Report: Oklahoma Transfer Wide Receiver Commits to SEC Foe

J.J. Hester was one of Oklahoma's more productive wideouts in 2024, and now he'll play for an SEC rival.

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

An outgoing Oklahoma wide receiver will join an SEC foe in 2025.

Redshirt senior wideout J.J. Hester will play his final season of college football at Kentucky, per Pete Nakos of On3.

NEWS: Oklahoma transfer WR JJ Hester has signed with Kentucky, @PeteNakos_ reports😼https://t.co/Opze963MvP pic.twitter.com/WDHIxYqKrB

— On3 (@On3sports) December 19, 2024

Hester began his college career at Missouri, spending two years in Columbia before transferring to OU after the 2021 season.

Injuries plagued much of Hester’s time in Norman. Hester caught just one pass for 13 yards between the 2022 and 2023 seasons, playing in eight games between those campaigns.

Hester played his best collegiate season in 2024, catching 14 passes for 315 yards and a touchdown. His yardage total was the second highest on the squad behind only tight end Bauer Sharp, who recently committed to LSU.

While Hester hasn’t been a star player in college thus far, he was a highly-touted prospect out of high school.

A Tulsa native, Hester earned a 4-star grade by 247 Sports and was rated as the No. 3 prospect from Oklahoma in the Class of 2020. He was the highest-ranked prospect in Mizzou’s 2020 signing class and chose the Tigers over offers from UCLA, Arkansas, Texas and others.

Hester will join a Kentucky squad that struggled in 2024.

The Wildcats went 4-8 (1-7 SEC), tied for last place in the SEC. They are one of just three SEC programs that didn't reach bowl eligibility this season, alongside Auburn and Mississippi State.

Hester is one of six wide receivers from Oklahoma’s 2024 team to enter the transfer portal so far in the winter window, along with Nic Anderson, Jaquaize Pettaway, Jalil Farooq, Brenen Thompson and Andrel Anthony. Thompson and Anderson, and now Hester, have chosen their new homes so far.

2024-25 Oklahoma Transfer Portal Tracker

The Sooners have picked up wideout reinforcements in the portal. OU saw commitments from Javonnie Gibson and Keontez Lewis — both of whom excelled at the FCS level — in the past few days.

OU also signed two wide receivers, Elijah Thomas and Emmanuel Choice, to its 2024 Early Signing Day class. Thomas is rated as a 4-star by 247 Sports, while Choice is a 3-star.

The winter transfer portal window will be open from Dec. 9-28.

Players do not have to know their destination by Dec. 28, they just have to be in the portal when the window closes to retain immediate eligibility. 

Oklahoma finished its first season competing in the Southeastern Conference 6-6 (2-6). The Sooners' final game of the 2024 campaign will be against Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth on Dec. 27.