Oklahoma Sooners wide receivers could be key to 2024 college football success as fall camp kicks off

The Oklahoma Sooners have had an interesting offseason -- one that has seen their wide receiver room get a lot of attention. They have speed, they have route running, strength, and anything else you need to be a great wide receiver corps. That's important when you have a quarterback with as little experience as Jackson Arnold does.

Arnold did not play much last season and is going into his second season in college, let alone his first season as a true starter. He plays in the toughest conference in college football, against the best defenses in the country.

So, he will need some guys to throw the ball to that can not only get open but be a playmaker after the catch, too. Luckily, head coach Brent Venables has done a great job of putting experienced talent around Arnold for the 2024 season and beyond, really.

With fall camp starting on Wednesday, July 31 for the Sooners, the team will start seeing exactly what they have for the upcoming season. They saw it in spring camp and got a glance during the scrimmage game as well, but the work they are putting in now is what's going to lead into the regular season, where the Sooners are hoping to compete for a playoff spot.

The Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room has a lot of potential to live up to this season.

Oklahoma Sooners Wide Receiver Fall Camp Preview

Projected Starting Wide Receivers

• Deion Burks
• Jalil Farooq
• Nic Anderson

Burks was the biggest standout for the spring game scrimmage . He showed up and showed out while working with Arnold in the deep passing game, screens, and any other way that's possible to use the type of insane speed a guy like him has. The Sooners will use him a lot in this new, non-Jeff Lebby system.

Farooq is probably the guy on this unit and in this room, we know the most in terms of how consistent a player can be. We know what Farooq is -- an elite route runner with a touch of speed. he has a great release off of the line and can make spectacular catches down the field. But, you will oftentimes see him miss the easiest of platys. That's just what Farooq is at this point in his career. Luckily, the pros outweigh the cons heavily.

Anderson is the big, strong, 6'4" receiver going into his sophomore season, that seems to be heading uphill quickly in terms of his progression. His size and speed make him a receiver that Arnold and the Sooners should be able to rely on in the red zone and especially in the end zone. That part of the offense has to be good, or the Sooners will not hang in the SEC. I think that's where Anderson comes in. He can be a breakout player in 2024.

The best part about the Sooners' wide receiver room is their depth, which seems to be never-ending. In reality, they have two other guys outside their three starters who could be top receivers at schools in, let's say the ACC or elsewhere.

Andrel Anthony may be the fastest player in the wide receiver room, and we will see that in 2024. Jayden Gibson is a deep threat that the Sooners will also have lined up for end zone plays to use his 6'5" frame.

They have options, it's just about how they use them. This wide receiver room can be very, very good.

Related: Oklahoma Sooners feature explosive offense at spring game led by Jackson Arnold and Deion Burks