All Sooners

Why OC Jeff Lebby Feels 'Good' About Oklahoma's Wide Receiver Depth

Building depth at wide receiver has been a major focus for the Sooners offense this offseason.

Ryan Chapman

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NORMAN — Developing wide receivers has been a high priority for Oklahoma all offseason.

After Marvin Mims’ departure to the NFL, OU returns only two pass catchers with significant experience in Norman, Jalil Farooq and Drake Stoops.

New wide receivers coach Emmett Jones quickly got to work to add names in the transfer portal, but most of his work required bringing along players who were already on the roster.

With a little over a week before the 2023 season kicks off in Norman, Jones may have accomplished his mission.

“I think we’re gonna be able to play multiple guys,” offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said on Tuesday. “That’s the best part of that group right now. I think we’ve got the chance to see about 6-7 guys. That wasn’t necessarily the case last year.

“So feel good about the depth of that room. Guys gotta go make plays next Saturday.”

Alongside Farooq and Stoops, former walk-on Gavin Freeman has drawn rave reviews the entire offseason.

Coaches and players alike have sung his praises, all the way up to head coach Brent Venables.

“Gavin Freeman’s a guy that I love everything that he’s about,” Venables said at Big 12 Media Day in July. “He’s a football player. Just makes plays. He’s always wide open. He’s gonna help this football team. He might’ve had as good a spring as anybody on offense.”

Gavin Freeman
Gavin Freeman / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Freeman only hauled in three catches as a true freshman last year, but his explosive capabilities were on display as when he cashed in his first career touch for a score on a reverse.

A new face at Oklahoma, Michigan transfer Andrel Anthony, has made noise in fall camp as well.

He’s had strong showings in scrimmages this month, and Anthony is poised to play a role in the receiver rotation.

Another addition to the receiving corps in 2023 could come from a member of last year’s team who struggled to make an impact.

LV Bunkley-Shelton’s first season at Oklahoma wasn’t exactly what he had planned.

He caught 44 passes for 518 yards 17 games at Arizona State, but only posted two catches last year for the Sooners.

LV Bunkley-Shelton
LV Bunkley-Shelton :: John E. Hoover / AllSooners

Jones’ arrival offered a clean slate for Bunkley-Shelton, and there are going to be plenty of catches to go around this year.

“He’s just a guy who has created a ton of value for himself because there’s a ton of trust,” Lebby said of Bunkley-Shelton. “He can play inside. He can play outside. At any point in time he can be anywhere on the field.

“And he knows exactly what to do. And so he’s found ways to create value for himself and create trust with me and coach Jones and it’s been fun to watch.”

A second offseason has also offered Jayden Gibson and Nic Anderson, who got lost in the shuffle as true freshman in 2022, a chance to get more comfortable and establish themselves in Lebby’s plans.

Still, the Sooners will rely on Farooq and Stoops to lead the way on and off the field, as the duo combined for 76 catches last season. 

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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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