Tag: Jalil Farooq

‘It kind of throws me off a little bit’: Jackson Arnold, still getting used to being QB1

Jackson Arnold is right where he thought he’d be after his freshman season.

With the announcement of [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] entering the transfer portal and heading to play for the Oregon Ducks, it’s now officially the [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] show in Norman. The former five-star played sparingly this year but showed flashes of why Sooner faithful are so excited for his career.

One instance of that happened when he came in for an injured Gabriel against the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag]. He audibled to get the Sooners in the right routes on the key play to win the game. He fired a strike to [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] for the first down and iced the game.

Arnold talked about taking over as “QB1” after practice earlier this week. “People will throw some QB1s out every once and while,” Arnold said. “It kind of throws me off a little bit but other than that they’ve been acting the same.”

This week also marked a year since Arnold signed his National Letter of Intent and signed with the Sooners. He talked about what this year has been like and if he is where he thought he’d be at this point.

“I’m exactly where I thought I’d be,” Arnold said. “Maybe not, you know, I thought Dillon would be here playing the bowl game and this year has pretty much gone as I expected. Maybe the bowl game, me playing it was maybe a little bit of a shock but I’m super excited for it.”

Sooner fans still have a little less than two weeks before they can watch Arnold take his first snap as the starting quarterback at Oklahoma.

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‘I feel like I’m going to stay most likely’: Jalil Farooq still mulling over his future decision

While some have already decided what their next step will be, Jalil Farooq is still thinking it through.

The Oklahoma Sooners received good news regarding their two All-Americans, [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], who decided to stay in Norman for their senior seasons. But not everyone has decided what their next step will be.

One of those still mulling over a decision is [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag]. Farooq finished third on the team in receiving yards with 637 yards and second on the team with 41 catches. Farooq could return, which would add to an already-loaded wide receiver room.

While his plan is to play in the bowl game, he hasn’t decided what he’ll do after the game is over.

“I haven’t decided,” Farooq said. “I feel like I’m going to stay most likely.”

Farooq has been the team’s “Swiss Army knife” because he does multiple things for the team including returning kicks. The Sooners would return four of their top five in receiving from a season ago along with adding the top transfer wide receiver.

This fact along with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] taking the reins at the quarterback position in 2024 has many fans excited about the future of the offense. Of the team’s top 10 receivers, Oklahoma will return seven as of right now.

For now, the Sooners have to wait and see what Farooq decides, but he would be another key piece to the success of next season.

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Oklahoma Sooners add transfer wide receiver from Purdue

Oklahoma Sooners add more explosiveness to their wide receiver room with the addition of Purdue transfer Deion Burks.

The Oklahoma Sooners and wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] have added another player out of the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag]. This time in big-time playmaker [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag].

Burks is a 5-foot-11 and 195-pound wide receiver who, in 30 career games, had 63 catches, 804 yards, and seven touchdowns. That’s nearly 13 yards per catch.

He also could bring something to the return game for the Sooners. He returned 14 kicks in 2022, averaging nearly 20 yards per return.

This was a battle that was rumored to be between the Sooners and the Texas Longhorns. He is a veteran receiver with two years of eligibility left who will stretch the field and bring the big plays that Oklahoma looks for.

 

He’s similar to what the Sooners were getting in [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] a season ago. Although Anthony is a little bit bigger but Burks has more production. It’s just another piece on what could be the best wide receiver room in the SEC next season.

They could return guys with a lot of experience like [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], Anthony, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], Brenen Thompson along with adding Burks. That doesn’t even include the freshmen who are coming in or [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag] or [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], who played some a season ago.

Burks was ranked as the top wide receiver in the 2024 portal cycle.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

2023 Position Review: Wide Receiver proves to be a strength for Oklahoma Sooners

There were a lot of questions going into the season at wide receiver but they proved to be a strength, not a weakness for the Sooners.

Going into the 2023 college football season, there were a ton of question marks surrounding the wide receiver room. The Sooners lost several of their top guys in receiving yards the year prior, like [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag]. Theo Wease went to Missouri via the transfer portal. It was a young group aside from Drake Stoops.

But during the season, the wide receiver room proved to be a strength of the team. They didn’t have anyone really emerge as a No. 1 type of guy until [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] was featured heavily at the end of the year, but they had a lot of No. 2 type of guys which you can win with.

It’s also a room that could return a lot of production in 2024, making that unit arguably the best on the team heading into the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Without further adieu, let’s take a look at how they did based on my preseason expectations.

More 2023 Reviews

2023 Position Review: Sooners quarterbacks exceed preseason expectations

2023 Position Review: Oklahoma Sooners running backs start the season slow, finish strong

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 69-45 win over TCU

5 takeaways from the Oklahoma Sooners 69-45 win over the TCU Horned Frogs.

Oklahoma ended its final regular season as a Big 12 member with a 69-45 win over the TCU Horned Frogs. Backed by an explosive offensive performance that saw Dillon Gabriel return to throw for 400 yards and three touchdowns on Senior Day, Oklahoma rode the wave to another easy win at home. They finished the season undefeated in Norman.

Junior safety Billy Bowman had a pick-six for the second straight game, and Gavin Sawchuk ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns to tighten his stranglehold on the starting running back spot.

The defense was far from stellar as they allowed over 500 yards and gave up over 45 points. But when they needed to make a few plays to give Oklahoma breathing room, they did just that.

The Sooners finished the regular season with a 10-2 record and now wait to see how the Big 12 title game race shakes out over the next few evenings.

Here are five takeaways from the Sooners 24-point win.

Dillon Gabriel expected to be available this week per Brent Venables

The Oklahoma Sooners could be with their starting quarterback on Friday vs. the TCU Horned Frogs.

The Oklahoma Sooners are in preparation for a short week to play their final game of the season on Black Friday. The Sooners look for revenge against the [autotag]TCU Horned Frogs[/autotag] who beat them 55-24 a season ago.

After a close win against the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag], the attention now turns to the health of starting quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. Gabriel was injured at the end of the second half of that game, and true freshman [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] finished the win over BYU.

Brent Venables described the injury as an upper-body injury, but some reports came out that it was a head injury. That led many to think he might not be available this week. But it’s not just Gabriel. Starting wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] was also injured on the third down catch that sealed the win for the Sooners.

Venables provided an update on each of their status for the game this weekend. “I feel like both of those guys will, if they continue to progress throughout the week, that they’ll be available this weekend,” Venables said.

That’s big news for Oklahoma. Not that after a full week of practice, Arnold wouldn’t be able to get the job done, but having Gabriel and his experience back there is best for the team. Also, the game last year is the game where he was knocked out causing him to miss most of that game and the loss to Texas.

Combine that with it being senior night, and I’m sure it’s a game Gabriel has had circled on his calendar for quite a while. Hopefully, the team can send Gabriel and all of the other seniors out on a high note.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Stock Report: Defensive line struggling heading into final regular season game

Oklahoma escaped BYU’s upset bid this past weekend. In our stock report we look at who’s trending up or down before Oklahoma takes on TCU.

Saturday’s win against BYU was all about willpower. Oklahoma didn’t play its best, especially from a defensive standpoint, and yet, the Sooners found a way to escape a scrappy BYU team playing on senior day.

There were some nice moments or individual performances to take away from the game, like Jayden Gibson’s big day, Billy Bowman putting forth his best performance of the season, and Gavin Sawchuk continuing to morph into the bellcow running back his head coach publicly claimed he was looking for.

There were other positives, too, like Jackson Arnold’s performance off the bench, that helped push Oklahoma to victory. With the good comes the bad, and Oklahoma’s front seven was a large part of that bad. They struggled most of the game and were a significant reason BYU was a threat to potentially upset Oklahoma.

When the dust settled, the Sooners came out on top, and with a short week before they play TCU, the Sooners must regroup fast.

In the meantime, here is our stock report to see who is trending up and down as the Sooners prepare for their final Big 12 home game.

Report Card: Defense bent but didn’t break as Oklahoma escaped BYU

How did the Oklahoma Sooners grade out in their win over the BYU Cougars?

Saturday was an odd day for the Oklahoma Sooners. The result is all that matters, but how the Sooners got there was a fascinating journey.

Oklahoma lost Dillon Gabriel at halftime to a concussion, and the Sooners had to roll with untested five-star freshman Jackson Arnold off the bench. The defense was not up to par and jeopardized Oklahoma’s chances of winning. However, two big plays from Billy Bowman and Danny Stutsman changed the game’s complexion.

The game was anything but clean, yet somehow, the Sooners passed their final road test of the season after failing in their last two trips away from Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

Without further ado, here are grades for the Sooners win against BYU.

Jackson Arnold discusses 3rd down play, getting meaningful action vs. BYU

Jackson Arnold didn’t have an incredible day on the stat sheet but he showed flashes of what’s to come in the Sooners win over BYU.

The Oklahoma Sooners narrowly escaped on the road against the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] 31-24. The contest had a lot of game-changing moments throughout.

One of those events happened late in the second quarter. The Sooners were set up with a 2nd and Goal from the 5-yard line. [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] took off running to his left and was chased down for a one-yard gain. But when he hit the ground, his head appeared to whip back, slamming into the grass. Gabriel stayed in the game but threw an incomplete pass on 3rd Down, and the Sooners had to settle for a field goal.

That is when things changed. Coming out of halftime, Gabriel was nowhere in sight. Instead, it was reported he was out with a head injury, and it would be former five-star [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] starting the second half.

Arnold spoke about what was going through his mind when he went into the game.

“We knew going into halftime that I would be going out,” Arnold said. “So, if we had another drive that first half, I’d be going out. At halftime, just talking to Coach (Jeff) Lebby, just telling what scheme-wise what we’re going to do, what we’re going to change, just had to go out and have success.”

Arnold’s numbers aren’t super impressive. He was 5 of 9 for 33 yards and had eight carries for 24 yards. He missed some throws, including a wide-open pass to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] that would have been a touchdown to seal the game on the final drive. He also threw a screen pass to [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] on a third down that would have gone for a nice gain. But the flashes were there.

More: Social Media Reacts to Sooners win over BYU

On a 3rd and 13 deep into BYU’s territory, he threw a strike to [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] for 16 yards. On the Sooners’ final drive, Arnold showed off his elusiveness and tough running ability to pick up a first down and keep the chains moving.

Then came the play of the game. It was 3rd and 8, and the Sooners needed a first down to seal the game and kneel out the clock. Arnold made the throw to Farooq on a slant route for a first down, but it wasn’t just the throw that was so special about that play. Instead, it was what he did presnap.

“We thought they were going to max out, zero on us, so I just checked out of it,” Arnold said. “Just threw a little slant.”

Some people don’t want to give Lebby credit at all for that big play due to Arnold checking out of the play, but Arnold said that’s something they worked on all week.

“It was talked about all week,” Arnold said. “If we get certain looks, we need to check out of it, and that was one of them.”

That’s great preparation by the coaching staff but also a big-time play by a freshman. It’d be easy for players who aren’t expected to play just to go through the motions during practice, but that’s not what Arnold did. He stayed focused and then made the audible they practiced all week.

More: 5 Takeaways from the Sooners 31-24 win over BYU.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby praised his freshman quarterback’s preparation in the win.

“That was the best part of his day was that everything that had happened, we’d talked non-stop about our zero checks all week, being able to get to certain things when we were in certain formations, and sure enough, the play to win the game, for the first time all day we get zero, and he’s gonna be hot, and he gets it,” Lebby said. “So just proud of him, the toughness and just the calmness to be able to get it done in the last minute was huge.”

But it wasn’t a moment that was too big for Jackson Arnold. On the road, in as tough an environment as there is in the new Big 12 landscape, Arnold rose to the occasion. Brent Venables credited Arnold’s ability to stay focused despite the team’s decision to redshirt the freshman quarterback. A redshirt that’s no longer in play.

More: ‘I think it’s fair to say we all learned’: Brent Venables on the key 3rd Down call to beat the BYU Cougars.

“He’s put the work in, and the moment wasn’t too big for him,” Venables said. “You’re the backup quarterback, true freshman, so sometimes they’re young and immature. Jackson’s not.

“It’d be easy week, whatever this is, since we started fall camp — 13 or 14 of the season — and then not be prepared for the moment late this season. ‘I haven’t played yet. They’re gonna redshirt me.’ That’s not how he operates. He’s a winner. He’s got tremendous courage and a belief in himself and the guys around him and trust in the system.”

It wasn’t all pretty for Arnold, but that’s the stuff you want to see from a freshman. The future is bright for the future QB1 at Oklahoma.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.

Oklahoma Sooners keep Big 12 title hopes alive; beat the BYU Cougars 31-24

The Oklahoma Sooners didn’t play their best game but came away with a 31-24 win over the BYU Cougars.

The Oklahoma Sooners made their first trip to the state of Utah to take on the [autotag]BYU Cougars[/autotag] for the one and only time as Big 12 foes. It was a game with sloppy field conditions. Players constantly slipped all game long.

After both teams opened the game with punts, but [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] hit [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] on a 55-yard pass to set up Oklahoma with a first and goal. Gabriel found [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] for the touchdown to put the Sooners up 7-0. It was Anderson’s ninth touchdown of the season and broke a three-game scoring drought.

On BYU’s next possession, Cougars quarterback [autotag]Jake Retzlaff[/autotag] found [autotag]Chase Roberts[/autotag] for the 23-yard score on a fourth and one just outside the red zone.

The Sooners stalled on their next drive but nearly got a fresh set of downs. Oklahoma nearly pulled off a fake punt when [autotag]Luke Elzinga[/autotag] connected with Ethan Downs, but Nic Anderson was called for offensive pass interference and the Sooners were forced to punt. After a great BYU punt return, the Cougars would be set up in OU territory but fumbled the first play.

Seven plays later, Gabriel found Gibson for a 27-yard touchdown pass to put the Sooners up 14-7. BYU answered on the following drive after converting a pair of third downs to tie it up.

After a couple of long 3rd Down conversions themselves, the Sooners were set up with a first and goal at the five but were forced to settle for a field goal. BYU tied it up on a field goal of their own as time wound down in the first half.

The Sooners outgained the Cougars 236 to 213 in the first half. The Sooners went 5 of 8 on third down, and the Cougars were 6 of 10 on third and fourth down in the first half.

As the Sooners were headed out for the second half, they were without star quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag]. It was reported Gabriel suffered a head injury and wouldn’t return. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] started the 2nd Half.

Both teams couldn’t get much going to start the second half. However, BYU found success on their second drive of the half, moving inside the Sooners five-yard line. On first and goal from the two, Retzlaff threw it out to the left, and Billy Bowman picked it off and returned it 100 yards for the touchdown. The Sooners led 24-17 midway through the third quarter.

The pick-six wouldn’t deter the Cougars, who responded with an eight-play 75-yard drive to tie the game at 24. The Cougars gashed the Sooners in the running game, and Retzlaff ran it in from 11 yards out to tie it back up.

After a good return by [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] and back-to-back solid runs [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], the Sooners were in Cougars’ territory. Unfortunately, the promising drive came up empty as [autotag]Zach Schmit[/autotag] missed wide left, and the score stayed tied.

On the ensuing drive, the defense came up with another huge play. With the Cougars facing a third and four, [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] and Danny Stutsman blitzed off the right side. McKinzie drew the offensive linemen inside, freeing up Stutsman for a free run at Retzlaff. Stutsman hit him hard and came up with a strip sack to give Oklahoma the ball in Cougars’ territory. The Sooners capped the turnover off with a tough, physical 16-yard touchdown run by Sawchuk to put the Sooners up seven with about eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Sooners’ defense continued their best stretch of the game, forcing a three and out after two false start penalties on the Cougars.

The offense took over with nearly six minutes left in the game. It was a masterful, time-killing drive to end the game. The drive started with a deep shot to Nic Anderson, which Arnold overthrew, but it was an opportunity for Oklahoma to put a stamp on the game and win it. After the incomplete pass, the Sooners ran nine plays for 22 yards (including three kneel downs) and took 5:08 off the clock to finish the game.

The key play in the drive came as the Sooners faced a third and eight at the BYU 38-yard line. Three weeks ago against Kansas, facing a similar situation, Jeff Lebby opted to run the football to force the Jayhawks to burn their timeouts. Today against BYU, Lebby put the ball in his true freshman quarterback’s hands to win the game.

Arnold threw a strike to Jalil Farooq on the short slant and Farooq fought his way to pick up enough yardage to get the first down.

The Sooners kneeled out the clock to escape with the win.

Oklahoma would be outgained 390 to 374 in the game but the defense would tie the Cougars in the 2nd half, 7-7. The defense would also force three turnovers.

In the win, Dillon Gabriel completed 62% of his passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Arnold was 5 of 9 for 33 yards. He also ran the ball eight times for 24 yards.

Gavin Sawchuk earned his third-straight 100-yard game, carrying the ball 14 times for 107 yards and a touchdown.

Jalil Farooq had five receptions for 53 yards, and Drake Stoops caught four passes for 63 yards. But it was Jayden Gibson who provided the big plays for the Sooners offense, with two receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown.

On defense, Danny Stutsman recorded 10 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. In addition to his pick-six, Billy Bowman had eight total tackles and a tackle for loss. The interception was Bowman’s fifth on the season.

The Sooners are now 9-2 on the season and 5-2 in Big 12 play. They still have an outside shot at making the Big 12 title game but will be watching Texas vs. Iowa State and Oklahoma State vs. Houston closely on Saturday.

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 Jaron on Twitter @JaronSpor.