All Sooners

How WR Andrel Anthony is Looking to Build Off Explosive Oklahoma Debut

The Oklahoma receiver was a constant vertical threat when he was on the field against Arkansas State.

Ryan Chapman

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NORMAN — Michigan transfer Andrel Anthony didn’t have to wait long to announce himself at Oklahoma.

Anthony logged his first catch as a Sooner on the second play of OU’s 73-0 drubbing of Arkansas State, grabbing a 3-yard reception on the sideline.

Two snaps later, he’d catch the attention of every fan.

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel dropped back and let it fly, dropping the ball right into Anthony’s hands 45 yards down the field to set the Sooners up at the 10-yard-line.

Immediately, Drake Stoops caught a touchdown pass to put OU up a touchdown, starting off the rout of the Red Wolves.

“It was great,” Anthony said of his fast start on Monday. “... It was a really big confidence booster. Whenever you go somewhere new, it’s like, I don’t know what to expect kind of thing. That early kind of set the tone for our team and just how the rest of the game was going to go.”

When Anthony committed to play for the Sooners, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby knew he was getting a weapon that could stretch the field in Norman.

“I saw top end speed,” Lebby said on Monday. “I was very familiar with Andrel in my last stop. I recruited him out of high school. So there was some familiarity there.

“And then when he got in the portal, I have some really close connections at Michigan and was able to reach out and talk to some people inside the building — they didn't want to lose him. They loved him. They wanted him there. Felt like he was going to be a starter for them.”

Upon making the decision to enter the portal, Anthony didn’t have to wait long to reconnect with Lebby.

“It was cool because he was literally the first person to contact me when I got in the portal,” Anthony said. “Like a minute later. Like, wow, that’s deep. It means a lot.”

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The decision was hard for Anthony as someone who grew up Lansing dreaming of playing for Michigan, but the change of scenery on and off the field has helped push Anthony into the next phase of his career.

“He needed to change,” Lebby said. “Wanted a scheme change I think as much as anything. Got on the phone and everything checked out.

“Knew he was going to be a guy that played with really good length and really good top end speed and that's what we need.”

Anthony went on to finish with three caches for 66 yards in his Oklahoma debut, but the balls he hauled in weren’t actually the highlight.

Gabriel tried to connect with him twice more. Beaten on the route both times, the Arkansas State secondary elected to take pass interference penalties rather than let Anthony walk into the end zone, giving the Sooners another 30 yards in field position.

FB - Andrel Anthony, Arkansas State Red Wolves
Oklahoma receiver Andrel Anthony gets pulled down by Arkansas State's secondary :: Kevin Jairaj / USA TODAY Sports

The chemistry with Anthony didn’t form overnight, Gabriel said.

“That's eight months together of being, you know, close and, you know, working at it,” Gabriel said. “But time does do wonders… that's a testament to who he is and always hitting me up doing the same. He's just — he's that type of guy.”

As the season progresses, Anthony is confident the relationship between him and Gabriel on the field will only continue to grow.

“There’s room for improvement on my behalf and Dillon’s as well,” he said. “Just getting more comfortable with predicting where I’m going to be at and I can kind of like a better area to throw the ball. On both sides, it’s definitely going to get better.”

There are plenty of other threats to take attention off of Anthony as well.

Teams know what to expect out of Jalil Farooq and Stoops, but true freshman Jaquaize Pettaway was targeted 10 times, leading the Sooner with nine catches against Arkansas State.

Anthony said he’s excited by the versatility and talent across the board amongst the wide receivers as the group prepares for a much harder test this weekend against SMU.

But for now, Anthony is cherishing his firs start as a Sooner — one that left quite an impression on him.

“That was awesome,” Anthony said. “I’ve obviously only been here for the spring game. That was my first game here.

“But actual, real game, that was amazing. It was electric. I could hear the crowd after a big catch like a big play it’s, like, wow. It was eye-opening.”

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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