Nicholas Anderson – Syndication Server

‘He’s told the coaches he’s going to return’: Bob Stoops says Drake Stoops will return in 2023

Drake Stoops set to return to the Oklahoma Sooners for 2023.

There’s been speculation about [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag]’ intentions for the 2023 season, but that has been put to bed ahead of the Oklahoma Sooners’ matchup with the Florida State Seminoles. On an episode of Bob Stoops on the former Oklahoma head coach’s YouTube channel, Stoops was asked if Drake would be returning for another season in Norman.

Stoops said, “Yeah, he’s told the coaches that he’s going to return for his next year and take his COVID year and work on some particular things that he feels he can be better at. At this point, that’s where it’s at, and he’s set to play another year.”

That’s a massive boost for an Oklahoma wide receiver group that is in a period of flux. Questions remain about whether star wideout [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] will return for his senior season or make the jump and head to the NFL draft. Additionally, the Sooners have had three receivers enter the transfer portal. [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] was the most notable loss, as he was a contributor in his time in Norman.

Stoops’ return adds stability and ensures the Sooners will have at least two starting returners in Stoops and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] if Mims does head to the NFL. In 2022, Stoops has tallied 37 catches for 366 yards and three touchdowns. He’s a big-time third-down target out of the slot because of his work in the intermediate areas of the field. That’s going to be a big help next year for whoever is under center in Norman.

Stoops is a veteran leader and presence in the locker room. His experience will be invaluable to younger receivers like Farooq, [autotag]LV Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag], [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag], [autotag]Gavin Freeman[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], [autotag]Nicholas Anderson[/autotag], and incoming receivers like four-star signees [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag] and [autotag]Keyon Brown[/autotag].

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Oklahoma Sooners attempting to solidify the WR position through the transfer portal

The Oklahoma Sooners have made it clear that they need help at the wide receiver position through their transfer portal targets.

It’s been quite noticeable that the Oklahoma Sooners have been targeting wide receivers in the transfer portal. They’ve offered Ra Ra Thomas (Auburn), Dante Cephas (Kent State), Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech), Dorian Singer (Arizona) and Xavier Guillory (Idaho State).

It’s clear the Oklahoma Sooners believe they need to add one or more wide receivers to the depth chart.

Though there hasn’t been any indication from [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] regarding his future, there’s a chance he could return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his senior season. He’s playing in the Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State, but after his first 1,000-yard season, he could determine he’s ready to make the leap to the NFL. At the same time, duplicating that production in 2023 could put him in an even better standing among NFL scouts and general managers for 2024.

As things stand, [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]J.J. Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]LV Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag] are the most experienced wide receivers on the roster if Mims were to depart for the NFL. None of those guys has been a lead wide receiver or has the production to match what Mims did in 2022. Farooq has flashed the ability, but he’s also had some head-scratching performances in his first full season as a starter.

Stoops is a good wide receiver, but not necessarily someone that will earn 100-plus targets. Hester and Bunkley-Shelton barely saw the field in 2022.

Then there’s [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] and [autotag]Nicholas Anderson[/autotag], two highly regarded wide receivers from the 2022 recruiting class. They didn’t see the field much either: Gibson saw 92 snaps in six games and Anderson 11 snaps in three games. Gibson had five targets but caught just one. Anderson didn’t see a pass come his way.

So when it comes down to it, Farooq and Stoops, if he returns for one more year, are the only receivers that Oklahoma can feel good about going into the 2023 offseason. Gibson and Anderson may emerge as lead wide receivers in the Sooners’ offense, but is the coaching staff at a point where they feel like they can rely upon them for 50 or more targets in 2023?

With the offers they’ve put out there, it appears the Sooners coaching staff wants to create competition at the position and see who emerges with a starting role in September.

If Marvin Mims returns, the Sooners will have one of the best wide receivers and wide receiver groups in the Big 12. If he jets off to the NFL, they’ll be left with a question mark at the position. They’re trying to make sure they have multiple answers to the problem at wide receiver moving forward.

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‘Super hard working’: Sooners QB Dillon Gabriel on freshmen wide receivers Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson

In their first few months with the program Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson have turned heads for their work ethic as much as their size.

The Oklahoma Sooners lost three of their top five wide receivers from the 2021 season. Jadon Haselwood and Mario Williams transferred out and Mike Woods is continuing his career at the professional level.

All’s well though as [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag] return for the Sooners. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] will still play a significant role. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] is expected to have a breakout season and [autotag]Cody Jackson[/autotag] will see more opportunities this year.

It doesn’t look the same, but there’s still quite a bit of depth at the wide receiver position. And that doesn’t include true freshmen wideouts [autotag]Nicholas Anderson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] who could be factors in year one, but certainly have bright futures ahead.

“I think Jayden Gibson and Nick Anderson. They’re super talented. You can’t teach athleticism and their build and what they can do,” Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] shared with the media on Tuesday.

Their size, Gibson is 6-foot-5 and Anderson is 6-foot-4, is the first thing that stands out about them. And Gabriel’s right, you can’t teach that. But they bring more to the table than just being tall. Both were four-star wide receivers who were once committed to other Power Five schools that the Sooners flipped.

Gibson decommitted from Florida after the Gators moved on from Dan Mullen while Anderson was once headed to Oregon. Both guys are fluid athletes that posses strong route running chops. But even that’s not the thing that stands out most to Dillon Gabriel.

It’s the work ethic.

Gabriel said, “I think they’re super hard working, the way they attack every single day. I think when you’re a freshman, especially early freshman, early enrollee, I think there’s just a lot more challenges than just any typical freshman would go through. First, you know, they should be going to graduation and going to prom and things like that, but they’re here and they made that decision to get ahead and to better themselves. So I’m super proud of them and how they continue to fight every single day. Whether it’s a good or bad day the day before, you know they just continued to attack every single day.”

However the wide receiver snap count is distributed in 2022, the true freshmen early enrollees are turning heads with how they’ve approached their first semester at Oklahoma. That could lead to opportunities in year one, but even if it doesn’t, Jayden Gibson and Nicholas Anderson provide the Sooners with a bright future at wide receiver.

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2022 spring preview: How does wide receiver look for Oklahoma?

Oklahoma replaces three of its top four wide receivers entering 2022. How does the position group look heading into the spring?

As spring practices for Oklahoma get underway on March 22, it’s time to begin taking stock of what the Sooners have on campus in each respective position group. At wide receiver, OU is replacing three of its top four receiving yardage leaders.

With that said, there’s plenty of talent returning for Oklahoma and the Sooners added a pair of talented pass catchers in their 2022 signing class. Let’s take a look at Oklahoma’s wide receivers entering the spring.

Theo Wease pondered transfer to Ole Miss to join Jeff Lebby

Oklahoma wide receiver Theo Wease said on “The Podcast on the Prairie” that he thought about transferring to Ole Miss to join Jeff Lebby.

Several days after Lincoln Riley left Oklahoma to become USC’s head coach, junior wide receiver Theo Wease put his name into the transfer portal. At the time, there was a fear that the Sooners might be in store for an exodus of mass proportions and it appeared as though Wease would be part of that.

Instead, Wease removed his name from the transfer portal several weeks later and announced his “unfinished business” with Oklahoma. What nobody knew at the time was where Wease was considering.

“I entered the portal because…it was actually, I was going to hit the portal before the coaching staff change happened, if I’m being honest. And then, it’s crazy, so I’m going to take you up through my process. I was interested in going to Ole Miss and playing for [Jeff] Lebby. So, like we talked about me going out there. Come to find out, he gets a job at Oklahoma. Of course, I never wanted to leave Oklahoma, but you know just how certain stuff plays out, stuff happens.

Once I heard about Linc getting the new job, blah blah blah. I’m like, okay, maybe the new coach, maybe this is just my blessing in disguise. Come to find out, I see Lebby gets the job. I’m like, I was just talking to this guy. Why would I leave now? In Lebby we trust. In BV, trust me. They’re cooking up something special and they’re not wasting their time with it. It’s fast changes happening and I’m loving it. I’m excited for it all,” Wease said in an appearance on “The Podcast on the Prairie” with hosts Brayden Willis and Jeremiah Hall.

Given that he was prepared to perhaps join the Ole Miss Rebels, it’s obvious the impression that new OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby made on Wease. Brent Venables is drawing rave reviews from Wease as well.

“Man, I’ve been enjoying it a 100 percent. BV, it’s just his whole mentality, just the swagger behind him that he brings to the team. The energy is just like, it’s contagious literally. We really feed off that energy,” Wease said.

It’s not just a new look at head coach and offensive coordinator. Oklahoma will have a new starting quarterback in 2022. The 6-foot-2, 200 pound receiver discussed what transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel has already added to the program.

“DG’s a great leader. He’s like a people person. He’s just fun to be around. You can’t dislike him. Friendly to everybody, pretty sure he’s cool with everybody. Texts everybody on the team every day, and that’s just him. It’s not fake at all. His arm talent is… trust me. Dime time. That first one not going to come out soft, it’s going to come out hot,” Wease said.

Of course, Wease missed this past season due to injury. Before his podcast appearance, it was unclear what exactly the ailment was. Based on his comments, it was some sort of foot injury.

“It was different, because I’ve never really had a foot injury before. It was just different, you know, just the certain types of ways I’ve got to retrain my body, retrain these muscles how to balance. Like at one point, I was picking up marbles and putting them in cups with my toes. It was crazy just thinking of doing stuff like that. It was I wouldn’t say easy. There was definitely some setbacks, but I had a good recovery,” Wease said.

Sooner fans are more than familiar with the type of playmaker Wease is when healthy. As a sophomore, Wease tied for the team lead with 37 receptions and finished as Oklahoma’s second-leading receiving yardage leader with 530 yards. He had four touchdowns that season.

“Always, always want more. I didn’t really go into the season expecting nothing. I just wanted to do, just go out there and do my thing, play my game, try not to think too much of it. I definitely would say I don’t think I had the season that I’m capable of. We’re going to save that for another. We got the 2022 season coming up, so you know how excited we is, you know how ready we are for that,” Wease said.

Wease joins a group of returning Oklahoma wide receivers that features Marvin Mims, Drake Stoops, Brian Darby, Trevon West, Jalil Farooq and Cody Jackson. OU also signed Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson in its 2022 class. He has a message for those that wonder how Oklahoma will handle the defections of Mario Williams, Mike Woods and Jadon Haselwood from the wide receivers room at OU.

“Yeah, I definitely think it’s a special group for sure. I don’t think everybody realized how deep we actually were. Losing the guys, it hurt, but we got young guys, we got more guys. It’s OU. We’re just going to reload and we’re just going to go play ball,” Wease said.

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Beauty of the unknown is Oklahoma’s biggest 2022 storyline

What we don’t know about Oklahoma football entering the 2022 season is the storyline that’s brimming with excitement.

When you get right down to it, there’s just so much about what Oklahoma will look like in 2022 that we simply don’t know yet.

In short, the biggest storyline for the Sooners is just how the heck all of this will come together. And that’s really the most exciting part about this offseason. Nobody truly knows. That’s precisely what ESPN’s Dave Wilson wrote for his biggest spring narrative surrounding the Sooners entering 2022. Everything.

It’s a new/old era in Norman, with former Bob Stoops lieutenant Brent Venables taking over after former Stoops coordinator Lincoln Riley up and left for USC. So what is there to watch? How about everything. Is Dillon Gabriel the answer at quarterback after star freshman Caleb Williams joined Riley in L.A.? Can the offensive line come together to buy Gabriel time after Spencer Rattler and Williams both bought time last year? Under Venables’ watch, will the defense add back some bite that was lacking? – Wilson, ESPN.

It’s Brent Venables’ first year as a head coach. OU will have a new starting quarterback in Dillon Gabriel with a new offensive coordinator in Jeff Lebby. Marvin Mims is one of college football’s biggest stars at wide receiver and he returns, but, outside of that, there’s more questions than answers offensively.

Theo Wease returns from injury and he came to Oklahoma as a five-star talent. Fellow wide receiver Jalil Farooq showed signs in the Valero Alamo Bowl against Oregon that he’s ready for a starring role after leading the Sooners in receiving against the Ducks with three receptions for 64 yards. Four-star signees Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson could factor in straightaway among the wide receiver group simply because of defections from the program.

Along its offensive line, OU will be replacing a pair of longtime starters in left guard Marquis Hayes and right tackle Tyrese Robinson. Assuming the offensive line gels together with the addition of Cal transfer guard McKade Mettauer, who is going to step up and be the Sooners’ leading rusher to replace Kennedy Brooks?

Eric Gray is the most seasoned, but OU fans have been pining for Marcus Major to get more carries. Major has just 60 career carries for 298 rushing yards, though. The door seems wide open for either true freshmen running backs in Jovantae Barnes or Gavin Sawchuk to step right in and get serious carries.

The Sooners are replacing six of 11 starters defensively and it remains to be seen if transfer portal additions like Jeffery Johnson, Jonah Laulu, C.J. Coldon, Trey Morrison, Kani Walker, and T.D. Roof will impact OU immediately. Defensive lineman Jalen Redmond is the leader in the clubhouse to finish as Oklahoma’s leading sacks and tackles for loss producer, but his career has been defined in part by absences and this will be his first season playing without Nik Bonitto, Ronnie Perkins or Isaiah Thomas to help shoulder the load.

Marcus Stripling was another star in OU’s 47-32 Alamo Bowl triumph over Oregon. Stripling had a pair of tackles for loss and a sack against the Ducks. How he, Ethan Downs and Clayton Smith come along will be another deciding factor in Oklahoma’s success or failure in 2022.

Thanks to the return of DaShaun White and a talented 2022 signing class, linebacker suddenly might be OU’s most talented position group on the entire roster. Is Danny Stutsman primed for a breakout season? Portions of 2021 certainly hinted at that.

On the back end of OU’s defense, the Sooners return their starting cornerbacks in D.J. Graham and Woodi Washington to go along with starting nickel back Justin Broiles and Key Lawrence who played at both corner and safety last year.

It’s new, it’s unknown and that’s exciting.

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5 Oklahoma freshmen that could see immediate playing time this season

Who are several freshmen that have a realistic chance to make an impact on next season for Oklahoma?

Oklahoma revamped its roster through the transfer portal. Ten players are joining the Sooners from the transfer portal.

That list includes offensive linemen Tyler Guyton and McKade Mettauer, tight end Daniel Parker Jr., defensive linemen Jeffery Johnson and Jonah Laulu, linebacker T.D. Roof and defensive backs CJ Coldon, Trey Morrison and Kani Walker. All could make significant contributions to the 2022 season.

Then, of course, there’s starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel that transferred to Oklahoma from UCF. How Gabriel performs will be one of the biggest factors on the Sooners’ 2022 chances.

What about Oklahoma’s 2022 signing class that ranks No. 8 across the team rankings on 247Sports, Rivals and On3? Here’s five players that could see immediate playing time in 2022.

Positional breakdown of additions made by the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022

A positional breakdown of the players the Oklahoma Sooners added through the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners suffered losses to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. The talent that walked out the door is difficult to replace. However, holes in the lineup mean new opportunities for younger players to step up and the depth chart to do its job.

Brent Venables and his staff did a tremendous job addressing needs through the transfer portal, and they attacked the 2022 recruiting cycle looking to the future of the program.

Through it all, they’ve added some nice pieces that can contribute right away and a bright future that might be able to make an impact in year one with the Sooners.

Here’s a positional breakdown of each player the Oklahoma Sooners added this offseason.

Oklahoma football’s official recruiting class after national signing day 2022

A look at the 2022 recruiting class and where each player ranks with the four major recruiting services after national signing day.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together one of the eight best recruiting classes in the country through national signing day. The declarations of the Sooners’ demise was greatly exaggerated as Brent Venables and his staff has breathed new life into a program that had struggled to maintain its top spot in the Big 12 over the last couple of years. That ultimately led to missing the Big 12 title game altogether in 2021.

Unlike other major college programs that experienced a coaching change, the Sooners were able to create positive momentum heading into the spring despite the coaching change.

The Sooners are the only team in the top 10 without a five-star recruit. While it would be nice to land Josh Conerly or Lebbeus Overton in the 2022 cycle, the teams high ranking in the cycle reveals just how good their four and three-star players are.

The Sooners have several incoming freshman that could come in and earn an opportunity right out of the gate. A top eight class is nothing to sneeze at and it speaks to the tremendous talent of the players and the work done by the coaching staff to get the guys on board.

As we continue our look at national signing day, here are where the Sooners 21 incoming freshman rank across the four major recruiting services; 247Sports, On3, Rivals, and ESPN.

ESPN says Jeff Lebby’s biggest challenge is to ‘keep Oklahoma a QB destination’

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg says that the biggest challenge for OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is to keep OU a destination for quarterbacks.

If the biggest challenge coming in was to keep Oklahoma a popular destination for quarterback and offensive skill players as ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg writes, then consider new OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby’s first month and change a success thus far.

OU flipped and signed 2022 four-star quarterback Nick Evers away from the Florida Gators. Then, Lebby landed one of the most highly-regarded quarterbacks out of the transfer portal in UCF transfer Dillon Gabriel.

To top it all off, Lebby and Oklahoma also added a commitment from class of 2023 four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold out of Denton Guyer in Texas.

Rittenberg said Oklahoma provides Lebby with “a new degree of autonomy” as he’s paired up with a defensive-minded head coach in Brent Venables as compared to Art Briles, Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin.

But Oklahoma also had to offset the impact of Riley’s departure for its offense. The Sooners need to remain an attractive program for quarterbacks and other offensive playmakers, which is why Lebby’s hiring will be so significant. Lebby has been part of dynamic offenses at Baylor, UCF and most recently Ole Miss. He has coordinated top-four offenses in each of the past three years. But he also has worked alongside offensive-minded head coaches (Art Briles, Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin).

Oklahoma provides him a new degree of autonomy.

Lebby’s arrival is off to a promising start. Oklahoma added quarterback transfer Dillon Gabriel, who initially committed to UCLA but switched to OU after Caleb Williams entered the transfer portal. Gabriel played under Lebby at UCF in 2019, passing for 3,653 yards and 29 touchdowns. Lebby also has helped fortify Oklahoma’s quarterback room for the future. Oklahoma landed ESPN 300 quarterback Nick Evers, a Florida commit, just before the December signing date, and recently added Jackson Arnold, ESPN’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 43 overall junior for the 2023 class. Lebby inherits an offensive depth chart that took several hits after Riley’s departure, but if he can get through 2022, better days are likely ahead.

He also should benefit from Oklahoma retaining four offensive coaches from Riley’s staff, including longtime Sooners assistants Bill Bedenbaugh (started as offensive line coach in 2013) and Cale Gundy (has coached OU’s wide receivers or running backs since 1999). – Rittenberg, ESPN.

With the talented quarterbacks that Oklahoma has brought into the program, it’s apparent that Lebby can land highly sought-after signal-callers. While OU lost the commitment from 2023 wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr., it looks like the Sooners may soon be adding a commitment from 2023 wide receiver Ashton Cozart based on recent recruiting projections.

The continuity with the coaching staff helped the Sooners retain and sign running back Gavin Sawchuk and wide receiver Nicholas Anderson. Oklahoma also flipped and signed wide receiver Jayden Gibson from Florida, so the early returns are that OU is going to continue to find talented skill talent.

The best way to remain an attractive destination to quarterbacks and offensive skill talent? Recapturing the Big 12 title, making a College Football Playoff return and doing so with an explosive offense.

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