NORMAN — Oklahoma’s offense may soon receive some much-needed reinforcements as the regular season progresses.
During his weekly coaches show on Monday night, Brent Venables shared optimistic updates on three Oklahoma receivers as the Sooners gear up for this weekend’s Red River Rivalry against top-ranked Texas.
“I feel good that we’ll have some guys back in a few weeks from a receiver standpoint,” Venables noted.
He specifically mentioned the status of Deion Burks, Jalil Farooq, and Andrel Anthony, all of whom have been battling injuries early in the season.
Anthony, who suffered an ACL tear during last year’s Red River Rivalry, recently had a clean-up procedure on his knee. Venables hopes the 6-foot-1, 186-pound senior will rejoin the team “in a few weeks.” Anthony has only played one game this season, making a brief appearance in the opener against Temple, where he caught a 4-yard pass. Last season, he led Oklahoma in receiving before his injury, tallying 27 receptions for 429 yards and a touchdown in six games.
“He feels really, really good,” Venables said about the former Michigan transfer.
Farooq, who underwent surgery for a broken foot sustained in the season opener, is set to remove his walking boot this week. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound senior will then begin working back into game shape. Initially, he was expected to be out for six to eight weeks post-surgery, and he is nearing the six-week mark.
Farooq had one catch for 47 yards in the opener before his injury. Last year, he was the team’s third-leading receiver with 45 receptions for 694 yards and two touchdowns.
Burks has been Oklahoma’s leading receiver this season, despite missing the Auburn game due to a soft-tissue injury he suffered in the SEC opener against Tennessee. He has recorded 26 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. Venables mentioned that the coaching staff is monitoring Burks’ recovery and will assess his availability in the coming days.
“We’ll get a couple of those guys back, pending no setbacks,” Venables said. “They’re excited, and it’s great to have them back.”
Their return is crucial for an Oklahoma offense that has struggled through five games, particularly due to injuries at the wide receiver position. In addition to these three injuries, the Sooners lost receiver Jayden Gibson for the season due to a knee injury sustained in fall camp. Nic Anderson, the team’s leading returning receiver, has appeared in just one game after a quad strain in the preseason. He re-injured his quad against Tennessee and is expected to be sidelined for several more weeks.
This injury streak left Oklahoma without its top five receivers during the Week 5 win at Auburn, where J.J. Hester stepped up with crucial catches, including a 60-yard grab in the fourth quarter during a late-game comeback. Venables hopes Hester can build on this performance as the season continues. Additionally, the team plans to implement a package for cornerback Jacobe Johnson, who has been practicing as a receiver.
