Oklahoma Sooners Wide Receiver Options in 2013

Dec 01, 2012; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Jalen Saunders (18) runs with the ball during the second half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Before the 2012 Oklahoma Sooners football season, questions arose concerning who would be in the  Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver corps. Kenny Stills was definitely going to be the man, but the names expected to line up alongside him was Penn State transfer Justin Brown and Trey Metoyer, the only five-star receiving recruit in Sooners’ history.

Brown stepped up and did enough to earn himself a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ draft board, but Metoyer disappeared from the game plan after one too many dropped passes and bad routes. In his place, Fresno State transfer Jalen Saunders stepped up and became the top Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver, often playing even better than Kenny Stills. Freshman second generation star Sterling Shepard also proved he belonged.

Now, with Stills and Brown gone, questions arise again over who will step up for OU in 2013.

Much like Kenny Stills in 2013, Jalen Saunders is the man expected to lead the  Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver corps, and he will probably step up as the slot receiver position, exactly where Stills played last season. However, that is also where Shepard is slotted to play.

It is now time to see if Trey Metoyer can live up to his recruiting rank. He played nothing like a five-star recruit in his first season in Norman, but the Sooners need him to play better this year. OU needs him to be a number one receiver as a sophomore.

On the other side, sophomore Durron Neal will battle for his spot with returning senior Jaz Reynolds. Jaz has had a rocky Sooners’ career, getting suspended for making off-color tweets after the University of Texas shooting two years ago, suffering from kidney failure when he finally got back on the field, and then sitting out all of 2012 after Bob Stoops suspended him for conduct detrimental to the team. Now a senior, it is time to see if Jaz Reynolds has grown up.

Also on hand is senior ju-co transfer Lacoltan Bester, who will take Metoyer’s job if he stumbles again, and freshmen Dannon Cavil and Derrick Woods.

Expect someone to step up as a star  Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver this season. Even when Metoyer failed to impress last year, Jalen Saunders came from out of nowhere to take over the lead. This year should be no different, as OU has lots of talent looking for a chance in 2013.