A surprise transfer keeps turning heads during Oklahoma's spring camp

A quiet Transfer Portal addition is now making a lot of noise during the Oklahoma Sooners' spring camp.

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Mackenzie Alleyne continues to be mentioned by OU coaches and media who have attended a few of the Sooners' spring practices as a potential breakout star this season after the first impression he's made since transferring from Washington State.

Washington State transfer WR Mackenzie Alleyne creating buzz around OU

The addition of Alleyne nearly went unnoticed over the offseason since he wasn't a big name in the Transfer Portal. He was overshadowed by Trell Harris from Virginia and Parker Livingstone of Texas, who were both top receiver targets during the transfer cycle with obvious potential as immediate starters.

Alleyne hasn't actually made a name for himself yet, but he did enough at Washington State for OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle to take note and eventually get Alleyne back in his offense. Arbuckle left Washington State last year for Norman and brought quarterback John Mateer with him.

After two years at Washington State, Alleyne entered the portal and made the same move as Arbuckle and Mateer to Oklahoma. Alleyne initially walked on at Washington State as an undersized receiver at 5-foot-11 and redshirted in 2024, when Mateer would have been the Cougars' starting quarterback and led college football with 44 total touchdowns.

After redshirting, Alleyne caught four passes for 72 yards and a touchdown last season as a redshirt freshman. Nearly all of that production came in Alleyne's final outing with the Cougars in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl against Utah State. He broke out with three receptions and 63 yards that was highlighted by a 41-yard touchdown catch.

With the buzz around the Sooners' spring camp, Alleyne's time at Washington State was only a glimmer of what his OU career could hold.

"Mackenzie Alleyne is a really good football player," OU head coach Brent Venables said in the midst of spring camp. "He knows how to play the game. He's tough, he's competitive."