Which Under the Radar Sooners Could Star Against New Mexico?

TE Rocky Beers

Can a team’s leading receiver fly under the radar? Rocky Beers leads the Sooners with eight catches and 137 yards through two games. But Beers will need to step up again this week and do even more because the Sooners’ second-leading receiver, Trell Harris, is out for the foreseeable future with a significant injury. Isaiah Sategna’s impact has been limited (six catches, 85 yards), Parker Livingstone hasn’t done much yet (two catches, 14 yards and a fumble), and Elijah Thomas has been a non-factor (just one catch through two games). Beers is averaging 68.5 yards per game through the air and has one of OU’s four touchdown catches. But if John Mateer and the OU offense are ever going to reach their potential before SEC play arrives, then Beers might have to do even more.

— John Hoover

RB Lloyd Avant

Running back Lloyd Avant is still flying under the radar in the eyes of his offensive coordinator. He only got five carries in the first half last week when he was averaging 6.6 yards per carry, which seemingly wasn’t enough to warrant Ben Arbuckle calling his number. Running backs Tory Blaylock and Jonathan Hatton Jr. will seemingly be cleared to play a larger role in Saturday’s contest, but the Sooners need to get Avant going ahead of the matchup with Georgia, as he’s been the most consistent contributor so far out of the backfield.

— Ryan Chapman

WR Elijah Thomas

Every time Elijah Thomas gets an opportunity to play, it’s clear that he’s a budding star on the Sooners’ offense. Thomas went without a catch in Oklahoma’s 17-10 loss to Michigan despite appearing on 24 plays. He didn’t even get targeted against the Wolverines despite being wide open on multiple occasions. In the UTEP game, Thomas caught a pass for 24 yards — he would’ve also logged a touchdown in that contest if the referees didn’t blow a play dead for an offsides call against the Miners. With Trell Harris now out indefinitely, there’s a greater need for Thomas to play a key offensive role. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound wide receiver has all the tools to be a standout, and it’s somewhat shocking that he hasn’t yet been a major factor, considering how often Thomas’ teammates and coaches raved about his performance and development during the offseason.

— Carson Field

LB Owen Heinecke

There’s been plenty of talk about the replacements for Kip Lewis, Cole Sullivan and James Nesta in particular, but there will also be plenty of pressure on Heinecke. The sixth-year middle linebacker’s timing was a bit off against Michigan as Brent Venables said Heinecke was making reads almost too quickly and wound up being out of position because of that. With Lewis out, the importance of Heinecke being fundamentally sound is even greater than it was when Lewis was available. New Mexico’s offense has been humming along so far, averaging 412 yards per game, 246 of those on the ground. Yes, New Mexico hasn’t played a defense even close to Oklahoma’s, but the Lobos are good enough to move the ball against the Sooners if they aren’t in the right position. Heinecke is at the center of getting the defense set and will be at the center of helping stop the run.

— Ryan Aber

LB Cole Sullivan

Cole Sullivan has to play better. That's not only the opinion of those following or covering the Sooners, but the head coach as well. Brent Venables mentioned on Tuesday that despite his lackluster production against Michigan, Sullivan did some things well and gave him the impression that the transfer linebacker is on track to better play. Sullivan will need to get better quickly in the wake of Kip Lewis' injury. OU feels good about James Nesta, but beyond him lie questions. If the depth has taken a hit, then Sullivan must play like the player he was advertised as this offseason, starting with New Mexico

— Brady Trantham

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