During the 2024 season, the first for the Oklahoma Sooners in the Southeastern Conference, OU had a major problem. It was a problem that prevented them from reaching their potential. Despite having a good defense, the Sooners couldn’t score enough points to get wins.
OU’s offense was historically bad last season, and it wasn’t just one thing that was the issue; it was just about everything. For starters, the Sooners didn’t have the right offensive coordinators, as the trio of Seth Littrell, Joe Jon Finley, and Kevin Johns weren’t able to carry over Jeff Lebby’s success in 2022 and 2023. Of course, it would have been difficult for any offensive coordinator to succeed with the number of injuries Oklahoma had to deal with.
Advertisement
Quarterback play wasn’t where it needed to be with Jackson Arnold under center, and Oklahoma had to watch ex-Sooner Dillon Gabriel have a Heisman finalist season from afar. Additionally, the run game was mostly nonexistent until late in the year.
Offensive line play was poor, as an entirely new unit from the year prior wasn’t able to open up holes for the running backs, or protect the quarterback. That unit dealt with widespread injuries, which hampered continuity. The tight end position, long a frustration of Sooner Nation, wasn’t able to contribute much at all, despite an offseason facelift.
That brings us to the wide receivers. Oklahoma’s top handful of wideouts were expected to help buoy the offense under new leadership, but the starting group missed essentially the entire season due to injury. Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony, Deion Burks, Jayden Gibson, and Nic Anderson all missed significant portions of the season or all of 2024 altogether. One of the best units on the entire team in 2023 became one of its worst in 2024.
Heading into 2025, Oklahoma worked hard over the offseason to rebuild the WR room after a disastrous 6-7 season. However, it wasn’t without speed bumps. Key contributors to a great offense in 2023, like Jalil Farooq (Maryland), Nic Anderson (LSU), and Andrel Anthony (Duke), all left Oklahoma via the transfer portal.
Advertisement
Fast forward to 2025, and all of the main faces at the wide receiver group are in their first or second year in Norman. It’s a unit that has bounced back nicely after a rough go last season, helping to keep OU’s offense afloat.
Isaiah Sategna III is in his first season with the Sooners after transferring in from Arkansas. He’s leading the team in receiving and has developed good chemistry with quarterback John Mateer. Deion Burks returned to Norman for his senior season after an injury-plagued 2024, and he’s been a reliable target who has stayed healthy in 2025.
Behind Sategna and Burks, the Sooners have also gotten varying contributions from Keontez Lewis, Javonnie Gibson, and Jer’Michael Carter. Lewis was red-hot to start the season, but he hasn’t played since the Texas game, due to injury. Gibson was injured in spring ball, and didn’t play until the Kent State game, but he’s been featured more in the offense as the year has gone on. Carter got his most significant playing time last week against Tennessee, catching two passes. He could be a bigger part of the passing game going forward if Lewis and/or Gibson aren’t on the field. All three players were incoming transfers this winter.
It hasn’t been an easy ride injury-wise for the wide receivers this year, but it’s been much better than last year. Oklahoma lost Jayden Gibson, a contributor in 2023, to an ACL tear in fall camp before the 2024 season, one where he was expected to have a breakout year. After missing all of last year, Sooners fans expected to have him back as a veteran voice and weapon in 2025. However, he had a setback in his injury recovery and has since left the team. He’ll enter the transfer portal when it opens after the regular season to find his new home for 2026. When asked about Gibson’s status ahead of the South Carolina game, head coach Brent Venables simply stated, “Jayden’s no longer with the team.”
Advertisement
Gibson’s loss is a big one, as he was showing early signs of stardom late in 2023, but never saw the field again for the Sooners. His exit leaves Oklahoma with 110 players on the roster for 2025, with 53 on offense, 49 on defense, and eight on special teams. It also means that the only WRs on the roster who have spent more than two years with OU are Jakeb Snyder (a converted defensive back), Major Melson, Trey Brown, and Eli Merck. All four players began their Oklahoma careers as walk-ons, and none have been on the field much, if at all, with OU. From that group, only Melson had been a Sooner longer than Gibson.
When you consider the lack of experience in Norman in that wide receiver room, it illustrates just how impressive the under-the-radar reload this offseason actually was.
However, it’s not just the starters that were part of the rebuild; the Sooners also had to build back the depth after many of those players ended up playing key roles in 2024 with all the injuries. This year, OU fans can feel good about a future core of Ivan Carreon, Zion Kearney, Jacob Jordan, and Elijah Thomas. All four players are underclassmen, and while they haven’t contributed much this year, they’re getting important development.
Oklahoma has also gotten a boost in the passing game from tight end Jaren Kanak, who played linebacker for OU from 2022 to 2024 before flipping to offense for this year. He’s become Oklahoma’s third-leading receiver, opening things up for Sategna and Burks with his ability to win in the middle of the field. Add in running backs Xavier Robinson and Tory Blaylock, both of whom can catch the ball out of the backfield, and you’ve got a much better group of pass-catchers than you did a year ago.
Advertisement
Oklahoma’s offense is still very much a work in progress, and there’s even more the WRs could be doing to make the Sooners more potent when they have the football. However, after losing some key names this offseason, wide receivers coach Emmett Jones went value shopping in the portal, adding multiple players he felt could contribute to the offense, as opposed to going for broke trying to catch one big fish. After so many injuries to his group a year ago, Jones and Oklahoma’s wideouts are back to being a vital part of the Sooner offense in 2025.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @Aaron_Gelvin.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: The Sooners worked hard to find value at WR
