Oklahoma's Theo Wease Mastering Ins and Outs of Hurry-Up Offense
When Theo Wease caught his second pass near the sideline on Saturday, it looked eerily similar to his game-changing touchdown against Baylor back in 2019. Wease’s cut wasn’t enough to take it to the house this time around, but it seemed to solidify one thing: Wease is back.
Wease finished the game with three catches for 37 yards, but none as electrifying as the 33-yard comeback that he turned upfield. Oklahoma took its foot off the gas in the second half, opting to pass the ball minimally. The redshirt junior’s production will only go up as the games get bigger.
The Allen, TX, product decided to stick around in Norman, and all offseason long the reports have been incredibly positive. Both Wease and his coaches feel like he’s back to his old self.
“I should have went and scored honestly,” Wease said. “I was kind of mad at myself right after the play. And then I got more mad when I watched it on the big screen. But no, I felt like I didn’t really need anything to bring me back. You know, I’ve been playing a lot of ball so far. Really I should have scored.”
Playing in an offense like Jeff Lebby’s has been a learning experience for Wease, who spent his first three seasons learning a completely different system. Not only is it a new system, but it’s the hurry-up, which has so many different ins-and-outs to master. Wease is already starting to get the hang of it, though, even noticing himself looking to run the ball back to the middle of the field after the play was over. Every extra play counts.
“The last couple of years I’d probably leave the ball down, throw it to the sideline or just do anything wild,” Wease said. “Now I actually got like a trigger in my head. You can actually see it on one of my catches. The referee was right in front of me asking for the ball, but I know I had to go to the middle. So it kind of just clicks in your head and you know. Once you’ve got it you stick with it.”
Wease played in just one game last season due to injury, and hasn’t been able to contribute as much as he’s wanted to during his career. Last season looked like a potential breakout year, but the injury was a major setback. He had to work on coming back stronger and building stamina to play in the hurry-up offense over the offseason.
“I’d definitely say it was faster,” Wease said. “You know, the game always kind of speeds up from practice. To be honest, this has been challenging. But you know we work hard and we condition ourselves to be prepared for that moment so it’s all good.”
It makes sense that the transition has been challenging for Wease, who’s adjusting to his fourth quarterback in four years. He seems to finally be in the perfect spot to succeed though. The fast-paced offense will likely get Wease many more quick, open looks when the Sooners are in a closer game. If he can continue to develop chemistry with Dillon Gabriel, Wease can have a big impact on the field.
“The first game was just the starting point to see where everybody’s at with everything,” Wease said. “So yeah, I definitely think it was a great starting point. And I definitely think we handled it well.”
