Oklahoma Will be Without Key Receivers at LSU; Barnes, Thompson Unknown

A pair of OU pass catchers were ruled out on Wednesday while Brenen Thompson is questionable on the week's first SEC Availability Report.

Oklahoma wide receiver Deion Burks / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

It appears Oklahoma will finish the regular season as it started — banged up.

The Sooners (6-5, 2-5 SEC), fresh off toppling Alabama, are set to travel to Lousiana to take on LSU (7-4, 4-3) with a long list of injuries. 

OU might be without speedster Brenen Thompson, who left last Saturday’s game early after getting rolled up on. 

He was listed questionable on the first SEC Availability Report of the week. 

Wide receiver Deion Burks, who sustained a concussion against Missouri and missed the contest against the Crimson Tide, was listed as out.

OU coach Brent Venables was noncommittal on Burks’ status on Tuesday. The Purdue transfer had previously missed five games before returning to the lineup against Missouri. 

“It’s still up in the air and we’ll see where he’s at,” Venables said. “I think he’s had a history of concussions at Purdue. You keep track of all of that, that history. It’s a very delicate thing, but he’s as tough as they come. I bragged on his toughness in the winter time and how competitive and tough he’s been since he’s been here. So battling back and overcoming — he had a grade two thigh contusion tear confirmed by an MRI. So he was dealing with that and he came back from that.”

Fellow receiver Jalil Farooq is also out for the trip to Baton Rouge. 

Like Burks, Farooq returned to action against Missouri, but he was unable to take the field against the Crimson Tide. 

“He had a little bit of a setback at Missouri,” Venables said. “So X-rays showed a little bit of a setback there. Really just kind of unfortunate. Jake Roberts, he had the same (or) similar type of injury, and he's come back and had a great year. So everybody's a little bit different.”

With all the injuries, tight end Bauer Sharp is OU’s leading receiver with 41 catches for 320 yards and two scores. 

Burks is still second on the team in receptions with 31, and Thompson was third with 19 catches. 

Running back Jovantae Barnes, who also missed the win over ‘Bama, is fourth with 17 receptions. 

Barnes was a game time decision last week, and he was listed as probable on Wednesday. 

Receiver Andrel Anthony was also listed as questionable, like Thompson, and tight end Kade McIntyre is doubtful. 

Defensive end Caiden Woullard has been ruled out of this weekend’s game after he hurt his knee against the Crimson Tide. 

Oklahoma will again be without a number of offensive lineman. 

Tackles Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor and center Joshua Bates will all miss the regular season finale, joining Geirean Hatchett, who is already out for the year. 

LSU offensive lineman Miles Frazier is probable for the game alongside receiver CJ Daniels. 

Defensive tackle Jalen Lee is questionable, as is offensive lineman Garrett Dellinger.

Safety Jordan Allen, linebacker Harold Perkins Jr., cornerback JK Johnson, receiver Kyle Parker, running back John Emery Jr. and defensive linemen Princeton Malbrue and Jacobian Guillory are all out for the Tigers as well.