Jalil Farooq shares where Oklahoma wide receivers stand after spring

Jalil Farooq is one of many Oklahoma receivers slated for a bigger role in 2023. The Sooners lost last season’s leading pass catcher Marvin Mims to the NFL as well as Theo Wease to transfer, creating an opportunity for others to emerge.

Farooq seized that opportunity this spring, and is confident in where not only he, but the rest of the room stands after the spring game this past weekend.

“I feel like we’ve grown a lot overall,” he said. “Me personally, I feel like we have stepped up. All those young guys are stepping up. It’s a lot to fulfill for Oklahoma receivers. So we’ve been stepping up. We’ve been bonding and gelling. Making sure we’re in and out of the facility getting work on and off the field. I’m excited about it.”

Farooq is Oklahoma’s leading returning receiver after recording 37 catches for 466 yards and five touchdowns in 2022. He had a strong finish to the year, catching a touchdown in four of the final six games and recording at least three catches in five of the final six.

Now looking like the potential No. 1 target for Dillon Gabriel, Farooq has done his best to build upon last season. He showed off his connection with Gabriel in the spring game on a 13-yard touchdown catch, his lone reception of the afternoon.

After the spring game, the Sooners landed another weapon in Texas transfer receiver Brenen Thompson. The No. 21 wideout according to On3’s Transfer Portal Rankings, Thompson was a four-star recruit coming out of Spearman (TX) High School in 2022. He seems like a candidate for the No. 2 role behind Farooq but will have plenty of competition.

Oklahoma also brings back Drake Stoops for a sixth season in Norman. Stoops had his best year in 2022 with 39 catches for 393 yards and three scores and could be poised to make an even bigger impact this season.

Gavin Freeman and DJ Graham are a couple of other names to watch out for. Graham made the switch from cornerback to receiver midway through last season and led all players with two catches for 74 yards in the spring game. Freeman, a Heritage Hall product, had a big moment as well when he tied the game late on a touchdown catch from freshman QB Jackson Arnold.

The Sooners ranked fifth in the Big 12 this past season with 254.6 passing yards per game. The losses of Mims, Wease and tight end Brayden Willis (514 yards and seven touchdowns), will be hard to overcome, but Farooq the potential and talent are there to take a step forward.