Oklahoma will have to take on Navy without another offensive weapon.
The Sooners and Midshipmen will play in the Armed Forces Bowl at 11 a.m. CT Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. With kickoff nearing, multiple members of the media reported before the game that wide receiver Deion Burks is not suited up during pregame warmups.
Deion Burks is not suited out for today's game for the #Sooners.
— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) December 27, 2024
Burks hasn't played an entire game since Week 3 against Tulane on Sept. 14. He was injured the next week against Tennessee, forcing him to be out the next five outings. He then returned against Missouri, but near the end of the game he took a hard hit and has been sidelined with a concussion ever since, missing OU's final three games of the regular season.
The status of Burks for the bowl game was uncertain after he was included on the depth chart with an "OR" along with freshman walk-on Jacob Jordan at slot. Now, Jordan will presumably start there, as every receiver who will likely get playing time for OU on Friday is a freshman.
Other freshmen receivers include starters Ivan Carreon and Zion Ragins.
Of the receivers available, Jordan has the most receptions and receiving yards with 22 and 207, respectively. Combined, assumed starters Jordan, Carreon and Ragins have 272 receiving yards in their careers compared to Burks' 245 receiving yards just this season in five games.
The only non-freshman receiver listed on OU's depth chart is walk-on redshirt senior Major Melson, who has never caught a pass in his college career as a Sooner.
The Sooners are thin at receiver because of multiple injuries and a mass exodus to the transfer portal. Six OU receivers entered the portal. Burks and Jayden Gibson are the scholarship upperclassmen who stayed in Norman but are both injured.
Freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. will also be making his fourth career start at quarterback.