Tag: OU Media Day

‘Understands what it takes to play at a high level’: Expectations high for Jalil Farooq in 2023

After a strong season in 2022, the Oklahoma Sooners need Jalil Farooq to take another step in 2023. And he’s got the skill to do it.

The Oklahoma Sooners only constant at wide receiver over the last several years was [autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag]. He immediately earned a role as a true freshman in 2020 and proceeded to lead the Sooners in receiving yards each of his three seasons in Norman.

Now with the Denver Broncos, Marvin Mims experience and production needs to be replaced heading into 2023.

One of the players expected to take on a more significant role in 2023 is Jalil Farooq.

In 2022, Farooq got his first significant taste of playing time as a college football player. And after a strong season, where he finished third in total yards with 606 yards and five touchdowns, the expectations are going to another level.

“Yeah, that’s one of the guys in the room that’s had some production and has played quite a bit. So we’re looking for him to take great strides,” Jeff Lebby said at OU Football media day. “You know, he’s lived it. He understands what it takes to play at a high level every single week. Now he needs to go do it. Him as much as anybody else, needs to put together three great weeks of fall camp, continuing to create trust continuing to create consistency. Inside the building every single day but a guy, when he had the ball in his hands, he did great things with it, so we’re looking for him to take that and run with it.”

Farooq was a multipurpose weapon for the Sooners in his first extended role with the Sooners. After a strong performance in the Alamo Bowl against Oregon at the end of the 2021 season, Farooq earned a starting job last offseason.

With the loss of Mims, Oklahoma needs someone to lead the way for the wide receiver group, and Farooq’s going to have a great opportunity to do that in 2023.

His ability to run a full route tree and win at every level of the defense will help unlock the Sooners’ passing game. He’s a strong runner, showing off an ability to break tackles as well as make people miss in the open field.

Farooq has the size, speed, and route-running ability to have a big-time season for Oklahoma. As the Sooners open fall camp this week, the next few weeks will serve as the springboard for what should be a career year for Jalil Farooq.

Here’s a look at the best photos from OU Football’s 2023 Media Day.

5 takeaways from Oklahoma Football media day

Oklahoma coaches and assistants met with the media on Tuesday and here are five takeaways from what they had to say.

Oklahoma Football held media day on Tuesday, which serves as the kickoff to fall camp ahead of the start of the 2023 season. The Sooners coaching staff was in attendance, along with a number of new additions and there was a lot to digest from the day-long event.

While the proof will come when Oklahoma steps on the field for the 2023 season, optimism was in the air as Brent Venables and his staff venture into year two at Oklahoma.

Here are five takeaways from the days sessions.

‘He’s been on a mission’: Sooners CB Gentry Williams pushing for big role in 2023

Brent Venables and Jay Valai spoke glowingly of Gentry Williams and the work he’s put in this offseason.

When the Oklahoma Sooners open the season on September 2 against Arkansas State, [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] will get the start at one of the cornerback spots. Who occupies the starting cornerback position on the other side of the field is still in question.

Since getting a few snaps in his true freshman season, there’s been buzz about the potential of Tulsa native [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag].

Williams was the top prospect in the Sooners’ 2022 recruiting class, Brent Venables’ first as head coach.

With an opportunity to start for the Oklahoma Sooners right in front of him, Venables believes Gentry Williams has put his best foot forward this offseason.

“He’s been on a mission,” [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] said at Oklahoma Football’s media day Tuesday. “That’s the best way I can describe it. He’s locked and focused. And it’s not that he wasn’t as a as a freshman, but maybe it’s given him an appreciation.”

That appreciation may come from a health scare Williams experienced during spring ball.

Back on March 8, the talented cornerback from Booker T. Washington suffered what was called an exertional collapse.

Since then, it’s been all work for Williams.

“Mission type of mindset,” Venables shared. “Incredible work ethic, teammates love him. He’s got a great ceiling. All of his best football is still in front of him. He’s long, and he’s athletic. He’s tough as all get out. Really talented, young player. You know, players really respect him.”

Williams saw 60 snaps in 2022, but never more than 11 in a game. But he flashed in the time he earned, finishing with an interception, four tackles, and two stops per Pro Football Focus.

Now it’s about taking the offseason work and building off of last season’s first foray into college football.

But to hear co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] tell it, the sky is the limit for Williams because of his work ethic, speed, and athleticism.

“He’s biting every single day,” Valai said of Williams at OU media day. “Work ethic, leading the group. He’s leading all the sprints in the summer, 23 miles per hour running, which is insane. And you know he’s Gentry. He’s working his tail off on a daily basis.”

For a team that needs to see improvement on the defensive side of the ball to reach the level of success that’s expected at the University of Oklahoma, Williams has a chance to be a big part of that improvement.

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‘Best receiver coming out of spring’: Brent Venables on WR Gavin Freeman’s offseason

Oklahoma Sooners fall camp opens this week and Brent Venables had high praise for wide receiver Gavin Freeman.

As the Oklahoma Sooners open fall camp this week, wide receiver is one of the position battles garnering the most attention. With a group of guys competing for opportunities, fall camp will be the next step to delineate who will get the most playing time in 2023.

One of the guys that’s stood out in the mind of head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is sophomore Gavin Freeman.

Freeman, the former walkon earned a scholarship early in the offseason and has done nothing but impress ahead of his second year with the Sooners. According to Venables, Freeman was the “best receiver coming out of spring.”

And as spring gave way to summer workouts, the playmaking wideout has continued to impress. In addition to his attitude and his work ethic, Venables said, “You look at his measurables. He’s one of the fastest guys on our team. You know, both linear and changing direction.”

“He wins everything out there,” Venables said. “If (Strength and Conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt) stood up here right now wanting to talk about Gavin Freeman, he’d be here until midnight.”

Though Freeman didn’t get many opportunities in 2022, Freeman took advantage when the ball came his way. He saw five targets a year ago and converted that into three receptions for 46 yards. One of those was one of the longest plays of the season, a 41-yard diving reception down the left sideline to put the Sooners in scoring position against Kansas.

Weeks before the big-time grab against the Jayhawks, Freeman made his presence felt on his first touch as an Oklahoma Sooner, a 46-yard run on a reverse where he bounced off defenders and, with [autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag] leading the way, outran them to the end zone for a touchdown.

And while his speed, agility, and playmaking ability will what shows up on gameday, it’s the stuff in his head and his heart that’s garnered the attention of the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff.

“And so I say that with all appreciation and thankfulness for Gavin in his mindset, his attitude and what he’s done,” Venables said. “He makes everybody around him better.”

While it looks like Freeman is the heir apparent to [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] as the starting slot wide receiver, don’t rule out the possibility that he could be the answer on the outside in three wide receiver sets with Stoops and [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag].

Playmakers make plays, and in Gavin Freeman’s short time with the Oklahoma Sooners, he’s done nothing but make plays.

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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 John on Twitter @john9williams.