Oklahoma WR Theo Wease 'Still Here, Standing Tall, Ready to Finish the Mission'

OU's offense will look to its senior wideout for both production and leadership.

When Theo Wease arrived in Norman, things looked immeasurably different.

Wease was a highly touted 5-star recruit and part of, at the time, a strong Lincoln Riley recruiting class. Wease was part of Oklahoma’s elite receiver group, termed one of the best of all time as the Sooners brought in other 5-stars in Jadon Haselwood and Trejan Bridges.

While Haselwood and Bridges have both moved on, Wease still has a chance to write his legacy at Oklahoma. After committing to return to Norman following Riley’s departure for USC, Wease wanted to be a part of what Brent Venables is building. He had a strong summer of workouts with no injury setbacks and looks to be in the best shape since early in his career.

“I definitely feel like I have something to prove to myself, but not anybody else,” Wease said. “I know my full potential and I know what I’m capable of. I feel like I’m gonna go out there and prove it all to myself.”

There have been flashes of brilliance from Wease, but injuries have hampered his development. He made an impact as a freshman with a late-season touchdown in the historic comeback at Baylor, and followed it up with a sophomore season that was by far his most productive in Norman: team-high 37 catches for 530 yards and four touchdowns in 2020. After a 36-yard touchdown to end the season against Florida, it seemed like 2021 was the year for Wease to make the jump.

Injuries unfortunately derailed Wease’s junior season, as the Sooners could’ve used his talents on the field with inconsistencies in the passing game. When he returned to game action, he had already missed so much time and it was so late in the season that it was impossible to catch up. Foot injuries in both the spring and summer meant his only action was one snap on a hands team kickoff return for an onside kick.

Through the injuries, Wease has had to face hardship off the field, too, as nearly every familiar face from when he arrived is now gone. Quarterbacks, head coaches, coordinators and fellow receivers, you name it. Wease has seen extreme fluctuation through it all.

With NFL goals in the plans, though, Wease understands it’s time to take that leap. With a spring and summer of consistency and health, he finally seems set up to succeed. He seems like a perfect compliment to Marvin Mims’ deep-threat ability, and could thrive in Jeff Lebby’s offense.

What does Weaves like most about Lebby's schemes?

“The explosive plays and how well he (Lebby) runs the ball,” Wease said. “Believe it or not, that helps receivers when we can run the ball. And just the wide variety of routes that I’ll be able to run from the outside.”

Now, with the pieces in place, Wease has a chance to prove he made the right call by staying in Norman.

“It’s crazy how college works,” Wease joked. “Some of your teammates who are with you in January might be gone by April. But I’m still here, standing tall, ready to finish the mission.”