Oklahoma without top playmaker for Armed Forces Bowl!

Oklahoma without top playmaker for Armed Forces Bowl!

Oklahoma will face Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl without another key offensive player.

The Sooners and Midshipmen are set to play at 11 a.m. CT on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. As the game approaches, several media outlets reported that wide receiver Deion Burks was not in uniform during pregame warmups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burks has not played a full game since Week 3 against Tulane on September 14. He sustained an injury the following week against Tennessee, sidelining him for the next five games. Although he returned to action against Missouri, he suffered a concussion late in the game and has missed Oklahoma’s last three regular-season contests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His status for the Armed Forces Bowl was uncertain, as he was listed with an “OR” on the depth chart alongside freshman walk-on Jacob Jordan at the slot position. With Burks unavailable, Jordan is expected to start. Notably, every receiver who will likely see playing time for Oklahoma on Friday is a freshman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other freshman receivers include starters Ivan Carreon and Zion Ragins. Among the available receivers, Jordan leads with 22 receptions and 207 yards. Combined, Jordan, Carreon, and Ragins have accumulated 272 receiving yards in their careers, while Burks alone had 245 receiving yards in just five games this season.

The only non-freshman receiver on the depth chart is walk-on redshirt senior Major Melson, who has not caught a pass during his college career at Oklahoma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oklahoma is particularly thin at receiver due to injuries and a significant turnover in the transfer portal, with six receivers entering the portal. Burks and Jayden Gibson are the only scholarship upperclassmen remaining in Norman, though both are injured.

Additionally, freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. will be making his fourth career start at quarterback.