Tag: Jayden Gibson

Oklahoma Sooners have an emerging star in wide receiver Deion Burks

Though he’s the newcomer to the position room, Deion Burks could lead the way in receiving in 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners are loaded at wide receiver heading into the 2024 season. They return just about every receiver from a year ago while also adding one of the more dynamic players a player in the transfer portal, [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag].

Burks could be the most impactful player the Sooners added in the portal this cycle. Burks transferred in from Purdue and has displayed elite speed and polished route running in spring camp. He’s the player many think will take over in the slot, a position vacated by [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], who had a career year in 2023.

Deion Burks shared how he found his role this offseason. “It has been a nice process,” Burks said. “Coming in, I knew I pretty much wanted to play the slot position. Coach (Emmett) Jones molded me into that spot. Just learning that and also learning the one and the four as well. I feel like I’ve adjusted well to it. I feel like I’m learning the defense and picking up on that quickly so I just feel like it’s going to be a great thing coming.”

While Stoops was great a season ago, Burks brings a different level of speed and athleticism to the slot. Stoops found a way to get open with his route-running ability, but what Burks brings to the table will make him even harder to cover. And like Stoops did in 2023, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Oklahoma’s slot wide receiver lead the Sooners in receiving again in 2024.

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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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Best photos from latest Oklahoma Sooners spring practice

Spring ball is heating up and here are the best photos from the Oklahoma Sooners latest spring practice.

Spring practice is in full throttle as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for the 2024 college football season. There are a number of intriguing storylines to watch this spring with [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] taking over at quarterback and the turnover along the offensive line.

The newcomers are making a strong impression on the media in attendance. [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] and [autotag]Bauer Sharp[/autotag] have stood out in the passing game as Arnold gets acclimated to life as the starting quarterback.

Defensively, true freshmen [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] have mixed in with the first-team defense and looked good in the early going.

There are a number of players that the team is taking precautions with on the injury front, so it’s hard to know who exactly is leading the way in the most high-profile position battles.

What we do know is that this is a deeper team than what the Sooners took into the spring a year ago, especially at wide receiver, defensive back, and linebacker. The competitive depth across the board is better this spring than in any year of the [autotag]Brent Venable[/autotag]s era at Oklahoma, which should serve the team well as they try to work out their depth chart.

Here’s a look at the best photos from the Sooners most recent spring practice.

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”

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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5 positions the Oklahoma Sooners don’t need to pursue in the transfer portal

The transfer portal opens on Monday Dec. 4 and while Oklahoma will address certain spots, there are several positions they don’t need to worry about.

The transfer portal is set to open on Monday Dec. 4 and the Oklahoma Sooners will be active to improve the talent on the roster.

Bryant Crews, here at Sooners Wire, highlighted several positions that should be a priority for the Sooners in portal season. However, there are a few spots that Oklahoma looks pretty good at heading into the 2024 offseason.

Brent Venables and his staff have done a great job building the talent base on both sides of the ball through both the high school and transfer portal ranks. And as the young talent on the roster continues to develop, there will be less need to attack the transfer portal for starters.

Here are five areas that look good to go for the Oklahoma Sooners as they head into the opening of the transfer portal.