Oklahoma’s search for more answers at receiver may already be producing one.
The Sooners badly need someone beyond John Mateer to lighten the load on offense, and that was obvious last season when Isaiah Sategna stood alone as the unit’s most dependable playmaker. Sategna finished with 67 catches for 965 yards and eight touchdowns, a workload Oklahoma wants to spread around this fall.
That’s why the staff, with general manager Jim Nagy leading the push, went after help in the transfer portal and came away with former Texas receiver Parker Livingstone and Virginia’s Trell Harris. Those three are expected to be the main pieces in the wide receiver room, but sophomore Manny Choice has started to generate his own buzz.
Choice arrived as a former four-star recruit and barely made a statistical impact last season. He played in 10 games, mostly on special teams or in a backup receiver role, and did not record any stats. This offseason, though, Harris has been dealing with injuries, and Choice has taken advantage of the extra reps.
College football analyst Josh Pate thinks that could lead to something real once the season gets rolling.
"Manny Choice is 6-foot-4 and (211 pounds)," Pate said on 'Josh Pate's College Football Show.'"It would not surprise me at all if come the midpoint of the season, Manny Choice's stat line looks a little bit more robust and impressive maybe than your local preview magazine would lead you to believe."
That kind of development would matter for Oklahoma. Sategna has already shown he can be trusted, and Livingstone and Harris bring proven production with them from the portal. But another receiver with size and upside would give Mateer yet another target defenses have to respect.
Choice’s frame gives him a different look from some of the other options in the room, and if the production starts matching the opportunity, he could go from an unproven sophomore to one of the Sooners’ most important offensive weapons.
For an Oklahoma offense that ranked near the bottom of the country in 2025, any surprise production could go a long way toward helping the Sooners take a meaningful step forward in 2026.
In Other News...
John Mateer Suddenly Puts Oklahoma In An Unwanted Spotlight
University of Oklahoma officials are looking into a fresh bit of off-field attention involving quarterback John Mateer after viral social media posts surfaced that appear to show Venmo receipts tied to sports gambling. Multiple reports say the university is reviewing the matter, which has quickly pushed the Sooners into an unwanted spotlight at a time when the program would prefer the focus stay on football.
Mateer has already denied ever participating in sports gambling, but the online chatter has only added to the intrigue around the situation. For Oklahoma, the issue is as much about managing the noise as it is about the substance of the allegations, with the school now waiting for the investigation to play out before there is any clearer picture of where things stand. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas Backfield Battle Just Took A Turn Fans Didnt Expect
Oklahomas push to improve the running game for the 2024 season has already produced one early camp storyline, and it involves a newcomer who has bounced around a bit before landing in Norman. Lloyd Avant is in the mix for the starting job, and the Sooners have been giving the transfer running back a real look as they sort out the backfield depth chart.
Avant arrived after stops at Colorado State and Tulsa, and his ability to help on special teams adds another layer to his case. For Oklahoma, the interest is not just in whether he can carve out a role, but whether his camp performance can help steady a rushing attack that is still looking for the right combination in the backfield. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma May Be Getting A Different Parker Livingstone This Season
Parker Livingstone arrived in Norman with a fresh start and a clear purpose, and the early signs suggest Oklahoma may be getting a receiver who looks and feels different from the one Texas let walk. After spending the 2025 season at Texas, Livingstone transferred once the Longhorns opted to keep other receivers in place rather than hold onto him as a key piece, opening the door for him to reset his career in a new offense.
Since joining the Sooners, Livingstone has spent his time working closely with the coaching staff and quarterbacks to get comfortable in the system and build those relationships that matter once the games start counting. He says he feels more confident in his abilities now, and more at home in the Oklahoma offense, which is exactly the kind of late-summer development that can turn a transfer from a roster addition into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]