Oklahoma Sooners have difficult position battle to manage with return of star offensive playmaker on the horizon

Oklahoma's Wide Receiver Room Forcing Difficult Decisions

The problem facing the Oklahoma Sooners isn't necessarily a "problem" in the traditional sense. It's a good problem to have, especially when compared to where Oklahoma was last year in this room. Last season, the Sooners didn't even have enough players to fill out a rotation at wide receiver. This year? They might have too many.

Throughout Oklahoma's four games, three wide receivers have dominated playing time: Deion Burks, Isaiah Sategna, and Keontez Lewis . Each of those three have played over 200 snaps. The next most wide receiver has 37 (Ivan Carreon). This figures to change once Gibson comes back.

Burks's spot as the WR1 is cemented, that one is a given. However, between Sategna and Lewis, that battle doesn't seem as certain. It feels like it will come down to what the Sooners want most out of their offense, as Sategna and Lewis have vastly different skill sets.

Sategna aligns mainly in the slot, and the Sooners have lived in 11 personnel (three wide receiver sets) to get him there. He is arguably the most explosive player on Oklahoma's roster, and they design plays to get him out in space for a reason. Defenses are forced to respect his speed, and that frees up coverage from other players. On the other hand, Sategna has been incredibly volatile through four games, with numerous drops, poor route detail, and fumbles.

Lewis is a different skill set. He's a bigger body and adds some nice size (6'2, 197 pounds) to Oklahoma's perimeter and he is a much more well-rounded player. Lewis is a crisp route-runner and has made clutch catch after clutch catch in key moments for the Sooners throughout their start to 2025. Additionally, he brings a better presence as a run blocker than Sategna, something that's important when the Sooners live in 11 personnel sets. However, he isn't the same caliber of athlete as Sategna, and defenses likely won't give him the same respect they do Sategna. Is his skill set redundant with Gibson?

There aren't any easy answers for Oklahoma here, but luckily, this isn't a crucial must-have problem to solve. Time could reveal which combination works for the Sooners the most, but with a daunting schedule ahead of them, they are running out of games to work this out.