By most metrics, 2023 was an incredibly productive season for Oklahoma's wide receivers.

The Sooners ranked seventh in passing efficiency (167.53), sixth in passing offense (324.8 yards per game) and eighth in passing touchdowns (34), with 31 of those going to wide receivers. A big reason was Dillon Gabriel, who ranked in the top 10 nationally in nearly every passing category.

The wide receiver room had it all. The Sooners had breakout stars, unexpected producers, players who showed potential and some disappointment, too.

In the first installment of OUInsider's season review, let's take a look at how the Sooners' wide receivers fared in 2023:

(Note: All snap-count data and performances grades are provided by Pro Football Focus. PFF assigns both game and season-long grades for individual players on a 0-100 scale; 90-99 is considered elite, 80-89 good, 70-79 above average, 60-69 average, 50-59 below average, 0-49 poor).

Drake Stoops — 84 receptions, 962 yards, 10 touchdowns, 11.5 yards per reception

Jalil Farooq — 45 receptions, 694 yards, 2 touchdowns, 15.4 yards per reception

Nic Anderson — 38 receptions, 798 yards, 10 touchdowns, 21 yards per reception

Andrel Anthony — 27 receptions, 429 yards, 1 touchdown, 15.9 yards per reception

Gavin Freeman — 19 receptions, 95 yards, 1 touchdown, 5 yards per reception

Jayden Gibson — 14 receptions, 375 yards, 5 touchdowns, 26.8 yards per reception

Brenen Thompson — 7 receptions, 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, 34.4 yards per reception

LV Bunkley-Shelton — 3 receptions, 33 yards, 0 touchdowns, 11 yards per reception

(Note: This list does not include players who saw fewer than 30 snaps)

Jalil Farooq — 815 snaps (63.8 grade)

Drake Stoops — 788 snaps (81.4)

Nic Anderson — 638 snaps (69.5)

Andrel Anthony — 290 snaps (78.6)

Jayden Gibson — 232 snaps (77.2)

Gavin Freeman — 142 snaps (65.2)

LV Bunkley-Shelton — 84 snaps (57.9)

Jaquaize Pettaway — 64 snaps (75.6)

Brenen Thompson — 31 snaps (94.0)

— Let's take a second to again appreciate Stoops' final season at Oklahoma. He wasn't just the pinnacle of leadership as sixth-year senior. He had an incredibly productive season. Stoops, who had recorded 80 receptions for 914 yards and seven touchdowns through his first five seasons, surpassed his career totals in every category in just one season. He led or tied the Sooners in every statistical category, including snaps, and he nearly doubled the No. 2 receiver (Farooq) in receptions. (For comparison, Stoops had 84 receptions this season. Marvin Mims had 54 in his best season with OU).

The Sooners have potential replacements next season. But Stoops will be missed, both on and off the field.

— Anderson ended up establishing a huge role in the Sooners' offense. He averaged 27.3 snaps per game in the first six weeks but his involvement soared after Anthony's injury, as he played nearly 68 snaps per game over the final seven games. His production saw a sharp increase, too — he recorded 73 yards or more in five of the last seven games. He established himself as an deep threat and explosive playmaker, recording an average depth of target (ADOT) of 16.5, but he also showed his versatility as a receiver in the intermediate parts of the field. Given Anderson's snap counts and production, there's no reason he shouldn't be considered a breakout star heading into 2024.

— It's time to talk about Farooq. It's hard to analyze his 2023 campaign. He surpassed his 2022 season in both receptions (45/37) and yards (694/466). He had the second most receptions and the second most targets (75). In some ways, Farooq took a step forward. But in other ways, it was a step back. He had a reception rate of just 58.7%, a mark that was only higher than Bunkley-Shelton and tight end Blake Smith. While he had some explosive games against Texas (5 receptions, 130 yards) and Tulsa (6 receptions, 126 yards, 1 touchdown), he also recorded five games with under two receptions and four games with fewer than 33 yards. He also didn't score after Week 3. Of course he struggled with fumbles, too, most notably the two costly ones against Arizona that were crucial to the Sooners' collapse.

At his best, Farooq is an explosive offensive player that can make momentum-swinging plays. At his worst, he can disappear and be a non-factor. It's also worth noting that his production really didn't increase after Anthony's injury. He had 20 receptions in the six games Anthony played and 25 receptions in the games he didn't. It was Anderson that stepped up after that injury. It will be interesting to see what Farooq' roles is in 2024.

— It really is a shame that Anthony was injured against Texas. He was on pace to finish with over 60 receptions and 900 yards, and he was the No. 1 target prior to his season-ending surgery. He was flourishing as a consistent, do-it-all receiver. It was clear the offense missed him, particularly against Kansas and Oklahoma State. It's hard to know when he'll return — there's no way to rule anything out, but it's hard to project him being available for the season opener — but he should be a big part of the offense when he's healthy.

— It was a weird season for Gibson. Despite playing the fifth-most snaps, he had the second-most yards per reception and finished with five touchdowns, which ranked third behind Stoops and Anderson. Gibson didn't really see a snap increase after Anthony's injury, playing just 15.4 per game in the six regular-season games with him and 16.0 in the regular-season games without him. However, it is notable that he played a season-high 44 snaps and made his first collegiate start in the Alamo Bowl, particularly since he hadn't played more than 24 snaps in any prior game. Does that indicate he'll have a bigger role under new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell?

— The Freeman experiment never really took off. After logging four receptions for 19 yards (and a punt return touchdown) in the season opener against Arkansas State, Freeman had just 15 receptions for 79 yards the rest of the way. He was also prone to some special-teams mistakes. Despite the Sooners' persistence on getting him involved, Freeman just never became a consistently-productive player. While he seemed primed to replace Stoops' role in the offense, his lack of production certainly opens the door for competition.

— It's a little strange that Thompson didn't play more. He appeared in just six games. But four of his seven receptions went for 39 yards or more, and he established himself as arguably the fastest and most-explosive offensive player. Though his low snap counts skew the numbers a bit, he also finished with the highest PFF season grade of anybody on the team.

— Pettaway didn't play much this season (just four games), so it's hard to gleam too much. But he clearly has potential as a slot receiver and has chemistry with Jackson Arnold. He'll be in the mix for a bigger role next season.

— Bunkley-Shelton, who's entered the transfer portal, just never carved out a role in his two seasons with the Sooners.

SEASON GRADE: A-