How Oklahoma WR Deion Burks Has 'Learned From' Injury Riddled 2024

Sooner fans had high hopes for Burks in 2024 after he led the Boilermakers with 47 catches for 629 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023. 

He flashed his potential early last year, logging six catches for 36 yards and three touchdowns in OU’s season-opening win against Temple. Burks surpassed 50 yards in each of the Sooners’ next two games before suffering his injury against Tennessee. The wide receiver returned for the Missouri game on Nov. 9, but that was his final appearance of the season after he absorbed a bit hit to the upper body late against the Tigers.

Burks was one of several wide receivers who missed multiple games in 2024, along with Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Andrel Anthony and Jaquaize Pettaway.

As painful as last year was for Burks, he believes he’s learned from spending the majority of the season on the sideline.

“A lot of challenges I looked at as, I’ve got to take care of my body better,” Burks said. “I can’t just… go out there and think I can just run like a machine. Maybe take my process more seriously and take care of my body.”

Burks also learned plenty about leadership as he battled through injury, and that will be crucial in 2025.

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During the offseason, OU added five wide receivers — Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois), Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas), Jer’Michael Carter (McNeese State) and Josiah Martin (Cal) — from the transfer portal. The additions will help mitigate the transfer departures of Anderson, Farooq, Anthony, Pettaway and J.J. Hester.

Even though his first season in Norman was injury-plagued, Burks has experience as a transfer wideout at OU. He’s done his part in helping those five newcomers settle into the program and its culture.

“Just coming in and not just checking off the box, giving the program more,” Burks said. “That’s a mistake I kind of messed up when I first came last year, just trying to check boxes. Coming in, just giving more, listening to (strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt), just dialing in, everything will be fine.”

In the midst of the injury adversity, Burks has kept his head up and continued to improve, per his teammates and coaches.

“He’s a great guy, great player, and I just love watching him play and watching his technique,” Sategna said. “It’s really helped me grow, because that was an area I really needed to grow in. Having somebody that you can just visually see, ‘Oh, he’s doing the right thing; that’s what I need to do,’ it’s great having him.”

Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said, “He’s one of the kids that picked up on the new system like that. It was a testament to, one, the retention that he’s able to have, but, two, that retention came with lots of film study, lots of work and learning from his mistakes. Deion Burks, he’s a fun player to get to coach. It's going to be fun to figure out how to get the ball in his hands in an assortment of different ways.”

Now healthy, Burks is part of an offense that looks different across the board.

OU added Arbuckle and quarterback John Mateer from Washington State. The Sooners also grabbed the aforementioned wideouts from the portal, three tight ends, three offensive linemen and running back Jaydn Ott from Cal.

Thanks to his dedication and continued learning while he was on the sideline, Burks will be a contributor in an offense that he expects to be one of the nation’s best.

“It’s going to be great, man,” Burks said. “That’s all I can really say.”