Jake Roberts' road leads back to Littrell and Oklahoma: "I’m just thankful"
Jake Roberts' football journey is coming full-circle after all.
Last offseason, the Norman native entered the transfer portal after three productive seasons at North Texas and quickly picked up an offer from Oklahoma. However, he chose instead to transfer to Baylor, where he caught 23 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown in 2023 before re-entering the portal.
This time, though, there was an extra incentive for him to matriculate in Norman. Seth Littrell, Roberts' former head coach at North Texas, is now the Sooners' offensive coordinator. And with Littrell and Joe Jon Finley both engaged in the effort to bring him back home for his final year of college ball, Roberts couldn't turn Oklahoma down.
He went public with his commitment to Oklahoma on Sunday night, and in an exclusive with OUInsider shortly before his announcement, Roberts said the opportunity to reunite with Littrell was a major factor in his decision.
“It was huge," Roberts said of Littrell's influence in the process. "Having that prior relationship with Seth, and [him] being the guy that I committed to and signed with out of high school, being with him for three years and then being apart for the last year, it allowed me to realize that he was great to me while I was at UNT. And I know his system. There’s a familiarity there. And it just works out perfect that he’s getting the job at the school that I grew up watching.”
OUInsider had reported immediately upon Roberts' portal entry that Oklahoma was the likely destination. The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight will compete for playing time come 2024 with a deep but unproven group of tight ends. He's the second portal pickup at the position for Oklahoma, as they had previously added Southeastern Louisiana transfer Bauer Sharp. Four-star signee Davon Mitchell is expected to contend for playing time immediately, but as it stands, the Sooners' group of incumbents in the tight end room have combined for just four catches in the crimson and cream. Blake Smith has two receptions to his credit as a Sooner, and Kaden Helms and Kade McIntyre each have one.
“It’s pretty crazy how it all works out, with it being home and the level of football that OU is," Roberts said of the chance to be a Sooner. "And it’s my last year, and to be able to link back up with Coach Littrell — it’s a huge blessing. I’m really excited about the opportunity, and you honestly couldn’t draw it up any better. So it’s gonna be a sweet way to end my collegiate career and hopefully take the next step to the NFL.”
Between his time at North Texas and Baylor, Roberts owns 66 career catches for 772 yards and four touchdowns. He's played in 49 career games and will have one year of eligibility left to use in an Oklahoma uniform.
His pledge is significant for more than one reason, though, as his younger brother Nate Roberts is a four-star 2025 tight end prospect that Finley and Oklahoma have targeted heavily. With Jake now on board, the Sooners' pitch to Nate should strengthen as they continue to battle Ohio State for his commitment.
“Me and Joe Jon's relationship goes back to last year when I was in the portal," explained Jake. "Joe Jon’s a great guy and a great coach, and I heard a lot of good stuff [about] him from my family, because Nate’s getting actively recruited by him. So I’m able to pick things up here and there from Nate.”
There's no longer any question as to who will host Nate on his official visit to Oklahoma this summer, and in the meantime, Jake looks forward to taking the field for spring ball and getting re-acquainted with the same offensive scheme that he operated within for the first three years of his college career.
“Just being familiar with Coach Littrell’s system, dating back to when I was a freshman at UNT, he was calling plays," Roberts remarked. "I think it’s the balance that he brings. He’s gonna air it out, and he’s also gonna run the ball. Use of movement, play action, RPO game — easy ways to get the ball in playmakers’ hands. And I think that’s where I can really benefit from it. The familiarity and knowing that there’s a need at the position, and having that prior relationship — I know the situation I’m getting myself into football-wise, like schematically. So I’m not reinventing the wheel; I’m not having to learn a completely different language. It’s going to pick up pretty fast, and it’s kind of like riding a bike. I’ll just be back on it and getting ready to get out there and pick up the offense.”
As he prepares to wear his third different logo as a college football player, Roberts also acknowledged that the opportunity to realize his dream of wearing Sooner crimson wouldn't be possible without the NCAA's controversial free-transfer rule. Players are essentially granted two transfers without eligibility penalties, as NCAA regulations permit them to transfer once as undergraduates and again as graduates. And in fact, a federal court ruling last month overruled the NCAA's eligibility penalties for multi-time undergraduate transfers, which has opened the door even wider for a free agency-esque market in college football.
"That rule change obviously benefited me a lot," Roberts admitted. "Some people probably look at the multi-transfer rule and probably don’t agree with it. But for a guy like myself, I’m just looking for the best opportunity for myself. I know the opportunity that I have here at Oklahoma, and for my last year, it’s something that I would regret if I didn’t have the flexibility to [do it]. So I think it’s good for guys. And things change; things changed at my last school from when I first committed there. You just gotta kind of evaluate things as they go. And I don’t think it’s a bad thing for a kid to be able to make a decision that he feels like is best for him.”
And in Roberts' case, that decision is to spend his last year of college ball in his hometown, embracing the weekly challenge of helping the Sooners win football games in the SEC. For his part, he's convinced the program is ready to win right away in the country's toughest conference, largely because of the foundation that's been laid in Norman under the direction of Brent Venables.
“It’s really strong," he said of Oklahoma's structure and culture. "You can tell from the top down, you’ve got strong leadership at the top, and the values and the culture is communicated down throughout the program. Everyone seems to be on the same page, and there’s great opportunities at Oklahoma. It’s a really well-ran place. And you can tell they really care about the development of their student-athletes. I think you have to do it the right way, and I think the way that Oklahoma does it, they’re going to be able to really succeed in the SEC. It’s gonna be fun to watch and fun to be a part of, and I’m excited to be able to be a part of it.
“I’m just thankful. I’m really excited to be able to come home and play for my hometown team, my dream school. I think it’s a great opportunity for myself. I think with Coach Littrell and Coach Finley, the offense is in good hands, and I’m just excited to get to work.”
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