NORMAN — Gavin Freeman is used to being overlooked.
The Oklahoma native is unlikely to be the tallest player on the field, standing at 5-foot-8 and 181 pounds. He wanted to play football for the Sooners so much, he was willing to bet on himself by taking a preferred walk-on offer.
But time and time again, Freeman has proved he’s more than capable of succeeding on the field. It stems from an attitude he’s had since his early days at Heritage Hall High School.
“My motto is ‘belief.' Self-belief, really” Freeman said during OU media day. “Just being able to come to terms with yourself, like, ‘I can do this.’ I’m like everybody else out here. I have the ability. I can do it. I’m completely able to do whatever I want, to be where I can be.”
That attitude, and his ability on the field, have given Freeman an opportunity to have a huge impact for the Sooners in 2023.
Freeman’s skills as a football player have never been in doubt. In his senior season at Heritage Hall, Freeman caught 74 passes for 1,438 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding 14 carries for 117 yards and four scores. But there was skepticism that Freeman could succeed at a major Power 5 school.
Last season, he proved that narrative wrong. He took his first collegiate touch 48 yards for a touchdown in the season opener against UTEP.
Later that year against Kansas, he made a 41-yard diving catch that set up a touchdown. He finished 2022 with 10 total touches for 117 yards and a touchdown, and the Sooners rewarded him with a full scholarship.
He’s continued to stand out during the spring and the summer. OU coach Brent Venables, on several occasions, has touted Freeman as the wide receiver who had the best performance in spring practices.
“He’s one of the fastest guys on the team both here to there and change of direction,” Venables said. “Some guys always make the play. Some guys get open. Some guys make the tough plays, the competitive plays. Some guys don’t. They come in all shapes and sizes. My man is wide open. He wins everything.
“If (OU strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt) stood up here and you wanted him to talk about Gavin Freeman, we’d all be here 'til midnight. I say that with all thanks and appreciation for Gavin and his attitude. What he’s done, he’s made us better. That’s how I see it. Some people are like, Oh man, you must really be hurting (at receiver).’ That’s not how I see it. He’s got all that stuff.”
He’s been receiving plenty of recognition from his teammates, too. He’s even earned the nickname ‘G-Freaky.’
“I just feel like he brings the heat every day,” OU receiver Jalil Farooq said. “Being with (Schmidt), working out — that's one of the guys I'm working out with — he's always bringing that heat every day. There's never a day he doesn't.”
While sixth-year veteran Drake Stoops is primed to see most of the snaps as the slot receiver, the coaching staff has proven creative at utilizing different players — seven of Freeman’s touches in 2022 were running plays — and Freeman has shown versatility in playing different positions.
But in addition to speed and quickness, Freeman knows he brings other intangibles, too.
“(I’m) tough, not afraid to take a hit,” Freeman said. “I’ll stick my nose in there. I love to block and stuff. Blocking’s one of my favorite parts (of football) because you can really dominate somebody and it just kills their mentality.”
With the season a little over a week away, the buzz about Freeman seeing a big role in 2023 continues to grow.
“I think you've got a chance to see Gavin a bunch,” OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said on Tuesday. “He's a guy that had an incredible spring, had a great summer, has had a really good fall camp, and the last two days have been really good. This is a guy that's electric with it in his hands, but he's incredibly tough blocking on the perimeter and doing all the dirty work that you want him to do as well. (We) expect a lot from him.”
