Tag: jaquaize pettaway

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.

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Oklahoma veteran wide receiver entering the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners are losing another wide receiver to the transfer portal according to On3 Sports.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room has been in turmoil throughout 2024. Injuries and inexperience limited production from a unit originally considered one of the deepest in the country in 2024. Just a couple of days into the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag] period, [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] and J.J. Hester have entered the portal. Now, [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] has joined them, entering the portal on Tuesday afternoon, according to On3 Sports.

Farooq, a four-star prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, was among the few holdovers from the Lincoln Riley era. He started at wide receiver in 2022 and 2023, but was limited to two games in 2024 after breaking his foot in the season opener against Temple on a 47-yard reception.

He didn’t play until the loss to Missouri, when he played 27 snaps and had two receptions for 11 yards.

In 2023, Farooq had 45 receptions for 694 yards and two touchdowns. His best performance as a Sooner came in the 2023 Red River Showdown, when he had five receptions for a career-high 130 yards, including big plays just before halftime and on the Sooners’ game-winning drive. Both receptions set up opportunities for the Sooners to score against the Longhorns.

Farooq will have one more year of eligibility after redshirting in 2024. He’s a talented player who can do a lot for an offense with his route running and athleticism.

To retool the wide receiver room with the key departures of Farooq and Anderson, the Sooners are pursuing wide receivers [autotag]Donaven McCulley[/autotag] and [autotag]Reginald Virgil[/autotag].

Though the Sooners have talented wide receivers remaining on the depth chart, Oklahoma will need a player or two with collegiate production to lead the way.

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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

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Sooners wide receiver expected to enter the transfer portal

According to reports, former top-100 wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway is expected to enter the transfer portal.

The official opening of the transfer portal window is still a week away, but movement is already happening across the college football landscape. According to reports on Sunday evening, Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] is expected to enter the portal when it officially opens on Dec. 9.

Pettaway has been with the Sooners for two seasons, signing as a four-star prospect in the [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag]. He was a top-100 prospect, ranking as the No. 56 overall player according to 247Sports.

He hasn’t seen the field much since arriving on campus, but when he did get playing time, he was productive. However, given all of Oklahoma’s injuries at wide receiver this season, it was odd that he didn’t play more.

Pettaway had a strong performance against Tennessee, taking over after Deion Burks was injured. Against the Volunteers, Pettaway caught three passes for 79 yards. He only had two other receptions for the remainder of the season. In 2024, Pettaway logged 91 snaps on offense, including a season-high 28 in the win over Auburn. He played 16 snaps against Texas and made his last appearance against Maine, playing just two snaps in the win.

The Oklahoma Sooners and the rest of college football will be dealing with the crunch after the NCAA reduced the roster limit to 105 players. The SEC will limit the number of scholarships to 85 for 2025.

With the offensive coordinator turnover, the limits to the roster being placed on programs across the country, and the wide receivers expected to return, it isn’t a surprise to see the Sooners dealing with wide receiver defections on the recruiting trail and in the [autotag]transfer portal[/autotag].

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Another starting wide receiver ruled out for Oklahoma’s game vs. Auburn

The Oklahoma Sooners will be missing another top wide receiver when they face the Auburn Tigers in Week 5.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room has been decimated by injuries.

They’ve been missing [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] since fall camp. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] broke a foot in the first quarter of Week 1.  [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] played just a few snaps in Week 1 and hasn’t been seen since. [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] tried to return for Week 4 but left the game early.

Those four wide receivers, who were expected to provide big-time contributions in 2024, have combined for 24 snaps.

The Sooners will be without their best wide receiver, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag], ahead of their matchup with the Auburn Tigers. According to Brent Venables, Burks suffered a soft tissue injury against Tennessee and was ruled out on Thursday evening.

That means Oklahoma is down its top five wide receivers for true freshman Michael Hawkins’ first start.

Oklahoma will turn to [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] to fill Burks’ void in the slot. The former top-100 player looked explosive late in the loss to the Volunteers. He came through with three receptions for 79 yards, including a 46-yard catch and run that helped set up one of Oklahoma’s two touchdowns.

The Sooners will need true freshmen Zion Ragins, Zion Kearney and Ivan Carreon to step into bigger roles and through the rest of the season. It’s a great opportunity for the young players on the wide receiver depth chart to solidify their role on the depth chart.

Player Position Status 9/26
Jayden Gibson WR OUT
Jalil Farooq WR OUT
Gentry Williams DB OUT
Geirean Hatchett OL OUT
Nic Anderson WR OUT
Kendel Dolby DB OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Andrel Anthony WR OUT
Taylor Tatum RB OUT
Deion Burks WR OUT
Tyler Keltner K OUT
Dasan McCullough LB Questionable
Jake Taylor OL Probable

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Is an Oklahoma Sooners young wide receiver ready to break out?

Is Sooners WR Jaquaize Pettaway ready to breakout?

The Oklahoma Sooners’ wide receiver depth has taken a hit over the last month. [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] is out for the season, and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is out for the next six to eight weeks.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] are working their way back into the mix. Anthony earned some playing time in the Week 1 win over Temple, playing eight snaps. But the Sooners are easing Anthony back into game action after his ACL injury suffered less than a year ago in the Red River Showdown.

So, where will the Sooners turn for wide receiver help? It sounds like another banged-up wide receiver could be ready to break out. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], a four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, has been dealing with a hamstring injury the last couple of weeks, according to Brent Venables. However, the Sooners’ head coach believes he could be an answer at wide receiver for the Sooners.

“He’s fast, he’s got a good catch radius,” Venables said. “He’s really an explosive player. He had a hamstring injury the last few weeks that just kind of kept him from being full speed.”

Pettaway didn’t play much as a true freshman. He had nine receptions for 56 yards in the 2023 season opener against Arkansas State but only two more receptions on the season. Though there weren’t many opportunities for snaps last year, that’s not the case in 2024.

The Sooners will likely roll with Brenen Thompson and J.J. Hester as the starters on the outside this week and [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] in the slot. But the Sooners could look to play Pettaway or Burks in three- and four-wide receiver sets. If they want to keep Anthony in a rotation role, Pettaway gives Oklahoma a speedy option on the outside or in the slot.

Going with the speed and quickness threats of Burks, Thompson and Pettaway gives OU and quarterback Jackson Arnold options in the quick passing game. Each possesses elite speed that can create separation quickly, giving Arnold the ability to get the ball out of his hands before the pass rush can get to him.

Could this week against Houston provide Pettaway an opportunity to cement his role in the rotation? He has the traits to be a big-time playmaker for Oklahoma.

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Sooners wide receiver Jalil Farooq expected to miss significant time with injury

The Oklahoma Sooners will be without wide receiver Jalil Farooq for an extended period of time.

The Oklahoma Sooners went into fall camp feeling great about a deep wide receiver room. Fast forward through the first week of the regular season and that depth has evaporated.

Despite a 51-3 win over Temple, the Sooners have taken a hit on the injury front.

Senior wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] hauled in a 47-yard reception to help the Sooners score on their first possession. He then left the game and was seen on the sidelines with a walking boot. In his postgame press conference, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] revealed that Farooq will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a broken foot.

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Oklahoma lost [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] for the season during fall camp and were without [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] in week one. [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] made his return to the field, but had a limited snap count, making one catch for four yards.

Transfer wide receiver [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] was really good in his debut for the Sooners, catching three touchdowns on six receptions. But Oklahoma’s going to need someone to step up among their young blue chip wide receivers. [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] each earned time in the win over Temple, but they’ll likely be asked to do more over the next two months while Farooq works his way back to the field.

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Who steps up at wide receiver with Jayden Gibson out?

With Jayden Gibson set to miss the 2024 season, which wide receivers could step up for the Oklahoma Sooners?

Anytime you lose a player, it’s going to put the depth chart to the test. With Jayden Gibson set to miss the 2024 season, the Sooners will need to rely on their depth at wide receiver more than they anticipated.

Gibson was one of those players expected to have a huge breakout season. As part of the rotation in 2023, Gibson caught 14 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns. As Andrel Anthony (knee) and Jalil Farooq (toe) were working their way back from injuries, Gibson was getting a great deal of run with the first team and was taking advantage of it.

Now that he’s out, who will step up in his place?

“You hate that for anybody when a season comes to an end prematurely,” Brent Venables said. “But that’s a group that we feel really good about.”

If everyone’s healthy, it’s likely Nic Anderson, Deion Burks, Farooq and Anthony are your top four wide receivers. Farooq is back and Anthony is expected to be ready for the season. In the event they’re not, the Sooners will need to go deeper into the wide receiver well.

One of the more unheralded figures on the wide receiver depth chart is former Missouri transfer and Tulsa native J.J. Hester. Hester arrived in Norman during the 2022 offseason, but dealt with injuries for much of his time with the Sooners. Those injuries limited his development. However, with a healthy offseason, Hester looks primed for a breakout season of his own.

He has great size and speed to be a difference-maker at every level of the offense. He can win in the intermediate part of the field with his size to box out defensive backs. Hester can also stretch the defense deep with legitimate 4.4 40-yard dash speed.

In addition to Hester, two other speedsters, though smaller in stature, have a chance to earn a significant role out of fall camp. Another transfer addition, Brenen Thompson, made an impact in a limited role, but he hasn’t seen many snaps with the Sooners. [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], a four-star wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class has the ability to work at several spots. He has the speed to threaten teams deep and the quickness to be a threat out of the slot.

Beyond the veterans on the roster, the Sooners have a nice group of prospects from the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag]. [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] provide a diverse range of abilities.

Though there may not be an answer right now as to who fills Jayden Gibson’s role in the offense, the Oklahoma Sooners have a number of options for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag], [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] and [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] to choose from.

Projected Wide Receiver Depth Chart

X WR Nic Anderson Andrel Anthony Zion Kearney
Slot WR Deion Burks Jaquaize Pettaway Brenen Thompson
Y WR Jalil Farooq J.J. Hester Ivan Carreon

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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.

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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.

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