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Oklahoma wide receiver Jalil Farooq suffered a serious foot injury in Oklahoma’s 51-3 win over Temple on Friday night, head coach Brent Venables confirmed.
Venables said Farooq broke his foot and will be out for 6-8 weeks after undergoing surgery.
Brent Venables said Branson Hickman suffered a sprained ankle. Jalil Farooq will need surgery for a broken foot, Venables said it's a 6-8 week injury. #Sooners
— Ryan Aber (@ryaber) August 31, 2024
It’s a brutal blow for an Oklahoma wide receiver room that is already dealing with numerous injuries. Nic Anderson missed this game due to injury and Andrel Anthony played sparingly as he makes his way back from a knee injury he suffered last fall. Another young receiver, Jayden Gibson, has already been ruled out for 2024 after hurting his knee during fall camp.
Even at full strength, Farooq projected to be a starter for OU in 2024. He made 1 catch in this game against the Owls for 47 yards before exiting the contest.
Deion Burks and Brenen Thompson were the only OU receivers to catch multiple passes on Friday night. Anthony and true freshman Zion Ragins and Ivan Carreon were the only other wide receivers to catch passes, although tight end Bauer Sharp was also a big part of the passing game with 5 receptions on the night.
Going forward, Oklahoma will likely lean on Burks in the passing game. Thompson, a Texas transfer, should also continue to receive a large amount of targets from Jackson Arnold. But finding other consistent options at wide receiver could be a challenge for the Sooners — at least until Anderson and Anthony are back to full strength.
Oklahoma will play Houston in Week 2.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
