Oklahoma football: Rambo making the most of every opportunity

In a loaded wide receiver room Oklahoma football wide receiver Charleston Rambo knows he has maximize every single touch.

After redshirting in 2017 and playing spot duty in 2018, it appears Oklahoma football’s Charleston Rambo is finally getting his opportunity.

And he’s determined to make the most of it.

As the No. 27 receiver in the 2017 class, Charleston Rambo came to the Oklahoma football team with just as much hype as fellow 2017 receiver CeeDee Lamb.

While Lamb found immediate success, cracking the starting lineup as a true freshman, it didn’t come quite as easy to Rambo. Stuck behind Jeff Badet and Marquise Brown, it wasn’t until last year’s College Football Playoff game that the then redshirt freshman got his first real chance to shine.

He responded with three catches for 74 yards including a highlight-reel 49-yard touchdown against the vaunted Alabama Crimson Tide defense.

The journey to get to a prime spot in the OU offense wasn’t an easy one. He’s transformed his body, packing on the muscle needed to get off the line against jams and withstand hits as an outside receiver. He’s also become more polished as a route runner and blocker.

“(I have gotten better) mentally and physically (with) Bennie Wylie,” Rambo told reporters Monday. ” (I am)  taking time out to listen to what my wide receiver coach has to tell me and taking it in and applying it to the field.”

Many wondered who would take over Brown’s role this year as the team’s burner, but Rambo is quickly establishing himself as a guy who can take the top off of defenses. He torched Houston for a 56-yard touchdown catch in the first game of the year and had a 19-yard touchdown catch last week against South Dakota.

He’s quickly serving notice to the country that the Sooners still have a legit deep threat.

“I ran track in high school and if I got the lead, I’m not losing it,” Rambo told reporters.  “Working out with Marquise when he was here we got pretty much the same attributes. If I have a step on you, you’re not catching me.”

While he’s earned his starting spot through hard work Rambo understands this isn’t a place where seniority matters and a young, hungry group of receivers are coming up directly behind him to compete for touches. The five-star trio of Trejan Bridges, Jadon Haselwood an Theo Wease all caught touchdown passes last week. They’ll likely be nipping at Rambo’s heels all year to push for for more playing time.”

In an offense loaded with wide receiver talent and only one football to go around, he understands he’ll have to milk the most out of every second in the spotlight. Meanwhile the other guy in the offense just happens to be an All American candidate in CeeDee Lamb.

“It’s just pushing us each just to go harder,” Rambo said told reporters Monday.  “Seeing Ceedee get a ball, I go ‘hey, I gotta get a good one’. Knowing when you get the ball you gotta try and score because you don’t know how many opportunities you are gonna get.”

While more challenging defenses await, there’s no doubt Rambo has made the most of his opportunities so far in 2019.