New receivers fight for playing time
Everyone was buzzing about the freshman wide receiver class in Norman going into the season and after 15 practices it appears that buzz was warranted. The Sooners are going to be absolutely loaded at all four receiver spots this season and there won’t be a lot of room for error for guys who want to get playing time.
Trejan Bridges might just be a freshman, but he looked like the best receiver (if not one of the best overall athletes) on the field in the spring game. He showed versatility, going up and competing for jump balls, running intermediate routes and taking tunnel screens for big yardage. He lined up a lot on the outside, but could end up in the slot some as well as he played both spots in high school.
Theo Wease and Jadon Haselwood had some pretty impressive plays as well in the spring game. Wease came on late, scoring a touchdown in the second half on a pass from Tanner Schafer and Haselwood made a couple competitive catches. Austin Stogner, came to Oklahoma considered by some to be the best tight end in the country as a senior in high school and he showed why in the spring game. Even with a pair of potential all-conference players ahead of him in the lineup with Lee Morris and Grant Calcaterra, Stogner is going to force the issue and demand some playing time. It will be interesting to see if the Sooners burn his redshirt out of the gate or try to save him for down the stretch and get an extra year of eligibility out of him, but expect to see Stogner on the field.
One would think Ceedee Lamb’s job is pretty safe and Charelston Rambo probably still has the inside track at the other outside position, but these youngsters are going to play and play often. I don’t see any of the three true receivers (Wease, Haselwood and Bridges) finishing the year with redshirt eligibility. Add in Jaqualyn Crawford, Drake Stoops, Nick Basquine and A.D. Miller and this looks like the deepest group of receivers in America right now.