2019 Position Preview: Receivers

The Oklahoma receiving corps is rich with talent, featuring a core group of experienced and productive veterans mixed with a highly touted group of newcomers.

Despite the loss of first-round draft pick Marquise Brown (75 catches for 1,318 yards and 10 TDs), OU boasts an embarrassment of riches at receiver. CeeDee Lamb headlines an uber-talented group that also includes proven veterans Lee Morris and Grant Calcaterra (19 career TDs between the two) and a trio of freshmen (Trejan Bridges, Jadon Haselwood and Theo Wease) who were each rated as a five-star prospect by at least one major recruiting service.

"Obviously you have a few guys with game experience, but you have the young guys coming in here, challenging them, trying to compete and work their way onto the field," associate head coach and outside receivers coach Dennis Simmons said. "We still have room for guys to jockey and position themselves to where they want to be on the depth chart. Each one of the younger receivers has done a decent a job of transitioning to the college level, but now it's about consistency and being able to do it day-in and day-out."

Co-offensive coordinator and inside receivers coach Cale Gundy explained the benefits of having two receivers coaches.

"Coach Simmons coaches the outside receivers and I coach the inside guys, but he also knows the inside and I know the outside," said Gundy, who is in his 21st year at OU as an assistant coach. "We know what each other's guys need to do. Having two receivers coaches, we've got two sets of eyes on everything all the time. We can have a coach on the right side of the field while we have a coach on the left side of the field. And add Coach (Lincoln) Riley, who is every bit involved with the receivers as any of us, and there's three sets of eyes. It's worked out really well. For me to be able to keep my eyes locked in on the inside of the field, it helps tremendously knowing there's someone out there coaching the outside guys."

Lettermen Returning

Nick Basquine (R-Sr.) – Granted sixth year of eligibility from NCAA this past spring ... played in all 14 games last season in a reserve role and made seven catches for 134 yards (19.1 average) ... caught 20 passes for 265 yards and two TDs in 2016 before missing 2017 campaign due to injury.
A.D. Miller (R-Sr.) – Has played in 27 career games (10 starts) and caught 21 passes for 236 yards and four scores ... started four of his nine contests last year when he made seven grabs for 75 yards and two TDs.
Lee Morris (R-Sr.) – Ten of his 23 career catches (43 percent) have resulted in a touchdown ... has played in 40 career games ... caught 21 passes in 2018 and ranked third on team with 457 receiving yards (21.8 per catch) and eight TDs ... former walk-on.
Mykel Jones (R-Jr.) – Redshirted in 2018 (played in three games and made two catches for 37 yards) ... has 31 career catches for 453 yards and a touchdown.
Grant Calcaterra (Jr.) – A 2019 preseason All-Big 12 pick at tight end ... member of 2019 Biletnikoff and Mackey Award watch lists ... a 2018 first-team All-Big 12 selection who ranked third on team with 26 catches for 396 yards and six touchdowns ... started 11 of 14 games ... has 36 career catches for 558 yards (15.5 average) and nine TDs.
CeeDee Lamb (Jr.) – A 2019 preseason All-Big 12 selection and member of Biletnikoff Award Watch List ... a second-team All-Big 12 pick by AP last season when he caught 65 passes for 1,158 yards and a team-high 11 touchdowns ... registered five 100-yard receiving games ... caught at least one TD pass in seven straight outings ... has started 26 of 28 career games ... was an ESPN Freshman All-American in 2017.
Charleston Rambo (R-So.) – Played in 12 games in 2018 and caught eight passes for 125 yards ... broke out in College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl with three grabs for career-high 74 yards (including a 49-yard touchdown).

Lamb Says

"We can be very great together. Guys are never satisfied and never settle for less. I couldn't be more proud of these guys and how far we've come since the spring. The younger players all know the plays at this point and they're asking for help when they don't know something. Their willingness to be great, you can't coach that. They've come a long way and I'm grateful to be in this position I'm in now. I'm just focused on being consistent for my team and being a reliable source. If my team needs me, I'm going to be there no matter what the condition is. I just want to be a role model for the young guys and setting an example."

Non-Lettermen Returning

Spencer Jones (R-Jr.) – OU's 2018 defensive scout team player of the year.
Jaquayln Crawford (R-Fr.) – Lone 2018 action came vs. Kansas ... a consensus four-star recruit out of high school (ranked No. 146 overall by ESPN).
Drake Stoops (R-Fr.) – Played in season's first two games and caught two passes for 16 yards.
Devin Staton (R-Fr.) – Redshirted in 2018 ... came to OU from Cinco Ranch High School in Katy, Texas.

Newcomers

Theo Wease

Jackson Webb (Jr.) – A 100- and 200-meter sprinter on OU track team ... member of 4x100-meter squad that earned 2019 second-team All-America honors.
Trejan Bridges (Fr.) – Early enrollee ... five-star prospect by Rivals and four-star recruit by 247Sports and ESPN ... an All-American Bowl selection ... rated the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 4 wide receiver in the country by Rivals ... recorded 140 receptions, more than 1,900 yards receiving and 30 TDs during his high school career.
Finn Corwin (Fr.) – True freshman from Highland Park High School in Dallas.
Jadon Haselwood (Fr.) – Early enrollee ... consensus five-star recruit and an All-American Bowl selection ... No. 4 overall recruit in the 2019 class by Rivals, No. 6 by ESPN and No. 19 by 247Sports ... regarded as nation's No. 1 receiver by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals ... compiled 1,032 yards and 11 TDs on 53 catches his senior season.
Damon Smith (Fr.) – True freshman from Keller High School in Keller, Texas.
Austin Stogner (Fr.) – Early enrollee ... consensus four-star recruit ... ranked as nation's No. 70 prospect by ESPN, No. 93 by 247Sports and No. 136 by Rivals ... touted as No. 2 tight end in the class of 2019 by 247Sports and No. 3 by ESPN ... rated the No. 11 prospect in Texas by ESPN ... All-American Bowl selection.
Theo Wease (Fr.) – Early enrollee ... five-star prospect by 247Sports and Rivals ... four-star recruit by ESPN ... All-American Bowl selection ... 11th-ranked overall prospect by Rivals, 33rd by ESPN and 37th by 247Sports ... rated nation's No. 3 wideout by ESPN and Rivals and No. 4 by 247Sports ... the No. 2 recruit in Texas by Rivals.

Notes

Returning players accounted for 28 of the 39 touchdowns (72 percent) and 128 of 228 receptions (61 percent) recorded last year by a wide receiver or tight end.
Last year, CeeDee Lamb (1,158 receiving yards) and Marquise Brown (1,318 yards) became the first OU duo to ever record at least 1,000 receiving yards in the same season.
Lamb ranks 10th in program history in career receiving yards (1,965) and career touchdown receptions (18). He set the school freshman record for receiving yards (806) in 2017.
The freshman trio of Bridges, Haselwood and Wease provided the foundation of Oklahoma's consensus top-six ranked 2019 recruiting class. Those three receivers, all five-star prospects, enrolled at OU in January and participated in spring practice.

Lettermen Returning

Lamb Says

Non-Lettermen Returning

Newcomers

Notes

Players Mentioned

Nick Basquine

Trejan Bridges

Marquise Brown

Grant Calcaterra

Finn Corwin

Jaquayln Crawford

Jadon Haselwood

Mykel Jones

Spencer Jones

CeeDee Lamb

A.D. Miller

Lee Morris

Charleston Rambo

Damon Smith

Devin Staton

Austin Stogner

Drake Stoops

Theo Wease Jr.

Jackson Webb

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics