Tag: Nic Anderson

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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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 are being overlooked, per 247Sports’ Josh Pate

Could teams be sleeping on the Oklahoma Sooners in 2024? One national sports show host thinks so.

It is a new era of college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. They are no longer in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] conference but instead are off to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

That means new teams, new rivalries and some old rivalries will be on Oklahoma’s schedule going forward. After going 10-3 last season, there are still many who think Oklahoma has no clue what it’s getting itself into. The SEC is considered the best conference in football and it’ll definitely be a tougher task week in and week out than what they are used to.

There have even been some predictions that have Oklahoma winning only seven or eight games in Year 1. So, are the Oklahoma Sooners being overlooked heading into next season? 247Sports’ Josh Pate thinks so.

“Everyone pays attention to what you lose in college football and they don’t pay enough attention to what you have,” Pate said. “Oklahoma did lose a lot on the offensive line. Oklahoma did lose a starter at quarterback but they also have the former Elite 11 MVP, Jackson Arnold, who is two years in. He’s not a true freshman. They have recruited at what has them at a top 10 talent roster status. So, it’s not like they are going to put potato sacks out there on the offensive line. You don’t know their names so you automatically think they’re going to be subpar. So do the odds makers. That over/under, 7.5. Is Oklahoma being overlooked? I think they are.”

More: SEC win projections ahead of spring ball

I also think Oklahoma is being overlooked.

Pate brings up a great point. It’s valid to talk about all of the things Oklahoma has lost but why aren’t we talking about what they return? Yes, they lost [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], but there were people before the season last year who wanted Arnold to be the starter. We know he’s more talented. He just has to clean up the mental mistakes that plagued him in the bowl game like it would just about any true freshman.

The offensive line is a fair and valid worry. It has work to do. But on the flip side, this is arguably the best and deepest wide receiver room since maybe 2018. At running back, [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] has to stay healthy because when he is healthy, he’s a very good running back.

Then, on defense, this might be the most experienced defense in college football. It’s the best secondary Oklahoma has had in over a decade. It’s the deepest the linebacker room has been in probably over a decade as well. The defensive ends are deep and just need a star to emerge. The interior defensive line is the worry. [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] is a very good player but he’s the only proven one in there. So, someone else is going to have to step up.

I’m not saying Oklahoma is going to win 11 games and compete for a championship in Year 1. I get that’s the standard but that’s unrealistic going into next year. I’m just saying as soon as I saw the over/under at 7.5 wins, I would have happily and quickly bet the over.

More: SEC quarterback rankings ahead of the 2024 season

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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.

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The nation’s No. 3 offensive tackle in 2025 sets visit to Oklahoma

One of the nation’s top offensive lineman is making his way to Norman once again. He talks about what he likes about the Sooners.

If you follow recruiting much, you know this is a big year for [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners’ offensive line recruiting efforts. The Sooners already got one commit from four-star offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] and have a pledge from three-star prospect Owen Hollenbeck.

But that’s just the start. The Sooners are also in a great position for a few of the top-ranked tackles in the country like [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag], [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] and [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag]. Another one they are in a great position for is [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag].

Babalola is ranked as the No. 3 offensive tackle by 247Sports. He’s even set up a few upcoming visits which include a stop back in Norman. He spoke with Steve Wiltfong about (Subscription Required) his recent visit to Oklahoma on Junior Day.

“I had a great time in Norman,” Babalola said. “Getting to be around Coach V, Coach Bedenbaugh and the rest of the guys on the team was great. They made me feel important and I appreciate that. Just how real they were with me, the in-depth convos, all of that, it was great.”

As for why he is so high on the Sooners? “What’s different about OU is S.O.U.L Mission, nobody in the country really has anything like that. They have five people working full time that are dedicated to it, and they make a big emphasis on equipping their players with skills for life after football.”

The S.O.U.L. Mission has made an impression on prospects and their families over the past several recruiting cycles. It’s been a key component to OU’s recruiting efforts. Let’s see if it can move the needle enough for Oklahoma to land the top five offensive tackle prospect.

The blue chipper will be back at Oklahoma on April 12.

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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.

Nic Anderson named a freshman All-American by FWAA

The accolades keep on coming as Nic Anderson was named a freshman All-American by FWAA.

We are nearly a month since the 2023 college football season for the Oklahoma Sooners came to a close. Still, the accolades keep on coming for the Sooners.

This time, it’s for wide receiver [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag]. Anderson was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-America Team, the FWAA announced Tuesday. Anderson joins [autotag]Marvin Mims Jr.[/autotag] as the only Sooners to be recognized by the FWAA as freshman All-Americans.

Anderson finished the year with 798 yards and 10 touchdowns on 38 receptions. His 10 touchdowns were a school freshman record, and his 798 receiving yards are the second most ever by an OU freshman, falling nine yards short of [autotag]CeeDee Lamb[/autotag]’s record.

He ranked fifth nationally with his 21.0 yards per reception and he registered at least 100 receiving yards three times on the year and 90 or more receiving yards in five games.

Anderson was a touchdown machine. He scored multiple touchdowns twice this season. His coming out party was when he snagged three touchdowns on three receptions with a season-high 120 yards at [autotag]Tulsa[/autotag].

He also scored twice while gaining 105 yards on five catches against [autotag]UCF[/autotag]. His most memorable play was when he caught the game-winning touchdown against the Texas Longhorns with 15 seconds remaining.

He had 119 yards on four catches against [autotag]West Virginia[/autotag]. He made his record-setting 10th touchdown on a great catch in the [autotag]Alamo Bowl[/autotag] against [autotag]Arizona[/autotag] on a great throw by [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag].

Anderson was also named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic and was a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award and the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.

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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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Jackson Arnold could be more prolific than Gabriel says 247Sports

It wasn’t perfect nor was it all bad. Jackson Arnold’s first start gives Sooner fans some optimism for the future.

The [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] era had a rocky start for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners lost, 38-24, in the Alamo Bowl, and Arnold turned the ball over four times.

While you want to win every game you play, the most important thing about that bowl game was Arnold getting some experience as the starter against a good team. You would much rather him have a game like this in a meaningless game than when the Tennessee Volunteers come to Norman next season.

While there was obviously some bad, there was also abundant good.

He showed off his incredible arm talent and his ability to run. The throw he made to [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] for a touchdown is a prime example of that talent. There aren’t many people on earth, let alone a true freshman, who can make that throw.

He also had a great ball to [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] on third and long, which might have been his best throw of the day. He showed great mobility in the pocket. He was under pressure at times and found ways to escape and still make plays.

247Sports broke down the new wave of college football quarterbacks and how they think each new quarterback fared in their debuts.

Much development still needs to take place but Arnold can be even more prolific than Dillon Gabriel with his elite arm and mobility. — Clint Brewster, 247Sports

Brewster is exactly right. Arnold has work to do. Understandably so. He’s a true freshman, but his ceiling is very high. The talent is there to be the next great quarterback at Oklahoma. Now it’s about putting it all together.

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