Why Oklahoma Expects More from WR Gavin Freeman in 2023

By Tim Willert

He's not the tallest receiver on the Oklahoma roster or the fastest or the most athletic. But Gavin Freeman may have the biggest heart in the room.

Coaches and teammates are expecting big things from the OKC Heritage Hall product, who saw limited action last season but contributed some big plays when he was on the field.

“Gavin Freeman’s a guy that I love everything that he’s about,” Sooners coach Brent Venables said at OU Media Day on Aug. 1. “He’s a football player. Just makes plays. He’s always wide open. He’s gonna help this football team. He might’ve had as good a spring as anybody on offense.”

Freeman, a 5-foot-8 sophomore from Oklahoma City, caught three passes for 46 yards and rushed seven times for 73 yards and a touchdown in 2022. Despite his height, Freeman actually is on the upper end of speed and athleticism in the group. That showed on game days last year.

He scored from 46 yards out on the first touch of his collegiate career against UTEP. Later in the season, Freeman made a diving 41-yard catch to help set up a score.

On Monday, fellow receiver Jalil Farooq's face lit up when he talked about Freeman following the team's fourth practice of fall camp.

Farooq referred to Freeman as “my guy.”

“Came in as a walk-on, I just feel like he brings the heat every day,” he said. “Being with Schmitty (Jerry Schmidt), working out, that's one of the guys I love working out with. He always brings that intensity every day. There's never a day he doesn’t.”

Asked about his receivers Monday, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby said they bring a good blend of size and speed and competitive fire.

“When you think about guys like J-Gib (Jayden Gibson) and Nic (Anderson) and Andrel (Anthony) with the length, then you got guys like Jalil (Farooq) and LV (Bunkley-Shelton) that are kind of those combo guys, then you've got guys like Drake (Stoops) and like Gavin (Freeman), so I think we've got good mix for what that room is right now."

Lebby has said he wants to play six or seven receivers and two to three tight ends and is looking for guys “that go operate at a championship level every single snap.”

“So for us what that looks like is whether its blocking on the perimeter and you’re dominating your one-on-one matchup in that light or it’s being in a one-on-one situation and making a competitive play,” he said Monday.

“So those are the things we’re looking for every single day. And we’re at a good point four days in. We’ve got to have guys continue to grow and get better and keep making plays. That’s the biggest deal, man. It’s a player’s game and the guys have taken that and they’ve ran with it and they’re gonna go do it.”

Stoops, a redshirt senior, is the veteran of a group that includes three transfers, among them former University of Texas speedster Brenen Thompson.

At Big 12 Media Days, Stoops spoke highly of Freeman, calling him "immensely talented."

“He’s just getting better and better and better and I mean, he’s already so dang good,” Stoops said. “So I’m really excited to continue and watch his progress and just help in any way I can.”