WR Marvin Mims Says Oklahoma May 'Run the Conference' But Wants More
ARLINGTON, TX — Even with only their punter on the preseason All-Big 12 team and their bags almost packed for the Southeastern Conference, Oklahoma wideout Marvin Mims said the Sooners don’t feel like outcasts.
“We’re comfortable in this conference,” Mims said Thursday at Big 12 Media Days. “We run the conference.”
Mims — who also said he would’ve probably transferred if Lincoln Riley hadn’t left for USC — has better career numbers than other receivers on the All-Big 12 team. But he says he’s focused on being more productive in 2022 — in the Big 12 — than he is on the SEC.
“We don’t feel like outcasts,” Mims said. “Nobody is thinking about the SEC or anything like that. Who knows if I’ll even play in the SEC? No one thinks about it. Even with next year and those new teams coming in, nobody says anything about it, thinks about it.”
The lack of all-conference accolades, Mims said, was actually foreseeable.
“I wouldn’t say it was surprise,” he said. “If you look back at last year, it was a very off year. Especially with all the change that’s happened around this program, it’s definitely a crazy, crazy time. At the end of the day, we’re focused on this upcoming year. Basically preseason is a reflection of last year, so at the end of the day there’s nothing we can do about it. We’re looking forward to next season and we’ll see how the teams look at the end of next year.”
Mims told 247 Sports at AT&T Stadium that he wasn’t really satisfied with the productivity of his sophomore season. That stemmed from a lack of targets.
As a freshman All-American in 2020, Mims had 37 catches for 610 yards and a Big 12 freshman record 10 touchdown grabs. Last year, however, he caught just 32 passes for 705 yards and scored five TDs.
“There wasn’t as many targets as I was looking for, nowhere near it,” Mims told 247 Sports. “It was kind of a letdown, but at the end of the day I had to just keep battling through it. There were times where I was really unhappy about it with both the receiver coach and the offensive coordinator, but it was what it was.
“I just really wasn’t happy with it. I just wanted a change.”
Mims set numerous state records in Texas for catches, yards and touchdowns. He hasn’t come close to doing that at Oklahoma, despite his career 19.1-yard per catch.
He said the addition of Brent Venables and the hiring of Jeff Lebby swayed him to come back to Norman for his junior year. He told reporters during his breakout session that Lebby didn’t have to say much to get him to stay.
“I mean, you bring in one of the best offensive minds in the country and you bring in one of the best defensive minds in the country,” Mims said. “Who wouldn’t want to play for that team? That’s basically what brought me back to Oklahoma.
“We can be a pretty explosive offense. I mean if you look at Lebby’s numbers, he’s honestly top three; one of the best statistical offensive coordinators in the country. He’s definitely that guy. The speed at which we’ll play at will definitely open things up for a lot of people.”
Venables’ addition of strength coach Jerry Schmidt also has helped transform the program, Mims said. Personally, he’s up nine pounds to 184, stronger than ever and just as fast.
“I’m feeling pretty good,” Mims said. “Look at myself in the mirror and like what I’m seeing.”
That reflection is seen by just about everyone on the team. Practices were more physical in the spring, much more demanding. The offensive lines and defensive lines are bigger, the linebackers are bigger — Venables’ culture shift has made a huge difference.
“Coach Venables, he’s really passionate about what he talks about and the stuff he does,” Mims said. “I don’t even know how to explain it, it’s just completely different from being in the past culture to being in this culture. Coach Venables demands everything and nothing but the best. If you’re not getting the best, he’s definitely going to make a way where you’re getting the best. Whether that’s disciplining you, sending you to coach Schmidt or something like that, he’s not going to let you not have the best.
“That’s just holding the team back from what we could possibly reach and he’s not going to let one person hold everything else back.”
