There is a long line of outstanding tight ends in Oklahoma football history.
Names like Keith Jackson, Jermaine Gresham, Steve Zabel and, most recently, Mark Andrews immediately come to mind.
Sophomore Austin Stogner may well be the next one to join that esteemed group.
The 6-foot, 6-inch, 260-pound Stogner has become a primary receiving target for quarterback Spencer Rattler and leads all Oklahoma receivers this season with 17 catches for 230 yards and a touchdown.
The touchdown came at a critical juncture in the Red River game with Texas. With the Longhorns leading 38-31 in the first overtime session and faced with third-and-eight at the Texas 11-yard line, Rattler found Stogner in the end zone for an OU touchdown and Gabe Brkic added the extra point to send the game to a second OT.
That was the second catch by Stogner in Oklahoma’s first overtime possession. Stogner also caught a 22-yard pass in the second overtime to set the Sooners up at the Texas three-yard line.
Stogner was recruited as a tight end out of Prestonwood Christian High School in Plano, Texas, a northern Dallas suburb. He totaled over 1,400 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns in his high school career and was rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 tight end in the 2019 class and No. 3 by ESPN. Oklahoma wasn’t the only school that was hot on Stogner’s recruiting trail. He also had offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Oregon, among others.
Lincoln Riley was asked during the weekly Big 12 teleconference on Monday how he would compare Stogner to former Oklahoma tight end Mark Andrews’ development as a sophomore. Andrews, a third-round NFL draft pick who currently plays for the Baltimore Ravens, was faster, Riley said, but Stogner is bigger.
At Oklahoma, Stogner is listed on the depth chart as an H-back, a position that is set back from the line of scrimmage but carries out the duties similar to a tight end or a fullback.
Stogner did see action as a true freshman a year ago, but was used only sparingly. He’s already doubled his seven catches from last season and is averaging 13.5 yards per catch, compared with 9.4 in 2019.
Based on his usage and contribution through the first four games this season, we are certain to see and hear a lot more from Austin Stogner for the remainder of the 2020 season and in coming years.