Oklahoma 2023 Report Cards: Wide Receivers Are Reason For Excitement
Oklahoma's pass catchers made life easy for Dillon Gabriel in 2023. The Sooners had one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the country and, oddly enough, it was one of the biggest question marks heading into the season.
Both Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson were highly recruited but relatively unproven, and Andrel Anthony was a Michigan transfer who hadn't played much. Jalil Farooq had shown flashes but had certainly never had the volume of a WR1. It was also Emmett Jones' first year as Oklahoma's wide receivers coach.
The unit was simply terrific, though, and erased every sliver of doubt throughout the season.
2023 Oklahoma Report Cards
- Jan. 9: Offensive line
- Jan. 10: Defensive end
- Jan. 11: Wide receiver
- Jan. 12: Defensive tackle
- Jan. 13: Tight end
- Jan. 14: Linebacker
- Jan. 15: Running back
- Jan. 16: Defensive back
- Jan. 17: Special teams
- Jan. 18: Cornerback
- Jan. 19: Quarterback
- Jan. 20: Coaches
Oklahoma's receivers ranked first in the Big 12 at 321.8 yards per game. The Sooners had five different receivers record over 300 yards on the season and seven different receivers hauled in touchdowns.
Drake Stoops stepped up in a big way, surprising everyone by taking over the No. 1 spot of the unit. He hauled in 84 catches for 962 yards and 10 touchdowns, likely playing his way into a job at the next level. Stoops was the perfect leader for this group and helped the young guys grow tremendously.
Anthony, who looked like a budding star in Jeff Lebby's offense, tore his ACL against Texas, which was a big blow to Oklahoma's deep-threat ability. Even after missing the entire second half of the season, he still totaled 429 yards and averaged 71.5 yards per game when healthy.
Jayden Gibson and Drake Stoops
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Stoops and Anthony were Oklahoma's top two graded receivers by Pro Football Focus in qualifying snaps at 81.5 and 78.6 offensively.
Anderson was one of the biggest storylines of Oklahoma's season. The redshirt freshman tallied 38 catches for 798 yards and an OU freshman record of 10 touchdowns. He also reeled in the biggest catch of the season, sealing a Red River victory against Texas. Per PFF, Anderson was the FBS leader in yards per reception at 25.7.
Oklahoma had six receivers grade above 70 on PFF, although a few of them recorded limited snaps. It was a deep room, and every single one of them found a way to contribute at some point this season.
Anderson's fellow redshirt freshman, Gibson, had a few timely catches and excelled in traffic. He finished with 375 yards and five touchdowns.
Farooq was expected to take a leap into the top receiver spot this season but took a backseat to Stoops and Anderson. He played the most snaps of any Oklahoma wideout, however, at 788. The real value in his game was run blocking, where he was the second-highest graded receiver as a blocker behind only Anthony.
Recently, Farooq announced he was coming back for another season, too, looking to build on the 2023 campaign.
Lastly, Brenen Thompson, Oklahoma's speedster, showcased potential when he was healthy. He totaled 158 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, and 83 yards and a touchdown in the Alamo Bowl, developing instant chemistry with freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold.
All in all, Oklahoma's wideouts had a strong case for best position on the roster throughout the season. The unit helped Gabriel throw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, and the Sooners had major success on the offensive side of the ball.
The exciting part is every contributor besides Stoops is set to return for 2024, and Oklahoma added arguably the most dynamic pass catcher in the transfer portal in Deion Burks.
It's shaping up to be another big season at the wide receiver position.
AllSooners WR Grades
- Hoover: A+
- Chapman: A+
- Sweet: B+
- Lovelace: A+
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