Fresh Faces: Oklahoma's Manny Choice Brings Size, Athleticism to WR Room

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Manny Choice will be a unique option for the Sooners in the passing game.

Oklahoma WR Manny Choice | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

NORMAN — Not many players on Oklahoma’s roster have the physical gifts like Manny Choice’s.

Choice, a freshman wide receiver from Lancaster, TX, is listed at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds. He’s the second-tallest wideout on OU’s roster, behind only Jayden Gibson.

In his first few months in Norman, Choice has done what he can to become a reliable option for a team that struggled through the air in 2024.

“I’m just focused mainly on player development and getting better, whatever that may be, mentally or physically,” Choice said. “Just getting better.”

Choice was graded as a 4-star prospect by On3, while 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN rated him as a 3-star. He chose Oklahoma instead of offers from Texas A&M, Notre Dame, USC and TCU.

Oklahoma’s offense lacked big-play potential a year ago. The Sooners averaged 175 passing yards per game, which was 119th out of 134 NCAA Division I FBS programs.

Sooners coach Brent Venables expects Choice to help fix that.

“One of the most freakish, longest receivers in the country,” Venables said at OU's signing day press conference in December. “He plays like a slot with length. He’s tough. He’s super explosive. He's a great catch-and-runner. What he can do after the catch is pretty special and he has a tremendous, tremendous catch radius.”

It didn’t take long for Choice to impress fellow freshman wide receiver Elijah Thomas during winter workouts.

“He’s big and tall, but he’s pretty fast,” Thomas said. “Don’t mistake him for someone slow, because he can move for real.”

Choice is one of many new faces in Oklahoma’s wide receiver room.

The Sooners picked up three wide receivers — Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas), Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois) and Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) — from the transfer portal. In addition to Choice, they also signed Thomas as part of their 2025 recruiting class.

Deion Burks, Jacob Jordan and Zion Kearney are the only returning Sooners who compiled more than 100 receiving yards in 2024.

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Early into his time at OU, Choice has leaned on his fellow wideouts — both returners and newcomers.

“A lot of guys in there … Jacob Jordan, Deion Burks. Even a lot of the transfer guys that came in like Javonnie Gibson, Keontez Lewis,” Choice said. “All of those guys play a huge role in being leaders and impacting the receiver room, you know, as a freshman, you can have your good days and bad days.”

Between the newcomers and OU’s returning wide receivers, Choice sees the position as a strength for the Sooners — and he expects to contribute to that early on.

With new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer, Choice believes the passing game will return to what it once was when players like Kyler Murray, Baker Mayfield and CeeDee Lamb headlined the offense. 

Choice is willing to do whatever it takes to help OU's offense reach its full potential.

“I trust in the program, I trust in the offensive scheme, I trust in the leaders, I trust in everything that this place has going on,” he said. “I feel like this whole receiver corps is very explosive.

“I’m just focused mainly on player development and getting better, whatever that may be, mentally or physically. Just getting better.”