Brent Venables Announces Oklahoma WR Jalil Farooq Will Miss 6-8 Weeks, Plus More Injury Updates

Jalil Farooq re-injured his right foot and will need surgery to put a screw in after leaving Friday night's win against Temple in the first quarter.

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Jalil Farooq / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Oklahoma will be without another wide receiver. 

OU head coach Brent Venables announced Friday night after the Sooners’ season-opening 51-3 win against Temple that receiver Jalil Farooq will miss 6-8 weeks with a right foot injury. Venables said Farooq will need surgery to put a screw in the foot, and it’s the same foot that was injured and kept Farooq out of spring camp. Farooq left Friday night’s game in the first quarter after limping off the field. 

Farooq was an All-Big 12 honorable mention last season after catching 45 passes for 694 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He pulled in five scores in 2022. 

“Hate it for him,” Venables said. “(He) had a great, great camp. But hopefully we’ll get him back here in a month and a half or so.” 

Center Branson Hickman, a transfer from SMU, also exited early after appearing to have hurt his right ankle. Venables said after the game that Hickman had an ankle strain but did not know the severity of the injury yet. Hickman started at center for the Sooners on Friday night in his OU debut.

The Sooners entered the game already without several players because of injuries. Cornerback Woodi Washington, offensive lineman Jake Taylor and cornerback Eli Bowen missed the season opener, but Venables mentioned after the game that those three were cleared to play but were still held out as precaution. Defensive back Gentry Williams played but on a limited basis. 

Farooq was also not OU’s first major hit at receiver because of injury. Venables announced Wednesday that Nic Anderson would not be available for the opener. That was on top of Jayden Gibson, who suffered a season-ending injury during fall camp. 

“We’ll see how it all works out when it’s said and done, but we do have a good group of young players there, as well,” Venables said. “We got a good receiver room. At some point you can’t just keep taking hits. That’s two really good players that you’ve lost there. But we do feel good about a group of guys that will take up the slack.”