I’m not sure yet who is going to replace Drake Stoops as Oklahoma’s next starting slot receiver, but I do know that the competition to get there is going to be amazing. The Sooners used Brenen Thompson sparingly last season but his explosiveness was certainly on display when he had the ball in his hands. Now Seth Littrell and Joe Jon Finley have added Purdue transfer Deion Burks into the mix.
One of the top player in the transfer portal, Burks drew a lot of interest but ended up choosing Oklahoma over Ole Miss and Texas. In 2023, as a redshirt sophomore, Burks earned second-team All-Big Ten honors from the coaches and even found his way onto the NFL draft radar. He finished this season with 629 receiving yards, 47 catches and seven touchdown catches. His best performance was 152 yards and two touchdowns against Fresno State.
“I’m going to bet on myself, put myself in position to get developed mentally where I can be good at the next level,” Burks said in an interview with ESPN back in December, regarding not declaring for the NFL Draft. “Get another year of production. Being around greats and people who have a history of winning will help me take my talents to the next level.”
Burks (5-11/195) was the third player to come out of the portal at Oklahoma. His track speed was what gained him attention coming out of high school. The Belleville, Michigan native was a 3-star recruit per 247Sports and earned 17 scholarship offers. However, it’s been his uncanny strength and shiftiness that made it a priority for several schools once he entered the transfer portal.
“When you watch the tape, he jumps off the tape athletically with speed and explosiveness,” an NFL scout told ESPN. “It would have been early for him to leave. The production wasn’t quite there. A full year at OU will serve him well. He could easily be a top 100 player next year.”
The potential is there. Imagine him lining up with Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony, and then Jake Roberts as the tight end. The bonus is that there will be guys like Jalil Farooq and Brenen Thompson earning time on the field as well. Oklahoma’s receiver, and tight end, depth could be the deepest they’ve had in a long, long time and Deion Burks has the potential to be the guy who stretches he field opposite of Andrel Anthony. Talk about a nightmare scenario for defensive coordinators and their secondary!
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