New Oklahoma Sooners offensive coordinator highlights standout receivers who are in line for major roles this season

It's safe to say that nobody wants to see a repeat of last year when it comes to the Oklahoma Sooners' wide receiver room. However, it seems like optimism is abound all across the board for that room this season, and Oklahoma feels deeper there than they were just a year before. 

At the OU Football Coaches Luncheon this week, new Oklahoma offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle went out of his way to praise three specific wide receivers that Oklahoma will turn to this season in the passing game.

The obvious standout is Deion Burks, who was far and away Oklahoma's best playmaker last season before injuries knocked him out for the remainder of the season. Burks has embraced the Sooners and has emerged as a strong leader of the team. 

"Deion is explosive. He's a big play waiting to happen. He's a really smart kid, too. He's one of those kids who picked up on the new system like that. I think it's a testament to, one, the retention he's able to have, but two, I think that retention came from lots of film study, lots of work and being able to learn from his mistakes. Deion Burks, he's a fun player to get to coach. He's going to be fun to figure out how to get the ball in his hands in an assortment of ways."

The next receiver Arbuckle highlighted is rising sophomore Zion Kearney. I've written about Kearney several times, particularly after the Texas game. He was a rare spark for Oklahoma's offense last season, and his 56-yard touchdown against Navy last season was one of just five passing plays over 50 yards the Sooners had last season.  

"Over the last seven months, I've seen big strides in his game, more so in his confidence than anything. I try to remind him every day, like, 'Hey man, you're a big dude out here. He can move, he can catch, and he can run. I try and reinforce that into him every single day, like, 'Hey man, you're a big joker out here who has big-time player written all over him.' He buys into that, and he puts the work in to go out there and make those plays during practice."

Arbuckle didn't stop there, however. He turned to one final receiver as a player who has stepped up in a major way for Oklahoma since arriving in the transfer portal in Arkansas transfer Isaiah Sategna. 

"He's not the biggest guy in the world. He's one of those guys that when you need something done right, you look to Isaiah. He's mentally tough. He's really smart. He's played a lot of football. But he's just a guy I think every single person in the building trusts. He constantly shows up in practice. You'll be sitting there watching film and you'll be like, 'Well, Isaiah had four big plays today. Holy crap.' And he did it quietly. And so, Isaiah Sategna's been awesome, but a lot of those transfer receivers, they bought in immediately. They didn't want to be someone left behind because of a learning curve or something like that. So, they jumped in, hopped in, had a great spring ball, had a great summer camp, so I'm looking forward to getting them into the season."

The Sooners have other players who have earned plenty of praise throughout the offseason, including transfers Keontez Lewis and Javonnie Gibson, as well as freshman wide receiver Elijah Thomas. 

In an offense that is built to feature its playmakers, the talent in this room could shine through much better than it has in recent seasons.