Spring preview: Wide receivers

Heading into spring practices, there's an argument that wide receiver is Oklahoma's deepest position group.

The Sooners return several key contributors from last season, including Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and Jayden Gibson. That group combined for 53% of the Sooners' receiving touchdowns (18) and 54% of the yardage production at receiver (2,296). The Sooners also have returning young talent (Jaquaize Pettaway, Brenen Thompson) and four new freshmen including a pair of four-star recruits in Zion Kearney and Ivan Carreon. Plus, former Purdue transfer Deion Burks figures to be immediately in the mix for playing time.

Spring practices will be crucial for the Sooners' passing attack. True sophomore Jackson Arnold replaces Dillon Gabriel as the starting quarterback and Drake Stoops, who led the team in receptions (84) and yards (962), is gone to the NFL. In addition to developing chemistry with Arnold, there's still things to figure out in the pecking order, and there's also the integration of new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

OUInsider is previewing each position group ahead of spring practices, which begin on March 11. Here's a review of where things stand with the wide receivers:

1. How do things shake out at slot receiver?

Finding a replacement for Stoops will be the biggest challenge for the wide receiver corps.

Stoops brought more than just a veteran presence. He was the No. 1 option in the passing game, particularly after Anthony was injured against Texas, and it wasn't particularly close. He finished with nearly twice as many receptions as the next closest receiver (Farooq), and he had 32 more targets than anyone on the roster.

The most likely answer is Burks, who had a breakout last year at Purdue with 47 receptions for 629 yards and seven touchdowns. He proved to be an explosive playmaker with the Boilermakers, and his speed, experience and height (5-foot-11) make him a seamless fit.

But how much do they move him around? Per Pro Football Focus, Burks played 92% of his snaps last season as an outside wide receiver. Plus, OU has options behind him, too.

The Sooners have a few options. Gavin Freeman saw most of the backup snaps behind Stoops, although his production and playing time decreased significantly as last season went on. Pettaway made a big splash in the season opener with nine receptions, and the former four-star recruit clearly has big-play potential. Brenen Thompson made some huge plays last year — he had 241 yards on seven receptions, averaging a team-best 34 yards per catch — and he might be the fastest player on the team. There's also an argument that he deserved more playing time last year, as he logged just 30 snaps in 2023, per PFF.

It'll be interesting to see how the snaps shake out.

2. Can Nic Anderson continue his ascension?

There's nobody that benefitted more from Anthony's injury last season than Anderson. Over the first six games, Anderson averaged a little over 27 snaps per game, per PFF. But over the final seven games, that number skyrocketed to nearly 68 snaps per game. His production, naturally, took a huge step, too, as he finished second on the team in yards (798) and tied with Stoops for the most receiving touchdowns (10).

Anderson played 63 of the 87 possible snaps against Arizona in Littrell's first game as a coordinator, indicating he'll continue to be a huge part of the offense moving forward. The Sooners need a true No. 1 receiver, and his size and athleticism make him the best candidate.

3. How many guys see the field?

Anderson's continued ascension could be tied to this question.

Under Jeff Lebby, the Sooners primarily played three wide receivers. For reference, Anderson finished third on the team in snaps (638). Anthony, despite missing the final seven games, ranked fourth (290). Gibson was the next closest with 232, nearly a third of Anderson's total.

However, that could change with Littrell in charge. For reference, four different receivers logged at least 40 snaps against Arizona. Gibson, notably, played a season-high 44 snaps after averaging fewer than 17 per game during the regular season. Could Littrell utilize more four or five wide receiver sets? Will he rely more on non-starting players?

The Sooners have several guys who are vying for playing time. Farooq is entering his senior season and finished second among the wide receivers in snaps last year. Gibson (14 receptions, 398 yards, five touchdowns in 2023) has made a pretty compelling case for more playing time. Anderson is a rising star in college football. Burks is almost certainly going to see a ton of snaps. None of this includes Pettaway, Thompson, Gavin Freeman or the freshmen receivers.

The spring will give a ton of insight as to how the coaching staff plans to manage the wide receiver room.