Oklahoma football: Sooners step up portal search for help at wide receiver

With leading receiver Marvin Mims officially declaring for the NFL Draft, the Oklahoma football coaches have become acutely more interested in adding a quality wide receiver from the transfer portal.

With nine days remaining in the 2023 transfer window, which closes on Jan. 18, we can expect a flurry of announcements around the country as uncommitted transfers for next season finalize their landing spots for the coming season.

Oklahoma has picked up eight transfers commitments since the portal opened on Dec. 5, and the Sooners are expected to remain active this week and next.

OU’s latest transfer commitment came on Sunday when former Wake Forest defensive end Rondell Bothroyd announced via Twitter that he was coming to Oklahoma for the 2023 season. The 6-foot, 4-inch 245-pound defensive lineman will have on year of eligibility remaining. He had 30 tackles, six sacks and forced two fumbles this season. He had three tackles and a sack in Wake Forest’s bowl win over Missouri.

Auburn was projected by many to be the likely landing spot for Bothroyd’s services, but Brent Venables and OU emerged over the weekend, following a visit to Norman last week by the former Wake Forest D-lineman, to steal Bothroyd away from the SEC school.

While the transfer window remains open, the Sooners will be specifically targeting wide receiver talent. The two biggest prospects appear to be 6-foot, 7-inch Tyrone Broden, who played the past three seasons at Bowling Green. Another possibility is former Michigan wide receiver Andrel Anthony, who was another who made an official visit to OU this past weekend. Michigan State and Notre Dame are also interested in Anthony.

Another portal receiver Oklahoma is high on is Xavier Weaver, a productive wide receiver formerly at South Florida. Weaver had 94 receptions, 1,433 receiving yards and 18 touchdowns the past two seasons.

In addition to Bothroyd, the Sooners have added four other defensive players through the portal == DL Jacob Lacey (Notre Dame), DL Trace Ford (Oklahoma State). LB Dasan McCullough (Indiana) and S Reggie Pearson Jr. (Texas Tech) — a couple of offensive players — TE Austin Stogner (South Carolina) and OG Caleb Shaffer (Miami of Ohio) — and punter Luke Elzinga (Central Michigan).