At a position that needed a true freshman walk-on for a spark this season, Oklahoma keeps losing even more talent.
Oklahoma star wide receiver Nic Anderson is expected to enter the portal, sources tell @CBSSports/@247Sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 5, 2024
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Anderson missed most of this season due to an injury but set an Oklahoma freshman record with 10 touchdown catches in 2023.… pic.twitter.com/RKV9bKSZZO
After a stellar freshman campaign, Anderson barely got on the field this season because of injury, which Brent Venables said during the season was a "significant tear" to Anderson's quad. He played only a few snaps against Tennessee. Anderson missed the first three games then reaggravated the injury against Tennessee, forcing him to miss the rest of the season.
Because he appeared in only one game, Anderson can likely take a medical redshirt and go to his next destination as a redshirt sophomore
As a redshirt freshman in 2023, Anderson was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic after catching 31 passes for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns, including the game-winner against Texas in the Red River Rivalry. Anderson's reception total was the most ever by an OU freshman.
Anderson is the second Sooner receiver that's been reported to transfer, joining Jaquaize Pettaway. Starting quarterback Jackson Arnold is also expected to transfer.
It's not just current receiver talent the Sooners have lost, though. Cortez Mills, Marcus Harris and Gracen Harris were all 2025 commits who backed out of their pledge within the week before Early National Signing Day on Wednesday.
Brent Venables mentioned, without detail, during his signing day press conference, though, that the decommitments at receiver were because of roster management. Because of injuries, the Sooners will return more players than anticipated and also must prepare for possible roster limits being imposed soon. So, technically, OU losing those incoming receivers might not been by the recruits' choices.
Regardless, OU was incredibly thin at receiver this season because of injuries, including Anderson's. The Sooners were without their five best receivers most of the year. They got so desperate at the position that one point they moved a cornerback over to play some receiver.
A walk-on freshman was also OU's best pass catcher for a few weeks and the Sooners had to play three of four receivers that they signed in the 2024 class enough that they burned their redshirts.
OU will bring in two receivers from the incoming 2025 class -- Elijah Thomas and Emmanuel Choice. Thomas is a freak athlete and Choice brings much-needed size at 6-foot-4, but both won't immediately be what the Sooners need out there.
The Sooners will have to look to the portal for more receiver help this winter, and might even have to match every receiver they lose to the portal with another from it.