Oklahoma WR Keontez Lewis Impressing Early in Fall Camp

The transfer wide receiver caught a pair of touchdowns in one-on-one drills to start the Sooners' fourth practice of fall camp on Monday.

Oklahoma receiver Keontez Lewis battles in a one-on-one drill at practice. | Ryan Chapman / Sooners on SI

NORMAN — Keontez Lewis isn’t showing any signs of rust in the early stages of fall camp. 

Despite getting sidelined during spring practice with a hamstring injury, the Southern Illinois transfer is back to making plays. 

The 6-foot-2, 197-pound receiver set the tone at Oklahoma’s practice on Monday, hauling in a pair of catches in one-on-one drills to start the day.

“It felt good,” Lewis said after practice. “Shoot, just being out there competing with the boys, every day out there grinding… That's just what we expect.”

Lewis was one of the options wide receivers coach Emmett Jones brought in to help revamp his room after a tumultuous 2024 campaign.

The East St. Louis product started his career at the Power 5 level. 

He attended UCLA in 2021, where he made one start and 11 appearances, but Lewis was unable to crack the rotation at receiver. 

From there, he transferred to Wisconsin. Lewis caught 20 passes for 313 yards and three scores for the Badgers in 2022, playing in 13 games, but he redshirted and played in just one game in 2023. 

Lewis moved to Southern Illinois to get back on track. 

He started nine games and hauled in 49 balls for 813 yards and five scores, and he also carried the ball 10 times for 121 yards and another touchdown. 

Now at Oklahoma, he’s working to make up for lost time in the spring and strengthen his connection with quarterback John Mateer before OU’s season opener on Aug. 30.

“It's been great,” Lewis said. “… Getting out here in fall camp, getting that connection down, it's been great so far.”

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In his return to the practice field, Lewis has one attribute that immediately sticks out to the defensive backs he battles every day. 

“Fast. Very twitchy. Moving fast,” OU corner Devon Jordan said on Monday. 

Mateer said he brings another important dynamic to the wide receiver room as well. 

“I mean, he’s—definitely has a lot of spirit and passion for the game of football, and he loves winning, and he hates losing, which is good for the team,” Mateer said. “He can get after it a little bit, and I love him too. He’s great.”

Lewis has been learning from both Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle about the intricacies of the new scheme, which he hopes will allow him plenty of chances to make an impact in 2025.

“I love Coach Buck,” Lewis said of Arbuckle. ”He's a huge stickler on route depths and how you're running your routes for the quarterback and friendliness and all that good stuff. And honestly, he's just helped help me take my game to another level.”

With Mateer leading the charge, Lewis believes Oklahoma’s offense will play with an edge this fall. 

“He's a dog, man,” Lewis said. “It's great having a quarterback that goes out there with a little nastiness to him. So you couldn't ask nothing better for a quarterback back there… You feed off the energy. The quarterback brings that energy, I feel like the whole team gonna go.”