After all that talk about Oklahoma freshman wide receiver Elijah Thomas this offseason, we've yet to see him actually in action.
Thomas impressed throughout the Sooners' fall camp, but he still hasn't taken a snap at receiver yet in two games as OU has resorted to basically no rotation at receiver. Through two games, according to Parker Thune of Rivals, only four OU receivers have taken 10 or more snaps at the position this season.
An interesting detail through two games for the #Sooners: there’s been virtually no rotation at WR.
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) September 8, 2025
Jer’Michael Carter has played 13 snaps, Ivan Carreon has played eight, Jacob Jordan has played three and Zion Kearney one. Other than that… it’s been all Lewis, Burks, Sategna.
Elijah Thomas needs more playing time Week 3
Thomas was a consensus four-star recruit from Checotah High School with a lot of hype as part of OU's 2025 signing class. Sooner Nation quickly took notice of Thomas when a video of a catch of his leaked out of practice, and then even more eyebrows were raised when wide receivers coach Emmett Jones compared Thomas to New York Giants star Malik Nabers.
OU's receivers have been noticeably better compared to last year, but quarterback John Mateer has completed passes to only four different wide receivers in two games while also utilizing tight ends and running backs in the passing game. Keontez Lewis, Deion Burks and Isaiah Sategna III are the only wideouts with multiple catches this season and who have caught at least one pass in both games.
With a new quarterback and new system under Ben Arbuckle, it was important for Mateer to build that chemistry with his top targets in Week 1. Mateer also had to rely on his most trusted targets when going up against a stout Michigan defense last week.
Week 3 against Temple, though, presents one of the Sooners' last chances to see what they have beyond their top trio. Every SEC opponent on OU's schedule is ranked in the most recent AP Top 25, which means days of blowouts and experimenting could soon be over. Saturday against Temple and Week 6 against Kent State could be the Sooners' final opportunities to get reps for younger players, including Thomas, who has four games to give without burning his redshirt.
Thomas could be a star for the Sooners sooner rather than later, but no one will ever know unless he gets the chance in a game, and Saturday against Temple is the perfect time.
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