It looks like wide receiver Trell Harris will end up missing most of his first season with the Oklahoma Sooners, if not the rest of it.
Harris briefly went down at one point after taking a hard blow during the No. 24 Sooners' 17-10 loss to Michigan on Saturday, but nothing appeared to be serious at the time since he toughed it out and returned. A few days later, rumors emerged that Harris had actually suffered a serious injury from the hit, and Sooners On SI finally confirmed those rumors on Tuesday.
According to Sooner on SI's John Hoover, Harris has a laceration to one of his major internal organs. It was so serious that he spent time in an Ann Arbor hospital over the weekend before returning to Norman.
"The source indicated that Harris’ parents told the team about the extent of his injury to avoid rumors and inaccurate information from being disseminated prematurely," Hoover wrote.
OU head coach Brent Venables said during Tuesday's press conference that Harris will be out "for the foreseeable future." At the end of the day, though, Harris' health is the No. 1 priority over getting him back on the football field.
It hasn't been confirmed if this was the exact play, but here's a video from when Harris took a big hit right to his side. Harris deserves all the respect for holding onto the ball and even returning to the game after what we now know.
Chris Bracy lays down a BIG hit, but somehow Trell Harris holds onto it for a first down pic.twitter.com/6Cvj1zu7o7
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 12, 2026
Trell Harris is major blow to Sooners at receiver and will force Elijah Thomas to step up
Harris was maybe the Sooners' best transfer portal addition over the offseason for a position they needed the most help. He came from Virginia, where he was Third-Team All-ACC in 2025 after leading the Cavaliers with 59 receptions for 847 yards and five touchdowns.
Listed at 6-foot, Harris was another speedster to pair with returning top receiver Isaiah Sategna III. OU also brought in Parker Livingstone from Texas and Washington State's Mackenzie Alleyne, who caught a touchdown against Michigan.
Harris immediately showed he was a stellar addition with four catches for 76 yards and a 48-yard TD in his OU debut in Week 1 against UTEP. He caught four passes for 43 yards in Week 2 against Michigan, even while battling a serious injury.
Trell Harris' stiff-arm was so disrespectful. I love it. pic.twitter.com/6Dyv1slUTs
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) September 5, 2026
This is no doubt a blow to the Sooners, who right now need all the help they can get on offense. The passing attack was underwhelming against Michigan, with John Mateer throwing for only 189 yards while completing 51.5% of his passes. With weapons like Harris and Sategna, though, there was at least hope the passing game could start making big plays if Mateer could get the ball out there.
Venables noted sophomore Elijah Thomas as a wide receiver who will need to step up while Harris is sidelined. Fans have been waiting for Thomas to explode ever since the in-state freak athlete signed as a four-star recruit Checotah High School in the 2025 class.
Thomas got his most opportunities so far in Week 1 against UTEP. He caught just one 24-yard pass, which doubled his career catch total after a silent freshman campaign in 2025. He didn't record any stats against Michigan.
It feels like the Sooners have once again been dealing with injury after injury in 2026, just like 2025 and just like 2024, but this seems to be the most lasting one yet for this young season.
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