Jalil Farooq – Syndication Server

Sooners WR Jayden Gibson focusing on the little things in 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners are loaded at wide receiver and that means the competition is heating up.

The Oklahoma Sooners are going into the 2024 season with arguably the deepest wide receiver room in the country. There is no question it’s the deepest unit on their team.

The Sooners have a lot of wide receivers who have earned playing time like [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag].

Gibson by all reports is having a big offseason for the Sooners. He’s primarily been a backup wide receiver for the Sooners but really stepped up last year to become a guy who earned a lot of playing time. In a rotational role in 2023, Gibson had 14 receptions for 375 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 26.8 yards per reception, showing off the incredible athleticism and playmaking ability that made him a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting class. Now, he’s looking to earn more opportunities heading into his third season with the Sooners.

With Anthony and now Farooq out until at least fall camp, Gibson’s earned an opportunity to showcase his talents with the first-team offense. And he may earn a starting role in the Sooners offense come fall.

Gibson talked about what he’s learned so far in his career. “How you do anything is how you do everything,” Gibson said. “I’ve just been trying to live my life the best way possible on and off the field. I feel like that’s what is going to allow me to have the most blessings on the field. School work, how I treat people, how I talk to people, how I come out here and talk to teammates, how I attack film, how I attack recovery, I try to get on all of that. I’m still not perfect. I’m still far from where I need to be. I still need to get extra work on the jugs. So, I’m nowhere close to where I need to be, but I’m strides further than I was.”

Gibson’s been one of the standout performers at camp when the media has been in attendance. He’s got the size and ability to be a difference maker for the Oklahoma Sooners in 2024 and has all the tools that NFL scouts are looking for. Now it’s about continuing to build on the success he’s had over the last eight months.

With the spring game coming on Saturday, Gibson can further cement his role in the Sooners offense. Given the injuries the wide receiver group is dealing with, that role could be substantial come week one vs. Temple.

Watching him develop over the years has been one of the more fun things to see both on and off the field. It’s why he’s got a real shot at not just starting but being one of the top receivers in 2024.

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Kicking, special teams became a problem for OU in 2024; Sooners banking on competition to pay off

Special teams wasn’t special for the Oklahoma Sooners last year but here’s hoping competition and a coaching change can turn it around.

The Sooners struggles on special teams went beyond the kicking situation in 2023. The return game didn’t provide much and was at times a detriment to the team.

Head coach Brent Venables had to find a new special teams coordinator after Jay Nunez left for the same position at Alabama. But that might have been a blessing in disguise.

According to ESPN’s overall efficiency rankings for 2023, Oklahoma’s special teams—placekicking, punting, punt return, kickoff coverage, and kickoff return—ranked No. 127 last year.

That’s not good enough, especially for a team that, while much improved, needed to be perfect in other aspects of the game. Heading to the SEC, there’s less margin for error as Oklahoma’s talent won’t be enough to win games. They’ll need every bit of a competitive advantage. That could come by way of special teams.

So Venables went out and hired former San Diego State special teams coordinator Doug Deakin as a special teams analyst.

Why Deakin?

In each of the last three seasons, the Aztecs finished in the top 10 in ESPN’s special teams efficiency rating. In 2022, the Aztecs ranked No. 2, and last year, they were No. 9. While he’s an analyst and won’t be on the field during game days, Deakin will coordinate this unit with the rest of the on-field staff to create a better and more positively impactful special teams unit for the Sooners. And he comes to Oklahoma with some work to do on the kicking and return game front.

Oklahoma’s field goal kicking wasn’t as good as it needed to be for the Sooners in 2023. Sure, it wasn’t horrible, but by the end of the season, trotting out Zach Schmit genuinely felt like a coin flip, even from distances inside the 40-yard line.

The Sooners’ kicker made less than 75% of his kicks for the second straight season. Schmitt missed six kicks in 2022 and six in 2023. Schmit was just 6 of 11 on attempts from beyond 30 yards. He had a miss in Oklahoma’s three-point loss to Oklahoma State that turned out to be a killer.

So, where do the fixes lie? Well, competition and better schemes are the plan.

OU secured a commitment from Florida State transfer kicker Tyler Keltner this winter.

Keltner is a redshirt senior who spent the first four seasons of his college career at East Tennessee State. He made 56 of 74 field-goal attempts and earned two All-SoCon second-team selections. He then spent this past season at Florida State, where he appeared in one game and converted on his only attempt.

He and Liam Evans, a 2024 commit, will add fresh legs and competition to that room. Evans was ranked the number seven kicker in the nation, according to Kohl’s Kicking Camp.

The punt return game can be better too. After [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag]’s return for a touchdown against Arkansas State, the return game never seemed to click. Freeman muffed multiple punts in crucial moments that flipped the momentum in games. He also had just 122 punt return yards on the season, including that 82 yard return against Arkansas State.

The competition for punt return duties will be much more open than last year. Freeman will have a shot, but [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] could push for opportunities. On kick return, Jalil Farooq will likely continue to lead the way for the Sooners, but Oklahoma will push him with competition as well.

According to the ESPN efficiency marker, Deakin’s special teams units at his previous school ranked in the top 10 nationally for three straight years.

If there’s a positive outlook on the return game, it’s the emergence of punter Luke Elzinga. Though it took time for the Sooners to settle on who their punter would be last year, once they went with Elzinga, they never turned back. His efficiency, power, and ability to drop the ball inside the 20 allowed Brent Venables to play the field position game more.

As the Sooners move to the SEC, they’ll see their competition improve week in and week out. They can’t afford to be average in any phase of the game and special teams is an area that has to be a winning phase for them in 2024.

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.

Sooners wide receiver Jalil Farooq embracing leadership role

“I’m just working on my craft. I’m perfecting my craft first and then making sure everyone around me is doing the same. Just getting that extra work in,” Jalil Farooq said of taking on a new leadership role for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Last year, [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] was the heart and soul of not just the wide receiver room but the offense as well. Now that Stoops is gone, someone has to step into the void and become a leader for a talented position group.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is one of the older guys on the team. He’s been a two-year starter at Oklahoma and been productive along the way. He spoke to reporters about embracing a leadership role on the team.

“Just continue to be more of a vocal leader,” Farooq said. “I’m just working on my craft. I’m perfecting my craft first and then making sure everyone around me is doing the same. Just getting that extra work in. Making sure my group is working and continuing to get better. Get the jugs in, extra work, things like that. Being the first ones in and last ones out. Just getting better, day by day.”

Farooq had a not so memorable bowl game but he was a good receiver for Oklahoma a season ago. He had a big-time performance in the Red River Rivalry win, coming up with acrobatic catches and big plays to help the Sooners get the victory over Texas.

He then decided to return to Oklahoma which in the transfer portal era was huge. The more experience and playmakers available, the better. We saw how quickly things can change for a position group when Andrel Anthony was lost for the season due to injury.

The wide receiver group is key to Oklahoma’s success in 2024. With a first-year starter at quarterback and big turnover on the offensive line, the Sooners will rely heavily on their talented group of pass catchers. They are arguably the most talented and deepest on the team. Now, it’s all about continuing to work so they can reach their full potential.

More: Oklahoma’s wide receiver group has a ton of depth

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Oklahoma Sooners Player Profile: Wide Receiver Nic Anderson

After a breakout season in 2023, can Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson follow it up with another sensational season in 2024?

Evaluating the current roster, Sooners Wire profiles the current players, with wide receiver Nic Anderson up next.

Continue reading “Oklahoma Sooners Player Profile: Wide Receiver Nic Anderson”

Sooners QB-WR duo one of CBS Sports best ahead of 2024

Jackson Arnold, Deion Burks among CBS Sports 10 best QB-WR duos ahead of 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners get set for spring ball with one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the country. Despite the loss of 2023’s leading receiver [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], wide receiver is absolutely stacked heading into 2024.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] return after finishing second and third in receiving in 2023. Jayden Gibson is back as well after having a breakout season in a rotational role. Of Gibson, Brent Venables said on Wednesday, he’s “easily at his best. I don’t think he lost a competition the entire winter.”

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], who led the Sooners in receiving prior to his season-ending injury against Texas, will also be back. His timeline for a return is still up in the air, but Venables noted he’s doing well in his rehabilitation.

OU also brings back speedsters [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] and adds a nice group of 2024 signees to the position.

And then there’s [autotag]Deion Burk[/autotag]s, a player many expect to start in the slot for the Sooners.

Oklahoma’s wide receiver group might be the deepest on the roster, giving first-year starter [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] a dynamic group of playmakers. Arnold, combined with any one of them, could be one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the country. CBS Sports believes Arnold and Burks are one of the ten best quarterback-wide receiver duos in college football ahead of the 2024 season.

This one features a good bit of projection as Arnold has mostly shown us one disjointed bowl start and Burks arrives as a transfer from Purdue. Burks was named second team All-Big Ten by the coaches after a strong 2023 showing, and Arnold’s ceiling combined with Oklahoma’s offense suggests these two will be quite productive in 2024… The former five-star prospect showed the arm talent and mobility that made him such a coveted recruit, and if maturity and development has him tightening up on the mistakes, he’ll be leading one of the top passing attacks in the SEC. Burks plays a key role in that prediction; the explosive wideout should be a nice compliment to Nic Anderson and Andrel Anthony with his speed and ability to stretch the field. – Chip Patterson, CBS Sports

For Purdue in 2023, Burks had 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns. 29 of his 47 receptions went for a first down. He was fifth in the Big Ten in targets with 95 and fourth in touchdown receptions. With improved quarterback play coming to Oklahoma, his efficiency should improve a ton.

Burks has the speed and after the catch ability to have a dynamic season. Working with [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag], who helped Anderson and Gibson have their breakout years and Stoops and Farooq have career seasons for the Sooners, there’s no telling what Burks could do in his first season in Norman.

You could have easily gone with Arnold and 2024’s breakout player, Nic Anderson. Anderson had 38 catches for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns and led the nation in yards per reception.

Regardless of who will lead the Sooners at the position in 2024, Emmett Jones has a stacked group of playmakers that will make life difficult on SEC coverage packages in 2024.

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Oklahoma Sooners enter spring with tons of depth at wide receiver

Emmett Jones and the Oklahoma Sooners have assembled an incredibly talented group of players at wide receiver for 2024.

In each of the last two seasons, the Oklahoma Sooners have lost their leading receiver.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], who led the team in 2022, earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Denver Broncos in his rookie season in 2023. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is hoping to hear his name called in the 2024 NFL draft after his breakout season in 2023.

And despite the turnover, the Sooners are still stacked at wide receiver.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is back after his breakout season in 2023. Anderson caught 38 balls for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards per reception among qualified wide receivers. [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], who also experienced a breakout year in a rotational role also returns looking to build off of a season in which he had 14 receptions for 375 yards and five touchdowns. Swiss Army knife wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] returns to give the Sooners a veteran in the room. He had a solid year that was marred by ball insecurity that reared its head in the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona. Farooq was second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards last season.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] returns after suffering an ACL tear in the Red River Rivalry win over Texas. Prior to his injury, Anthony was leading the Sooners in receiving, winning at every level of the passing game.

Also back are speedsters [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]. Though they saw limited playing time, their speed put defenses on notice last year. Thompson provided big play ability every time he stepped on the field and will look to earn a bigger role this offseason. Pettaway was getting his feet wet as a true freshman but could see an increased workload on offense and special teams.

And if that was the depth chart at wide receiver heading into 2024, you’d feel great about what Jackson Arnold will be throwing to. And yet, the talent that Emmett Jones has assembled at wide receiver looks like the heroes arriving at the culmination of Avengers: End Game for the battle with Thanos.

Jones also brought in talented playmaker [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] from Purdue. Burks could be a candidate to start for the Sooners in the slot, taking over for Stoops in 2024. And if that weren’t enough, the Sooners added a really good freshman class with [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag].

To say the Sooners are talent-rich at wide receiver heading into 2024 would be an understatement. From top to bottom, it’s easily the deepest position group on the roster. And with Jackson Arnold taking over at quarterback and transition along the offensive line, a lot will be expected of Emmett Jones’ wide receiver crew to provide big plays for the Sooners in 2024.

And with the talent that Jones and the Sooners have assembled, they’re about to have a huge season in their first in the SEC.

5 positions where the Oklahoma Sooners are better than they were a year ago

Every year there is roster turnover, but where are the Sooners better? Here are five positions Oklahoma’s better than they were a year ago.

Every offseason teams around college football have to deal with a significant amount of turnover to their roster. That’s been the case for the Sooners each season of the Brent Venables era.

No position group was hit harder than the offensive line. They lost the five guys that were starters for the majority of the season. Though they’ve been able to retool the lineup with transfer portal additions, it will be months before we know if those additions will work out.

Elsewhere, however, the Sooners look to be in really good shape, especially when you compare it to how several positions looked this time last year.

Here are five position groups that look better compared to where they were a year ago.

Jalil Farooq expected to return to the Sooners in 2024 per report

Oklahoma’s wide receiver room receives good news with the return of Jalil Farooq for the 2024 season.

Heading into their inaugural season in the SEC, there will be a lot of new starters for the Oklahoma Sooners offense. But they’ll be returning several key pieces for [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] to work with as well.

According to a report from SoonerScoop’s George Stoia (Subscription Required), one of those key pieces returning is wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Farooq, who just finished his third season with the Sooners has been a productive member of the wide receiver corps and had his best statistical season yet.

In 2023, Farooq had 45 receptions for 694 yards and two touchdowns. He also had 17 carries for 95 yards and returned 19 kicks for an average of 22.2 yards per return.

Farooq started all 13 games for Oklahoma, coming up big in the Red River Rivalry win over Texas with five receptions and 130 yards. He had one of the key receptions on the Sooners’ game-winning drive, where he picked up 16 yards to put OU in Longhorns territory with more than a minute to play in the game. He also came down with a huge 34-yard catch and run to help get the Sooners in field goal range before halftime.

Farooq’s return adds another experienced wide receiver to a deep group that features [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], [autotag]Brenan Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and an impressive incoming group of players from the 2024 signing class.

It’s great news for a Sooners offense that will already be dealing with turnover at quarterback and along the offensive line. The Sooners have a veteran group of receivers for Jackson Arnold and Seth Littrell to rely upon.

Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners loss to Arizona in the Alamo Bowl

It was a tough way to end the 2023 season in the Sooners 38-24 loss to Arizona and here’s how social media reacted.

At one point in the third quarter, it looked as if the Oklahoma Sooners were going to run away from the Arizona Wildcats in their Alamo Bowl matchup. But the turnover bug that hurt the Sooners in the first quarter, reared its ugly head again toward the end of the third.

Instead of potentially going up 31-13 late in the third, the Sooners led by just three. And after the Wildcats defensive touchdown, it seemed as if the wheels fell off for the Sooners offense.

It was a tough way to end the season, but there were some promising moments that give us something to look forward to.

So how did social media react to the Sooners’ 38-24 loss? Always hard after a loss, but let’s take a look at some reactions to the overall performance, Jackson Arnold’s first start, and Nic Anderson and Drake Stoops’ big days.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver enters the transfer portal

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton enters the transfer portal.

The Oklahoma Sooners have one of the better wide receiver rooms in college football heading into 2024.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] was a steady force amid breakout seasons from [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] and [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag]. [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] had a really nice year in a rotation role for the Sooners. The Sooners are losing Drake Stoops, who had a career year.

The quality of Oklahoma’s depth made it difficult for a guy such as [autotag]LV Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag] to see consistent playing time. According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Bunkley-Shelton plans to enter the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] with two years of eligibility remaining.

Heading into the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag], Bunkley-Shelton was third on the depth chart at one of the wide receiver spots behind Anderson and Gibson.

In his two years with the Sooners, Bunkley-Shelton caught five passes for 57 yards. That performance came after he spent two seasons with the Arizona State Sun Devils when he had 44 receptions for 518 yards and two touchdowns.