Why Oklahoma Believes Its 'Tremendously Important' to get WR Javonnie Gibson the Ball

Oklahoma hopes to feature a new weapon in the back half of the regular season. 

Receiver Javonnie Gibson drew rave reviews from OU’s coaches and players alike during spring football, but a leg injury cost him the entire summer and the first four games of 2025. 

The 6-foot-2 pass catcher played against both Kent State and Texas, and the Sooners are looking forward to getting him fully involved in the offense. 

“I think it's tremendously important. When he was at his best this spring, man, he was tough to handle,” OU coach Brent Venables said on Tuesday. “And again, his size, his catch radius, his instincts for the game, route running ability, his physicality in blocking and covering people up. He wasn't ever covered.”

Gibson played 23 snaps on offense against Kent State, per Pro Football Focus, and he was on the field for 33 snaps in the Sooners’ 23-6 defeat to Texas. 

He’s made two catches for 22 yards in those two contests, and quarterback John Mateer can’t wait to feed him more targets in OU’s final six regular-season games. 

“He’s a huge presence,” Mateer said on Monday. “He’s a great dude, just like (Keontez Lewis), but he’s a presence—a physical presence. Huge. We’ll give him a lot of opportunities, and getting the ball in his hand is something we need to do.”

Last year, Gibson enjoyed a breakout season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. 

He caught 70 passes for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns, including a season-long reception of 60 yards. 

Gibson felt like he got acclimated to the size and speed of SEC defenders quickly when he arrived in Norman, and he physically feels back to the levels he was at before his injury in spring practice. 

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“Yeah, pretty much. I feel like I just got to keep working, too, at the same time,” Gibson said. “I feel like I’m back where I was, just contributing to the team. That’s the main thing.”

Oklahoma needs Gibson to enjoy a big second half of the season, too.

The Sooners are struggling to run the ball. Following the performance against the Longhorns, OU ranks 105th in rushing yards per game. 

Four SEC teams — OU, Alabama, South Carolina and LSU — rank in the bottom 40 nationally in rushing yards per game, but the Sooners may need to pivot and put the ball in Mateer’s hands more frequently.