Wide Receiver is deep, but don’t forget about Jayden Gibson

Wide receiver is one of the deepest position groups on the Sooners roster, but don’t forget about Jayden Gibson.

The wide receiver room is stacked for the Oklahoma Sooners heading into 2024. Despite losing Drake Stoops to the Los Angeles Rams, OU is set up for the next several years with big-time talents thanks to the recruiting and developmental prowess of passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag].

Oklahoma brings back [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], [autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag], and [autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag], who each played a significant role for the Sooners offense last year. Anthony will be returning from a torn ACL suffered in the Red River Showdown. His timeline is still uncertain. The Sooners also added [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] out of the transfer portal. And despite some recent legal allegations, Burks is expected to have a huge season for the Sooners after showing out in the [autotag]spring game[/autotag].

But the depth doesn’t stop there. One of the more unheralded wideouts on the roster, [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], is a playmaker in his own right. Gibson played in all 13 games for the Sooners in 2023 but only played 232 snaps. His rotational role increased after Anthony’s injury, and he produced when given the opportunity.

Though he was seventh in receptions, his big-play ability led Gibson to finish fifth in receiving yards after averaging 26.8 yards per reception. He was second on the team in average depth of target at 23.3 yards and led the Sooners in passer rating when targeted at 149.3. Of his 14 receptions in 2023, 11 of them went for a first down.

52.4% of Gibson’s targets were beyond 20 yards down the field, and when targeted in the deep passing game, he was downright dominant. He had eight catches on 11 targets for 302 yards and five touchdowns for a near-perfect passer rating when targeted of 154.4. Gibson caught four of his six contested targets, showing great athleticism, hands, and concentration to battle for the ball in the air.

Gibson’s a big-time playmaker with the potential to be an elite wide receiver for the Sooners. Though there may be competition for snaps, Gibson will have a role in 2024. His athleticism and upside are too good to keep off the field and with a quarterback like [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] that is willing to throw a 50-50 ball, Gibson will have a chance to make more highlight reel plays this season.

 

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