Jalil Farooq Primed for Breakout Sophomore Season at Oklahoma
NORMAN — This past offseason, Jalil Farooq had a big decision to make.
The highly-recruited wide receiver arrive on campus in Norman and was able to fulfill a dream of his by playing alongside childhood friend and teammate Caleb Williams.
Reality hit when Williams hit the transfer portal, eventually joining Lincoln Riley at USC, and the attention turned to Farooq.
Many speculated he could be the next shoe to drop, entering the transfer portal and headed to Southern California to join Williams.
But the transfer portal never became a destination for Farooq.
“As a freshman dealing with a whole coaching staff leaving, considering transferring is a big factor,” Farooq said during a post-spring practice press conference on Thursday. “But I came here for a reason. OU DNA's in my blood so that's the reason why I stayed.”
Throughout the uncertainty following Riley’s departure, Farooq said he grew very close to wide receivers coach Cale Gundy, and the longtime OU assistant became a huge reason as to why he stayed in Norman.
Jalil Farooq finished his freshman season at Oklahoma in style, leading the Sooners in receiving against the Oregon Ducks in the Alamo Bowl
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
“I feel like Coach Gundy stepped up to the plate for me personally,” Farooq said. “He was the biggest guy in my ear. I talked to him almost every day. Probably one of the best relationships I have right now so definitely very excited to keep building with him.”
Once Farooq determined he was going to stay, he was able to get back to work on the practice field. After battling through an injury when he joined the team at the beginning of the season, his hard work finally paid off against Oregon in the Alamo Bowl.
Farooq led the Sooners in receiving yards against the Ducks, catching three passes for 64 yards in the victory over Oregon.
“It was a dream come true for me,” Farooq said. “I was definitely excited for the coaches to come to me to tell me I'm bumped up, to be ready to play. I've been waiting on that all year.”
The Landham, MD, native said he was able to take a ton of confidence from his outing in the bowl game which has propelled him through winter workouts.
And Farooq isn’t the only one who’s noticed a big uptick in his performance so far in 2022.
“He had a really good eight weeks with (Jerry Schmidt) getting going,” OU offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said on Thursday. “He’s come prepared every single day, he’s bought in with what we’re doing offensively.
“And in the first two days of practice, one thing he does incredibly well is this guy attacks off the ball. He runs off the ball. He’s incredibly competitive. He’s hard on himself. Looking for him to continue to grow and be a big part of it.”
Lebby’s offense is going to run at a blistering pace in Norman, which should result in more plays run and an increase in opportunities for everyone in the offense to see the football more, something which excited Farooq about the new system.
“I feel like I fit perfectly in the scheme that coach Lebby has,” Farooq said. “I’m very excited with what he brings to the table.”
Not only will there be a new playbook this season, but there will be a new signal caller to spread the ball around.
So far, Farooq said he’s really enjoyed playing with Dillon Gabriel, and that his arm strength, especially on long balls, has impressed.
“I'm grateful that Dillon came here,” Farooq said. “He's a big factor in our team right now and I feel as though he knows the scheme, he knows the offense and he's being a big leader right now.”
Ahead of Year 2, many in the program are buying stock in Farooq, who would be a massive addition to the Oklahoma wide receiver room if he can parlay his big Alamo Bowl showing into a larger role in the offense in 2022.
“I'm definitely putting my money into Jalil Farooq stock,” wide receiver Theo Wease said. “He goes to work every day, he plays hard, he thinks hard and he's just an all-around great person.
“I’m excited to see what he does this season."
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