Brent Venables raves about work ethic of Deion Burks

Wide receiver Deion Burks, a transfer from Purdue, already looks as though he’ll be a notable part of the offense at Oklahoma for the fall. That’s because of the player he is and what he brought with him in his arrival in Norman this offseason.

Brent Venables spoke highly of Burks following the Sooners’ spring game – a scrimmage in which their new receiver flashed his ability inside Memorial Stadium. He began by crediting him for his effort that he has brought, which has made him great and is having an effect on others on the roster.

“Yeah, probably, again, the best thing that he does is his work ethic. He has tremendous work ethic,” said Venables. “He’s wide open when it comes to practice. Just passion for the game, incredibly competitive.”

“So, again, he helps the guys he’s lining up against. He helps the guys that he’s lining up next to as well,” Venables said. “He has been fantastic.”

That only adds to the receiver that Burks is and has now been since arriving at OU. It has led to a solid transition for him into their offense according to Venables.

“Great playmaker. He has got tremendous speed and quickness. Got great hands,” noted Venables. “Natural feel for the game at receiver and how he fits in with our offense, whether it’s the drop-back pass game or our RPO. He has really done a great job of learning what to do and transitioning that within our system.”

Burks was one of 16 transfers to come into the program from the portal. He was the No. 110 overall player and No. 22 WR per On3’s 2024 Transfer Portal Top Players. That made him the fourth-highest rated transfer for Oklahoma, including being the second-best offensive addition, in a group that rated at No. 31 in On3’s 2024 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

This comes after a three-year career with the Boilermakers caught 63 passes for 804 yards and seven scores. He led his team in receiving last season with 47 catches for 629 yards and all seven of his touchdowns.

This also comes after Burks announced himself during the spring. In their intra-team matchup, he caught five balls for 174 yards and a pair of touchdowns from QB Jackson Arnold. One score came on a 64-yard catch while the other came on a 50-yard reception.

Burks is going to be bringing a lot to the Sooner offense with what he has posted and done so far. Still, if nothing else, Venables is looking for him to continue working as he has, both for himself and for its overall impact on everyone.