Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Brenen Thompson is poised for a breakout 2024 season with Jackson Arnold

As part of their 2023 class, the Oklahoma Sooners added transfer wide receiver Brenen Thompson. Thompson committed to play for the Texas Longhorns in 2022, but entered the transfer portal the following April. Less than 10 days later, the speedster committed to the Sooners. 

Thompson didn't see the field often for Oklahoma in 2023, appearing in just six games. However, when he did see the field, he made his impact felt. Thompson caught seven passes for 241 yards(!) and two touchdowns, averaging 34.4 yards per catch. His average depth of target was a whopping 27 yards, the fourth-highest mark in the country among all wide receivers with at least 10 targets. 

Thompson's tally might have been even higher had he not had two drops in the process.

Now with another year in Norman, Brenen Thompson is ready to take that next step as a wide receiver and be more than just a speedster. 

Speaking earlier this week, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables praised Thompson's growth throughout the offseason. 

"He was an inexperienced guy, a track guy...Certainly was a vertical threat, but what I love the most about Brenen Thompson, he’s become one of our best leaders. Incredibly vocal. Really bright young guy that really cares about his teammates. He can run the entire route tree. He’s focused on not being labeled as just a nine-route or go-ball guy."

Thompson's size works against him, as he's listed at 5'9, 168 pounds. I don't think anyone is expecting him to catch fade routes in the red zone. Yet, there might not have been a better player to sit behind last season than Drake Stoops. Stoops measured in at a similar size and weight at his pro day, coming in at 5'9 5/8, and 186 pounds. 

Despite his size, Stoops routinely pulled off circus catches that belied his size, corraling difficult passes in contested situations, and picking up tough yards after the catch. 

Stoops isn't anywhere near the athlete Thompson is either. He ran a 4.71 40-yard dash at his pro day, with an 8'11 broad jump, 30" vertical, a 4.32 short shuttle, and a 7.04 3-cone.  

Thompson, on the other hand, is a former Texas state track champion, boasting a 10.32 100-meter time and a 21.27 200-meter. That deep speed pops off the film.