Who could fill Haselwood's role?
NORMAN — Jadon Haselwood was looking forward to big things in 2020 for OU.
“As a unit, period, the offense is going to be special,” Haselwood said after the Sooners' Peach Bowl loss to LSU. “We have the potential to break all types of records. Not just me and Spencer ( Rattler). We got Trejan (Bridges) and Theo ( Wease) and Stog ( Austin Stogner). We'll spread it around for sure.”
Now, it appears the group of receivers will be one less.
Haselwood reportedly suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during a workout last week.
SoonerScoop. com first reported Haselwood's injury.
Not having Haselwood would significantly shake up the Sooners' receiving corps next year.
As a freshman, Haselwood backed up Charleston Rambo at Z receiver, one of the outside spots in Lincoln Riley's offense.
This season, Haselwood and Rambo — the two leading returning receivers for OU — figured to be one the field together regularly, mainly on opposite sides.
Bridges' potential suspension could create further depth problems early in the season.
Bridges was suspended for the Sooners' bowl loss and faces another fivegame suspension to start the season, though Riley has been tight-lipped about any further suspension for
Bridges, running back Rhamondre Stevenson and defensive end Ronnie Perkins.
The biggest benefactors could be Wease and Marvin Mims.
Wease was part of the Sooners huge haul of fivestar receivers in the 2019 signing class that also included Haselwood and Bridges.
And though Haselwood was the leading receiver of those three, Wease was a solid contributor as well with eight catches for 136 yards and a pair of scores.
Wease's 19-yard touchdown catch at Baylor in mid-November was part
of a remarkable comeback for OU.
At 5- foot- 11, Mims doesn't have the size of Rambo (6-1), Haselwood (6-2) or Wease (6-3), but he has a history of production, albeit at the high school level.
Mims holds the Texas high school record for both career receiving yards with 5,485 and single- season receiving yards with 2,629.
The former Frisco (Texas) Lone Star standout enrolled early and while he only got one spring practice session in before the coronavirus pandemic ended spring practices early, he was able to spend the semester up to that point working out with the team and acclimating to college football.
Mims isn't the fastest
receiver, though neither was CeeDee Lamb. Like Lamb, Mims has great hands and is a strong route- runner, enabling him to overcome his physical limitations.
When Mims signed, Riley heaped praise his way, saying Mims could be a quick contributor.
“We loved his junior tape but his senior tape, the way he played this year, he broke the national record for receiving yards in a season and was just phenomenal, and did it against great competition,” Riley said of Mims. “A guy that's really improved. He's a great student, tremendous kid, comes from a great family.”
Without Haselwood, Mims could find his way onto the field even earlier than Riley thought.