AUBURN, Alabama — As Brent Venables said, the Sooners' offense has been desperate for explosive plays.
With under 10 minutes left on Saturday, and the Sooners trailing Auburn 21-10, the chances of somehow finding an explosive play was unlikely. And it would've been even more unlikely for it to come from JJ Hester.
However, Michael Hawkins searched for a spark, and Hester proved ready for the moment. Hawkins saw Hester in one-on-one coverage down the right sideline and delivered a perfect pass over the top, and Hester came down with it and nearly scored before he was tackled at the five-yard line.
That play, which led to a two-yard Jovantae Barnes touchdown, played a significant role in the Sooners' 27-21 comeback win over the Tigers. But for Hester, that play was a personal game-changer.
"It was definitely a surreal feeling," Hester said. "If anybody knows my story, they know I’ve been battling injuries and all that so just to have a moment to help the team out in a dire situation was a blessing."
It was a moment where Hester was able to prove he can still make plays.
Even as the Sooners' wide receiver room has dealt with massive injuries, Hester hasn't been able to make an impact. He played 38 snaps in the season opener against Temple, per Pro Football Focus, but two costly drops against the Owls sent him further down the depth chart. He played 24 total snaps in Weeks 2-4, and had not registered a reception heading into the Auburn game.
But the Sooners' receiving corps hit a new low against the Tigers. Deion Burks — who leads the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns — was ruled out on Friday, essentially leaving the team without all five of its top receivers. That forced Hester into action, and he capitalized. He played 38 snaps, per PFF, and caught three passes for a team-high 86 yards, including the 60-yarder that flipped the momentum of the game.
"Pressure builds diamonds and that’s what we’re all about," Hester said. "Things can go wrong but we’re never gonna flinch. Coach preaches that all the time so we’re just ready for that moment and we executed."
It was also a confident booster for Hester, who hasn't really found his footing since arriving at Oklahoma in 2022. He played just 78 snaps over his first two seasons and only caught one pass for 13 yards, as he struggled with injuries and consistency. He didn't factor into the rotation heading into the season with the Sooners boasting several guys ahead of him with more production and experience.
But the offense needed Hester to step up, and he made an impact.
"We needed that one from JJ back to the field to really come on," OU offensive coordinator Seth Littrell said. "And listen, JJ has had great work of preparation in practice. He works his butt off. He's a great teammate. Just good to see something great like that happen with him, because you see it practice. And so again, we've all gotta carry it over to game day and execute when our number is called."
The Sooners are headed into a much-needed bye week, which will give players like Jalil Farooq, Nic Anderson and Burks an opportunity to heal. It's unclear how much Hester will be called on for time on the field.
But the redshirt senior is just thankful he had the opportunity to help the Sooners secure their first SEC victory.
"(I was) just in the moment we had to score and keep the drive going so I didn’t really get to soak it all in," Hester said. "But thinking back on it now I’m blessed to just have the opportunity... A lot of people know my story, some don’t. I’ve been battling injuries and I just wanted to contribute to the team and I finally got to."
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