Report: Veteran Wide Receiver to Return to Oklahoma in 2023
Oklahoma’s wide receiver room is expected to retain a familiar face next year.
Drake Stoops is expected to be back in 2023, his father Bob Stoops announced on his YouTube page.
“He’s told the coaches that he’s going to return for his next year,” Bob Stoops said, “and take his COVID year and work on some particular things that he feels he can be better at.
“And so at this point that’s where it’s at. He’s set to play another year.”
Drake Stoops has enjoyed a career year in 2022.
He’s set new career highs in receptions (37), yards (366) and touchdowns (three) already in 2022 with the Cheez-It Bowl serving as an opportunity to add to those totals.
For his career, Stoops has hauled in 78 passes for 887 yards and seven scores.
A safety blanket over the middle of the field in high leverage situations, Stoops will also bring a veteran presence to the wide receiver room in 2023.
Oklahoma lost Theo Wease to Missouri via the transfer portal, and standout Marvin Mims has yet to indicate if he too will return next year or if he will enter the NFL Draft.
As the 2022 season wore on, Stoops took more and more snaps from Wease.
The return of Mims would mean Oklahoma would retain three of its top four pass catchers next year after losing tight end Brayden Willis.
Behind Stoops and Jalil Farooq, there is plenty of uncertainty at wide receiver headed into next year.
Oklahoma will have to replace Eric Gray’s 33 catches, and no other Sooner caught more than eight passes this year.
True freshmen Jayden Gibson and Nic Anderson failed to make an impact this year, meaning they’ll have to take on much bigger roles alongside incoming freshmen Keyon Brown and Jaquaize Pettaway.
Arizona State transfer LV Bunkley-Shelton didn’t see much of the field this much either, and Missouri transfer J.J. Hester lost most of the season to an injury.
While the Sooners break new receivers into the rotation, Stoops’ sure hands will be a welcome addition in 2023.
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