In a shocking development, Oklahoma WR Gavin Freeman announces portal entry

Late Tuesday night, Gavin Freeman took the Oklahoma fanbase completely by surprise with the announcement that he'd be entering the transfer portal. In a Twitter statement, Freeman simply said, "I will be entering the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility remaining. I wanna thank the University of Oklahoma and the fans for all the support and love."

A former walk-on from Heritage Hall High School in Oklahoma City, Freeman committed to Oklahoma late in the 2022 recruiting cycle when he was offered a roster spot by Brent Venables and Cale Gundy. Freeman's father Jason played tight end for the Sooners in the mid-1990's, so Gavin's dream had always been to wear the crimson and cream. Come the fall of 2022, he orchestrated a storybook moment in the Sooners' season opener against UTEP, taking a reverse 45 yards to paydirt on his first collegiate touch. He caught three passes for 46 yards as a true freshman, adding seven carries for 71 yards and the memorable touchdown.

After his emergent freshman campaign, Freeman was awarded a scholarship by Venables and the Oklahoma staff, and took on a greater role in 2023. He caught 19 passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, tacking on five carries for 20 yards. He also served as the Sooners' primary punt returner, and ended the Sooners' seven-year drought without a return touchdown in the 2023 opener against Arkansas State. He fielded a punt early in the first quarter and rumbled 82 yards to the promised land, helping open the floodgates as the Sooners shellacked the Red Wolves 73-0.

Throughout his career at Oklahoma, Freeman had earned effusive praise from his teammates and coaches alike. Of Freeman, Drake Stoops once commented, "He's probably better than me when I came in." Former offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby waxed poetic about Freeman, saying, "This kid is an absolute pleasure. He works really hard all the time and he's really dang talented." Brent Venables himself stated that Freeman was the Sooners' most reliable wideout throughout the spring of 2023, and also talked up his work ethic in the weight room. Last August, Venables told reporters, "If Schmidty [Jerry Schmidt] was standing up here and he wanted to talk about Gavin Freeman, y'all would be here until midnight."

Heading into his junior season, Freeman was expected to reprise his role on special teams, and he would unquestionably have factored into the Sooners' deep receiver rotation. Now, shockingly, he's on the hunt for a new collegiate home.

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