Will Oklahoma Lean Into its Wide Receiver Depth in 2026?

The Sooners have done much to bolster their wide receiving corps, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will lean into their depth in 2026.

Oklahoma wide receiver Elijah Thomas competes against Alabama. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

On paper, Oklahoma’s wide receiver room should be much better in 2026.

Last year, the position group was essentially a two-man show. Isaiah Sategna led the Sooners in receiving with 965 yards, while Deion Burks logged 620 yards. The next closest wideout to those two was Keontez Lewis, who finished his lone season in Norman with 243 yards.

Burks and Lewis have now graduated, but Sategna will be back and looking to build on his impressive first season at OU. 

The Sooners also added two proven Power Four wide receivers from the transfer portal in Parker Livingstone and Trell Harris, who combined for 1,363 yards and 11 touchdowns at Texas and Virginia, respectively, in 2025.

In theory, having reliable weapons like Livingstone and Harris on the receiving corps should prevent opponents from keying in on Sategna like they regularly did in the back half of the 2025 season.

Oklahoma upgraded at the position in the offseason, and as a result, the Sooners’ offense should be much better.

But what could stall the progress?

While the trio of Sategna, Livingstone and Harris puts OU in a position to have one of the SEC’s better receiving corps, the players behind those three are largely unproven.

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After Sategna, Oklahoma’s leading returning wideout is Jer’Michael Carter, who registered 101 yards on nine catches in 2025 after transferring in from McNeese State. He showed flashes of his potential late in the season, as he logged 46 yards on three receptions in OU’s College Football Playoff game against Alabama, but he also wasn’t a season-long contributor.

The only other returning wide receivers who caught passes in 2025 are Ivan Carreon, Jacob Jordan and Elijah Thomas.

In addition to Livingstone and Harris, the Sooners signed former Washington State wideout Mackenzie Alleyne from the portal in January. Alleyne caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown as a redshirt freshman in 2025.

Each of these reserve wideouts earned praise from their teammates and coaches throughout spring ball, and OU coach Brent Venables even said that some of them will likely be key contributors in the fall.

That must be the case for the position group to reach its full potential.

Football is weird. Unexpected things — like injuries — could happen.

The Sooners didn’t do much to lean into their depth at wide receiver last year. And while Venables and company have high praise for Thomas, Alleyne, sophomore Manny Choice and others, it remains to be seen whether or not OU feels confident turning to some of the guys lower on the depth chart at the position.