Stormin in Norman
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CeeDee Lamb declares for NFL Draft; will there be others?

By Chip Rouse

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners carries the ball against linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson #18 of the LSU Tigers during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 28: Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners carries the ball against linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson #18 of the LSU Tigers during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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CeeDee Lamb has played his final game as an Oklahoma Sooner, electing to forgo his final year of collegiate eligibility and declare for the NFL Draft.

Multiple media sources, including The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman, reported that Lamb announced his intentions via Twitter on Sunday.

"“The past three years in Norman have been all I could have imagined and more,” he wrote. “I will always and forever be an Oklahoma Sooner.”"

This is not unexpected. Short of winning a national championship, there isn’t much more the consensus All-American wide receiver can accomplish playing at Oklahoma.

During his three seasons at OU, the 6-foot, 2-inch receiver and runner-up for this year’s Biletnikoff Award, honoring college football’s most outstanding receiver, caught a total of 173 passes for 3,292 yards and 32 touchdowns. Those 32 career receiving touchdowns lead the nation among non-seniors.

Oklahoma’s record while Lamb was there was 36-6 and included three consecutive Big 12 championships and three consecutive appearances in the College Football Playoff.

Lamb caught four passes for 119 yards in the Sooners 63-28 loss to LSU in one of the two national semifinal games on Saturday. His 51-yard reception in that game gave him 24 receptions of 40 yards or greater in his Sooner career, surpassing Ryan Broyles. He leaves Oklahoma as No. 3 on the career receiving list in terms of yards gained.

While Lamb’s departure is not a surprise, it begs the follow-on question of who else among his OU teammates might follow suit and leave early to seek an NFL career opportunity.

Running backs Tre Sermon and Kennedy Brooks are both draft eligible, but to date have not indicated whether they will declare for the NFL Draft or return for the 2020 season. Sermon is recovering from ACL surgery, which might influence his decision to stay and strengthen is resume and draft position. Sermon has one year of eligibility remaining. Brooks, a redshirt sophomore, has two.

Two other Sooners who could decide to declare early for the draft are center Creed Humphrey, a redshirt sophomore and 2019 Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Big 12, and All-Big 12 First Team junior linebacker Kenneth Murray.

The deadline date for underclassmen to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft ironically is January 20.

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