How Freshman WR Jaquaize Pettaway Earned a Role in Oklahoma's Offense
NORMAN — On Saturday, Oklahoma wideout Jaquize Pettaway showed why he received rave reviews coming out of fall camp.
The true freshman from Houston played his first career college football game against Arkansas State, finishing with nine catches for 56 yards. Pettaway was the first freshman wide receiver at OU to record nine catches in a game since CeeDee Lamb against Texas Tech in 2017.
While Lamb's nine-catch performance saw the current Dallas Cowboys standout finish with 147 yards and two touchdowns, the Sooners and Red Raiders didn't meet until much later in the season, when Lamb was more established in the offense.
For Pettaway, it took all of one week to tie Lamb's record, indicating that the speedy playmaker is already well ingrained in Jeff Lebby's system. Being the only true freshman wide receiver on scholarship in Norman, Pettaway has formed a good connection with true freshman quarterback and former 5-star recruit Jackson Arnold.
"We’ve been on the same page, and he keeps putting the ball on the money, and I’m in the right spots," Pettaway said after practice on Monday. "Off the field, we’re very close. We’re going, like I said, we’re going to continue to build our bond and strike up the band."
With Pettaway's performance throughout fall camp, however, the Langham Creek (TX) product began to earn practice reps with starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Despite Gabriel being a fifth-year senior and Pettaway still being in his first semester of college, the two have been able to form a solid relationship.
"I’ve been just trying to talk to him more," Pettaway said. "We’ve been building our connection a little more too. It’s been pretty easy. He made it easy for me. It hasn’t been too hard."
Aside from building this bond with the quarterbacks, Pettaway's work ethic has helped him earn time on the field. With a stable of older receivers in his position group, Pettaway's week one performance indicates that his coaches trust him despite only arriving on campus over the summer.
Most true freshman who earn playing time early in their career are January enrollees, but Pettaway competed in track and field during his final semester of high school, preventing him from moving to Norman until June.
When asked what prepared him for the moment, Pettaway pointed to his preparation and dedication.
"I’d say my dedication," Pettaway said. "I studied the playbook really well, put countless hours, even at night, staying up and studying the playbook. It came down to how bad I want it. I feel like it’s paying off."
Pettaway's head coach, Brent Venables, seems to agree, praising the true freshman's maturity and hard work.
"He's mature. Really intelligent," Venables said. "High football IQ. He's got a motor. Loves to practice. Loves to work. Super coachable. He's a football player. He literally could come play DB tomorrow for us. A lot to really like about him. He's incredibly talented. But he's got all the other stuff though, too. The intangibles. The humility. The intelligence. The toughness. Really tough guy."
As the season progresses, Pettaway will likely develop into an even better player as he learns the offense further and begins to feel more comfortable in his role. Being one of the fastest wideouts on the team, the former high 4-star recruit has a dominant trait that should be able to get him on the field plenty during his first year in Norman, especially with the true freshman's incredible work ethic.
Despite a solid outing in his first collegiate game, Pettaway's offensive coordinator expects even more out of the 5-foot-10, 185-pound pass catcher.
"We’ll always talk about this, but just being able to live the experience part of it, him being able to go through it was a huge deal," Lebby said on Monday. "Was happy for him just being able to get out there his first game, have some production. And he left something out there, which he knows. That’s the good thing, but it was great for him to get his first action."
With one full game under his belt, Pettaway said that he feels comfortable in the Sooners offense, which should help the unit moving forward.
"I'm very comfortable now," Pettaway said. "I'm not going to like boost my ego, but I just feel more comfortable going into the game now. I have a little less nerves, but I'm still new to this. I feel like I'm in a more comfortable spot now, better than coming out in the first game."
With SMU heading to Norman this weekend, Pettaway will have another chance to put his talent on display in front of OU fans in what should be a much less lopsided matchup than his first contest at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
If Pettaway has another good outing against the Mustangs, he will be even more established in the Sooners' offense. With a solid freshman season, the speedster could put himself on a similar track to Marvin Mims and Lamb, who both excelled as freshman in Norman.
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