How Oklahoma’s Young WRs Benefitted from Playing as True Freshmen

“It was like we were in training during the season,” wide receiver coach Emmett Jones said. “Everything was like training.”

Thrown Into the Fire

All four of them had roles for the Sooners, and each of their responsibilities varied.

Jordan was the best of that group during the regular season, logging 207 yards in OU’s first 12 games. Kearney and Carreon each had big performances in the Sooners’ Armed Forces Bowl loss to Navy, registering 66 and 72 yards, respectively. Kearney also caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr . in the first quarter.

And Ragins played in all 13 games in 2024 and started five, ending the season with 68 receiving yards.

“Those guys could only control what they could control,” Jones said. “They didn’t call the play, they didn’t throw the ball, they didn’t control the system.”

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Just as 2024 was tumultuous for those four wideouts, it was similarly rocky for the entire offense.

Between injuries in both the wide receiver room and the offensive li ne, OU had one of the SEC’s worst offenses, averaging just 24 points per game.

After competing in a unit with little continuity last season, Carreon feels confident that he’ll be even better now that the Sooners seem to be more stable.

“It really helped a lot going into this year, knowing what we're going to see every week in the SEC,” Carreon said. “Doing it when I was young, when I was a freshman… just getting thrown in the fire really helped.” 

Their 2025 Roles

All four of them are back, but there isn’t much retention in the wide receiver room besides them. 

Deion Burks missed eight games in 2024 due to a soft tissue injury, but he’ll likely be a Week 1 starter for the Sooners. Other returners at the position include KJ Daniels and Jayden Gibson .

OU added five wideouts — Javonnie Gibson (Arkansas-Pine Bluff), Jer’Michael Carter (McNeese State), Keontez Lewis (Southern Illinois), Isaiah Sategna (Arkansas) and Josiah Martin (Cal) — from the transfer portal. The Sooners also signed Elijah Thomas and Manny Choice as part of their 2025 recruiting class.

With so many players healthy and competing for playing time, it’s possible that a few — if not all — of the sophomore wide receivers see fewer snaps in 2025.

But Jones believes all four of them can be playmakers for OU when they’re called upon.

“You come out of high school, you’re forced to play as a true freshman in the SEC… they’re just playing confident right now,” Jones said. “They know how to play with strength, they know how to create separation and just understand what’s going on in the back end.”