Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Examining the makeup of the 2018 Sooners

By Sixto Ortiz

NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 15: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats October 15, 2016 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Kansas State 38-17. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** local caption ***
NORMAN, OK - OCTOBER 15: The Oklahoma Sooners take the field before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats October 15, 2016 at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Kansas State 38-17. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) *** local caption *** /
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PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb #9 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes a leaping 36-yard catch against defensive back Tyrique McGhee #26 of the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA – JANUARY 01: Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb #9 of the Oklahoma Sooners makes a leaping 36-yard catch against defensive back Tyrique McGhee #26 of the Georgia Bulldogs in the second half in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

The Wide Receivers

Without receivers who can catch the ball and make plays after the catch, Baker Mayfield would not have ended up as the Cleveland Browns’ top pick and the No. 1 overall pick in the April NFL Draft. And in 2017, the Oklahoma wide receiver corps continued to amaze. No Dede Westbrook? No problem!

The receivers were paced in 2017 by the electrifying Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, a fleet-footed receiver with blistering speed who torched opposing defenses to the tune of 1,095 receiving yards, seven touchdowns and a video-game like 19.2 yards per catch. Now a junior, Brown returns in 2018. This kid’s upside is just tremendous.

Not that Brown will have to do it alone. CeeDee Lamb burst into the scene last season, hauling in seven TDs and 807 receiving yards. As Lamb grows more comfortable in the Sooner offense, there’s no doubt that his production will grow accordingly. Junior Mykel Jones should continue to improve upon his sophomore campaign and add a bit more production in 2018. But as Lamb and Brown go, so will the Sooner receiving corps.

And even though Mark Andrews is gone to the NFL, sophomore Grant Calcaterra looks poised to take over the tight-end duties. Andrews is clearly a tremendous talent, but there’s no reason why Calcaterra can’t pick up the slack and continue to deliver stellar play from the tight-end position. He certainly showed flashes during limited action in 2017. 

Newcomers Kundarrius Taylor and Jaylon Robinson are both four-star recruits from the 2018 recruiting class who are expected to contribute to the Sooner receiving corps. The coaching staff is definitely excited about Taylor, a 6-foot, 2-inch receiver who will add height to the Sooner attack. Expect both of these guys to see the field at some point during the 2018 campaign.

Defensive coordinators in the Big 12 and beyond are once again going to have recurring nightmares as they struggle to figure out how to defend a Sooner offense filled with a speedy, young receiving talent about to hit its collective stride.

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