DJ Graham finding confidence at wide receiver after spring practices

NORMAN, Okla. — Coming into spring practices, DJ Graham was nervous.

The Oklahoma wide receiver spent most of his first three seasons at cornerback before switching to offense late last season. But Graham didn’t see the field on offense after the switch, and this spring was his first full set of practices at wide receiver.

It wasn’t until a couple of days before OU’s spring game that Graham started to feel comfortable.

“There was a route I ran like two practices ago, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m starting to feel it again,’” Graham said after the Sooners’ spring game last month. “(OU receivers coach Emmett Jones), he’s been pushing me, and he’s been a confidence booster. He’s talked to me, and he’s told me I take coaching well. I’ve been taking coaching well because of the way he’s been pushing me. So now I feel like I’m back in receiver mode.

“From this point on, it’s just time to keep pushing and pushing and then get to another point in my career.”

If Graham can stay confident, and work his way into being an impact player, that bodes well for the Sooners’ offense.

There hasn’t been much of a question regarding Graham’s athleticism and natural ability as a wide receiver. He played both sides of the ball in high school, totaling over 2,000 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He made an early name for himself during the 2021 season with his highlight-reel interception against Nebraska.

Graham flashed his big-play potential during the spring game, when he caught two passes for a game-high 74 yards.

“It's a refresher,” Graham said. “Having those two long passes, it was great. It was a great feeling. I want the ball again after you make those two catches. But big confidence booster. Hopefully more of those, for sure.

“I would’ve loved to have scored on that one play, but yeah, hopefully, y'all will get to see more of that. I love having the ball in my hands. As a whole, that’s a great thing about being a receiver. Making magic happen with the ball in your hands. So, I guess we’ll see more of that for sure.”

Now, the goal for Graham is to build on spring practices. He didn’t see a ton of opportunities with the first-string players during practices and the spring game, but several teammates noted Graham’s speed and pass-catching ability have stood out.

“​​DJ's one of the fastest guys in the receiver room,” OU receiver Gavin Freeman said. “He has the best hands. He has insane hands. But it's good for him because he balls out every single day and that (was) obviously an easy play for him to make (during the spring game). So we're not surprised at all.”

For OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, there’s a lot of potential for Graham to impact the offense.

“DJ made a couple of good plays today,” Lebby said. “He's got to keep coming. Obviously it's his first spring playing with us and being here. I think DJ has got a lot of ability. He's got to continue to grow and master the position. The next three months for him are going to be critical for his growth and development at that position.”

Graham knows there’s still a lot of growth and improvement needed if he wants to see reps in the fall. The main focus during the offseason for Graham is constantly reviewing the playbook.

“I think that’s the biggest thing for me from the defensive to offensive side,” Graham said. “I think it will continue to be the biggest thing for me because I think I got the confidence. It’s just (about being) a pro and learning the playbook. Not only learn the outside but then get to a point where I know the outside so well, I can be able to be plugged in on the inside. So it’s just getting from that point on learning the whole playbook and learning the inside and out.

“I’m confident in myself that later down the road that I’ll start to get those opportunities. But right now, I’m content. But I’m hungry right now and when fall camp comes around, it’s time to get it on.”