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It’s been quite noticeable that the Oklahoma Sooners have been targeting wide receivers in the transfer portal. They’ve offered Ra Ra Thomas (Auburn), Dante Cephas (Kent State), Tre Harris (Louisiana Tech), Dorian Singer (Arizona), and Xavier Guillory (Idaho State).
It’s clear the Oklahoma Sooners feel like they need to bring in one or more wide receivers to add to the depth chart.
Though there hasn’t been any indication one way or the other from Marvin Mims regarding his future, there’s a chance he could return to the Oklahoma Sooners for his senior season. He’s playing in the Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State, but after his first 1,000-yard season, he could determine he’s ready to make the leap to the NFL. At the same time, duplicating that production in 2023 could put him in an even better standing among NFL scouts and general managers for 2024.
As things stand, Drake Stoops, Jalil Farooq, J.J. Hester, and LV Bunkley-Shelton are the most experienced wide receivers on the roster if Mims were to depart for the NFL. None of those guys has been a lead wide receiver or has the production to match what Mims did in 2022. Farooq has flashed the ability, but he’s also had some head-scratching performances in his first full season as a starter.
Stoops is a good wide receiver, but not necessarily someone that will earn 100+ targets. Hester and Bunkley-Shelton barely saw the field for the Sooners in 2022.
Then there’s Jayden Gibson and Nicholas Anderson, two highly-regarded wide receivers from the 2022 recruiting class. They didn’t see the field much either this season. Gibson saw 92 snaps in six games, and Anderson just 11 snaps in three games in their first year with the Sooners. Gibson saw five targets but caught just one pass, while Anderson didn’t see a pass come his way.
So when it comes down to it, Farooq and Stoops, if he returns for one more year, are the only receivers that Oklahoma can feel good about going into the 2023 offseason. Gibson and Anderson may emerge as lead wide receivers in the Sooners’ offense, but is the coaching staff at a point where they feel like they can rely upon them for 50 or more targets in 2023?
With the offers they’ve put out there, it appears the Sooners coaching staff wants to create competition at the position and see who emerges with a starting role next September.
If Marvin Mims returns, the Sooners will have one of the best wide receivers and wide receiver groups in the Big 12. If he jets off to the NFL, they’ll be left with a question mark at the position. They’re trying to make sure they have multiple answers to the problem at wide receiver moving forward.
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By: John Williams
Title: Oklahoma Sooners attempting to solidify the WR position through the transfer portal
Sourced From: soonerswire.usatoday.com/2022/12/12/oklahoma-sooners-football-wide-receiver-marvin-mims-dorian-singer-jalil-farooq-drake-stoops-tre-harris/
Published Date: Tue, 13 Dec 2022 01:37:42 +0000
