Oklahoma’s Louisiana Duo Looking to Continue ‘Boot’ Receiver Legacy

NORMAN — Nick Saban once said, "You could shake a tree in Louisiana and (wide receivers) would fall out."

The legacy of pass catchers that call "The Boot" home is vast. Four of the NFL’s top five reception leaders at the end of the 2024 season hailed from Louisiana — including former Sooner CeeDee Lamb, who was born in Opelousas, LA, before Hurricane Katrina moved his family to Texas.

The 2025 Sooners have a pair of Louisiana receivers that are slowly showing that they can help strengthen a once-struggling offense.

Jer'Michael Carter and Javonnie Gibson haven't exploded on the box score, but their impact has come at the right time. In the win over Tennessee, both Louisiana natives registered a pair of catches, each helped OU pick up a first down on one of their two catches.

Oklahoma Sooners Jer'Michael Carter — McNeese State wide receiver Jer'Michael Carter | McNeese State Athletics

"It was very good," Carter said on Wednesday. "We worked at it all week, practicing hard, week by week, taking it one step at a time. It was a big W, but we got to focus on the next week.”

Carter has logged at least 3 snaps in every game this season, while Gibson worked back from an offseason injury, making his debut against Kent State in week six. The pair is taking pride in their homestate tradition.

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"We take so much pride in it, because it’s just us playing football," Carter said. "We’ve been doing this since kids, so us, even though once we learned we were from Louisiana together, we bonded like more, better than the other receivers. So, it was good.”

As Gibson rehabbed during the first half of the season, Carter cheered him on.

"It’s pretty fun to see my brother go out there and play," Carter said of Gibson. "Him seeing me go out there and play. We just cheer each other on, so it’s pretty fun."

"It’s a lot of dogs," Gibson said during Texas week. "They work very hard, and that’s one thing I like about them, and we’re a family.”

Oklahoma Sooners, Javonnie Gibson — Oklahoma wide receiver Javonnie Gibson | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

As John Mateer works to return to his September form, things appear to be coinciding to favor a Sooner run through a difficult finale of three games in November. The offensive line appears to have found an attitude and physicality. As a result, the running game, led by Xavier Robinson, has become a force in the SEC.

The Louisiana pass catchers have also helped add their expertise alongside Biletnikoff watch-lister Isaiah Sategna III and Deion Burks. If the room builds off a great road win, Mateer will have more options to lean on against Alabama in a week.

"We had to be more detailed in that game," Carter said. "So, going into the locking room (against Tennessee), we listened to the coaches and what we had to do specifically translated to the field, and we did that.”