Granted, it was just a scrimmage and not everyone was available. That said, Oklahoma’s receiving corps lacked something on Saturday. Fourteen different players caught a pass in the annual Red/White game, four players caught a touchdown pass, but there just wasn’t a guy out there on the field who could wow you with his breakaway speed. That’s what OU has been lacking. The Sooners haven’t had a guy who regularly turn a 4-yard screen pass into a 35-yard gain, and strike fear in the heart of a defense with his world class speed, for a while now. However, that won’t be the case anymore.
Former Texas receiver Brenen Thompson isn’t just a receiver with track speed, he’s a receiver with world class track speed. The 5-10/168 former 4-start prospect from Spearman, TX. won the Texas 3A 200-meter title (21.27) as a junior in May 2021, while also earning silver in the 100 (10.40). In addition he ran a 10.38 PR in the 100 earlier in junior season. In other words, he’s fast!!!!
Thompson has the type of speed that Jeff Lebby can have a field day with. Lebby has guys who can hit the seam and make the possession catches. He’s got the big bodied tight end type pass catchers like Austin Stogner (6-6/265) and Blake Smith (6-4/255). He’s got the prototypical sized receivers like Nick Anderson (6-4/209) and Jayden Gibson (6-5/189). Now’s he’s got the burner with Thompson and the ability to tilt defenses to his favor with how his matches everyone up from the inside out.
Brenen Thompson was a four-star prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle, with 247Sports’ naming him a top-20 wide receiver in the class and the No. 21 overall prospect from the state of Texas. He committed to the Longhorns over 35 other scholarship offers but despite playing in nine games in 2022 he recorded just one reception for 32 yards.
While it’s easy to get excited about a player with Thompson’s potential, and the fact that he’s immediately able to meet a need in the WR room, it’s also worth noting that it may take a little patience to see his recruitment to Norman pay off. He’s already missed the full spring with the 2023 Sooner squad and will have the summer to try and get caught up but it may take just a bit longer than that for he and Lebby to fully find his niche within the Oklahoma offensive attack. There’s definitely some strong potential there though!
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