Their true freshmen seasons are in the books, and now it’s time to reflect on how things went for Oklahoma’s 2019 class.
SoonerScoop.com was able to catch up with a bunch of members of #NewWave19 during media day for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to get their thoughts.
#NewWave19 rewind – WR Jadon Haselwood
2019 stats: 19 receptions, 272 yards, TD.
In recruiting, it’s very common for fans to feel like they got to know the player before they even stepped on campus. But Haselwood was such a late surprise to OU’s 2019 class that everything still felt new, still felt fresh.
Who was this five-star kid from Georgia deciding to not stay in the region but instead head to the Sooners?
Haselwood came out on fire, recording 12 catches in the first four games and appearing to be a clear No. 3 receiver. But as the season wore on, the reps went away.
From the outside looking in, it definitely appeared something had gone wrong between Haselwood and the Sooners. However, as you hear it from Haselwood, maybe things really weren’t as bad as they appeared on the surface.
“I feel like I had a pretty decent season,” Haselwood said. “The opportunities, anytime I get one I try to make the most of it. I feel like the outside is going to say I did my thing, but I feel like I can do more. I can be a better me.”
You saw glimpses of that in the 63-28 loss to LSU in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Haselwood was back to getting the amount of reps he saw during the initial stretch of the season. He had three catches for 25 yards, and it felt like a sign of things to come.
He understands that. Heck, that whole five-star group gets it. Quarterback Spencer Rattler to go with Haselwood, Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges at receiver and tight end Austin Stogner. The glimpses of 2019 will become the norm in 2020 and beyond.
“As a unit, period, the offense is going to be special,” Haselwood said. “We have potential to break all types of records. Not just me and Spencer. We got Trejan and Theo and Stog. We'll spread it around, for sure.”
Part of that, though, is going to try find something similar to CeeDee Lamb’s impact in 2020. No one player can replace Lamb, but the collective unit could definitely soften the blow.
Lamb played big brother to a lot of them in 2019. It’s time to let the young guys run.
“We've got a special group, especially next year,” Haselwood said. “CeeDee being a good big bro, teaching everybody the ethics of the game. He's definitely playing his role and we're going to play our role as well.
“You'll see me on the sidelines like, dang, he makes it look so easy. You just put the ball in his hands, he's going to make a play. That's the level I think everybody in the room wants to be in. We all want to make plays and make it look easy even though it's not.”
That’s the goal. There were times when guys like Haselwood could fade into the background because of Lamb and Charleston Rambo. And Haselwood’s homesickness was definitely something not too concerning because of all the family he has in Oklahoma, too, with grandparents, cousins and aunts.
A year to get adjusted and figure it all out. Now it’s time to strike.
“Just having the mindset of making more plays,” Haselwood said. “Every time I get the opportunity, be explosive and help my team. Make a bigger impact. Now that CeeDee is gone, we're trying to bring it way higher than it was this year.”
