'Explosive' WR Deion Burks Enjoyed an Oklahoma Debut to Remember

The Purdue transfer caught three touchdowns against Temple to get his Oklahoma career off to a dream start.

Aug 30, 2024; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Deion Burks (6) celebrates with Oklahoma Sooners tight end Kade McIntyre (19) and Oklahoma Sooners offensive lineman Spencer Brown (58) after scoring during the first quarter against the Temple Owls at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

NORMAN — If anyone forgot about Deion Burks’ flashy spring game debut, he wasted no time reintroducing himself to Oklahoma fans. 

The Purdue transfer caught Jackson Arnold’s second touchdown pass of the night, a 14-yard connection, but that was just the beginning. 

Burks struck twice more in the second quarter, hauling in an 8-yard touchdown and a 5-yard score in the south end zone to set a new Oklahoma record for scores in a season opener. 

“Deion's just a playmaker, a guy that I can trust to get open no matter what,” Arnold said after the win. “… He makes my life whole lot easier. His ability to get open is unlike anything I've seen. Absolute stud, and I'm super excited about the rest of the year.”

The three scores accounted for half of Burks’ receptions on the night as he finished with six catches for 36 yards in the Sooners' (1-0) 51-3 demolition of Temple (0-1).

“It was great,” Burks said. “… I felt like I left a couple plays out there that I probably could have got on. … But man we got a great team win.”

Offensive coordinator Seth Littrell also gave a sneak peek into all the ways OU wants to use its new weapon. 

The Sooners opened the game by getting Burks the ball on a reverse. He got four yards, though Temple’s defense kept the versatile receiver under check on the ground. 

“Deion's very explosive,” Littrell said after the game, “and obviously very talented as a receiver being able to get the ball in his hand quick, just trying to find as many different ways to get him the ball. 

“With an explosive guy like that, it's always trying to find different ways, along with all of our guys. Just trying to find different touches and different ways to get our playmakers the ball.”

Burks finished the night with three carries for 14 yards before his services were deemed surplus as the score got out of hand. 

“It’s good honestly just being able to move different spots,” Burks said. “Just seeing what coach Seth Littrell do with me as well, just move me, try to create little motions, confusion with the defense, I feel like it’s a great thing.”

As a result of a bland game plan, Burks didn’t even get to show off his best attribute. 

Littrell didn’t call on the speedster to run behind the Owl defense to stretch the field. 

In the Red/White Game, Burks averaged 34.8 yards per reception, dwarfing the six yards per catch he posted on Friday night. 

“We got pretty vanilla,” Littrell said. “… Obviously, we're not going to show everything game one but at the same time, I felt like we needed to be a little bit more explosive in the passing game. Again, some of that is the calls and some of that is the execution of the calls. 

“That's definitely an area that we must improve on and something that I truly believe in. I do think you have to push the ball down the field and be explosive. I don't, I'm not one of those guys that feels like you have to have these 14-, 15-play drives, four yards and a cloud of dust. We have to be an explosive offense.”

With Jalil Farooq’s injury, Burks’ explosive threat will be even more important. 

He’s got the skillset to plug a number of different holes, and Littrell won’t be afraid to continue to call Burks’ number.

“He’s playing in all the different personnel groupings tonight,” Littrell said. “There was a lot on his plate, especially game one in a new system, and did a lot of great things and so he has to continue to grow in his role and again, we have to continue to grow in a lot of roles offensively. That's the purpose of game one, trying to put as many personnel groupings out there as we can to see exactly how we feel about each one.”