Newcomer Profile: Coming Back 'Home' Was a 'No-Brainer' for Oklahoma TE Jake Roberts
NORMAN — No place is more familiar than home.
Looking to make the most of his final season of college football, Jake Roberts was able to marry the two to land at Oklahoma.
The tight end first burst onto the scene at Norman North High School, before taking his talents to North Texas for three years of his career.
After Seth Littrell was dismissed from the Denton, TX, outfit, Roberts hit the portal, landing at Baylor.
A year on, he again tested the portal waters to try and close his career out on the best note possible.
“I have one year left and I want to make the most of it,” Roberts said at OU’s spring media day. “I can’t take a chance on anything. I want to do the best I can to make an informed decision. That was my thinking going into the portal.”
So when his former head coach, now Oklahoma’s co-offensive coordinator, called, he just smiled.
“It was a little weird at first,” Roberts said of his first conversations with Littrell. “… Just seeing his name pop up on your phone again it’s like, ‘Wow. Dang, here we are again. Let’s go.’ It was pretty cool. It’s just nice to hear from him again and it was cool to just get to chop it up.
“It wasn’t like some big recruiting spiel. It was just talking to an old friend.”
More Newcomer Profiles
- QB Casey Thompson
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- DL Jayden Jackson
- OL Geirean Hatchett
- WR Deion Burks
- TE Jake Roberts
The pitch to Roberts was simple — come home, lead a young position group and play for a program that’s in your own back yard for a coach you know inside and out.
And Roberts didn’t need a huge laundry list of reasons to come to Oklahoma.
A veteran of the transfer portal process, Roberts knew exactly what he was looking for in his conversations with Littrell or any other coach that reached out.
“Going through it the first time you’re learning so much,” Roberts said. “Your head’s kind of on a swivel and you’re just hearing from so many different people.
“… I knew what I was listening for in these relationships and these talks and stuff. … It was probably just a strong relationship and trust is the biggest thing that I’ve been looking for.”
In three years at North Texas, Roberts caught 43 passes for 541 yards and three scores under Littrell.
Though he hadn’t played under him yet, Roberts also knew what to expect from Littrell’s running mate, OU co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley.
“Joe Jon’s been awesome,” Roberts said. “Really cool during recruiting. Laid out a really solid plan and was honest throughout the whole thing. That’s what you want, just honesty, and a guy that knows ball and loves ball and cares about his players.
“… I like his coaching style and it’s been really good getting to learn from him this first month and a half I’ve been here and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him.”
Plus it never hurts to have the offense called by a former tight end and a former fullback.
"Having that history that they have with tight end usage ... it’s kind of a no-brainer," Roberts said. "It makes you excited as a tight end."
Roberts will have every opportunity to earn a large role as OU’s tight end room reshapes itself in 2024.
Austin Stogner graduated, and the Sooners have virtually no returning production.
True freshman Davon Mitchell arrived on campus at the same time as Roberts, and Kade McIntyre missed a good chunk of 2023 with an injury.
Roberts successfully shared the workload at both North Texas and Baylor, something that he actually views as a strength.
“I think that’s a big deal,” Roberts said. “… It’s gonna be a good solid room and lots of guys that contribute. And when you have that, competitiveness brings the best out of everybody. … I think I’m able to bring a lot of experience and help these younger guys transition.”
Regardless, Roberts is happy to be around familiar faces in his hometown as he takes in his last year of college football.
“It’s priceless for (my family),” he said. “They’re so excited. It’s really good to be back.
“… It’s been really nice to be able to see them more often and when you get some free time you can spend it with people you’ve missed a lot. … It’s really nice to be home.”
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