while opening up holes in the running game.

Last year, the Sooners expected similar contributions from [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag], who returned to Norman after a year in South Carolina. But the tight end production dipped, as Stogner caught just 17 passes for 196 yards and one touchdown. He also struggled to match Willis’ effectiveness as a blocker. Too often last season, it felt like OU was playing 10-on-11 when running the ball with a tight end in the game.

But that’s where Southeastern Louisiana tight end [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] comes in. After serving as a game captain, he ended the night as OU’s leading receiver with 47 yards on five catches with a touchdown. He seemed to be the only option aside from Burks that could consistently create separation and catch the ball.

Though he came from an FCS school, Sharp looked the part of a Power Four tight end. He and [autotag]Jake Roberts[/autotag] got the initial snaps at tight end, with the latter serving in more of a blocking role. Sharp, who started the game, has been earning high praise since the spring, with one player in his corner being superstar senior linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag].

Sharp displayed sound chemistry with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], often acting as a safety valve over the middle of the field for his quarterback as pressure closed in. With the struggles of the offensive line and the running game, he’ll be asked to provide more in the passing game, especially until the bigger names get healthy.

Of course, it’s only been one game. Maybe the running game will get on track in the next couple of weeks. Maybe the offensive line gets healthy and in sync. Maybe [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and the other depth options at wide receiver just had a rough night and will be just fine. Maybe [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] gets back to his pre-injury self much earlier than expected and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is able to stave off any other injuries. .

But in the meantime, Bauer Sharp will need to build on his strong first game in a Sooner uniform to take some of the load off of Arnold and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag]. Oklahoma has a struggling Houston squad on the schedule next, before a sneaky non-conference game against Tulane. The Sooners need to use the next two weeks to find a rhythm and an identity running and throwing the ball in [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag]’s offense before the Tennessee Volunteers and conference play arrive on their doorstep on September 21st.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver depth being put to the test

Oklahoma Sooners relying on wide receiver depth as they work to get several players back from injury.

Entering fall camp, no position group on the Oklahoma Sooners roster was as deep as wide receiver. In just a year and a half, [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag] has added and developed incredible competitive depth at one of the game’s most important positions.

Through a couple of weeks of fall camp, that depth is being tested. Jayden Gibson suffered a knee injury, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was dinged up last week and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and Andrel Anthony have been working their way back to game readiness.

Those four were among the top five wide receivers from 2023 and are expected to play significant roles in 2024. But the Sooners are working through fall camp without them.

As reports from the first scrimmage of fall camp surfaced, it sounds like the offense had a rough day. The defense is going to be really good, but the first team offense missing most of the two-deep at wide receiver (aside from Deion Burks) is going to make things a little more difficult for Jackson Arnold.

That’s why building depth and development is so important. With Anderson, Farooq, Anthony and Gibson out, [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and Burks had an opportunity to work with the first-team offense.

The Oklahoma Sooners have 17 days before they open the season with Temple on Aug. 29, giving Jones and the training staff plenty of time to get wide receivers ready to go. For the Sooners to have their offense humming early and often in 2024, health is paramount.

Oklahoma has the depth it can rely on, but getting Anderson, Farooq and Anthony back to 100% will make a huge difference for the Sooners passing attack.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow John on X @john9williams.

Pair of Oklahoma wide receivers could get more snaps to start the season

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room has the pieces to survive some early-season injuries to veteran players.

The Oklahoma Sooners are a month and a half from beginning the 2024 season, their first in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] spoke to reporters at [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] on Tuesday, as OU took its turn at the podium.

The third-year coach addressed local media before taking the stage, updating On3 and SoonerScoop’s George Stoia about players rehabbing from offseason or spring ailments before the Sooners begin preseason fall camp.

Quarterback [autotag]Casey Thompson[/autotag], offensive lineman [autotag]Geirean Hatchett[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] are cleared and ready to go for August. Another member of the offensive line, [autotag]Troy Everett[/autotag], is ahead of schedule from his spring football injury, and Venables expects him back sooner as opposed to later.

However, two members of Oklahoma’s wide receiver room have a little more uncertainty with fall camp around the corner.

Senior [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], who was injured in spring ball, is still recovering from a foot fracture. Venables said he didn’t have surgery and is taking it easy at this point. His status will be cleaerr when the week of the first game rolls around.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] is still on the mend after getting injured in the [autotag]Red River Rivalry[/autotag] in October. Venables is hopeful the deep ball threat will be practicing before Aug. 30, but Anthony hasn’t been cleared yet.

The uncertainty of Farooq and Anthony is nothing to be downplayed, but it’d be even more of a problem most years in the wide receiver room. This year, however, is the exception. The position group is absolutely loaded in 2024.

Though leading receiver [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is off to the pros, the Sooners have suitable replacements in the slot. [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was a star in the spring after transferring from Purdue and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] was a standout in the 2023 recruiting class.

On the outside, if Farooq and/or Anthony miss significant time, two players are ready to step into an even brighter spotlight.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] was a touchdown machine a year ago for the Sooners, making plenty of huge plays in 2023. He was electric, scoring 10 touchdowns and finishing with 798 yards receiving despite not stepping into the starting lineup until Anthony was hurt. He’d be a good bet to start on the outside, especially with the injuries factoring in.

[autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] also saw more playing time in 2023 when Anthony went down. He came into his own as the season progressed, catching five touchdowns on just 14 receptions. He finished with 375 yards and could have pushed for a starting spot even if the entire receiver room was healthy. These two players, both from Venables’ first recruiting class in 2022, could see plenty of targets especially early in the season.

Behind them, wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] has [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], who could also see an increase in playing time.

Anderson and Gibson are the pair that would benefit the most from more targets coming their way. Both possess tremendous upside. If one or both of them can develop great chemistry with quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], it might be tough to take them off the field, even when the veterans become healthy again.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.