NORMAN - Oklahoma’s wide receiver room needs to take a real step forward in 2026, and Brent Venables thinks that process is already showing up on the practice field.
With three weeks left before the regular season begins, the Sooners’ coach said the group has been sharper and more dynamic.
“(They’re) more precise, more explosive,” Venables said.
One of the biggest reasons for that optimism is Trell Harris, the Virginia transfer who finally looks fully back in the mix after a stop-and-start offseason.
Harris arrived in Norman after the 2025 season and had a “cleanup procedure” soon after getting there. That wiped out spring ball, and a setback in the summer slowed him again. He was limited during Oklahoma’s first few practices of fall camp, but this week he has been a full participant.
On Friday, he made one of the more noticeable plays of practice during seven-on-seven work.
“Trell Harris, he got behind the defense, made an explosive play down the field today,” Venables said. “That was great to see, making competitive plays when there’s turbulence.”
Harris’ production at Virginia last season gives Oklahoma a good idea of what he can bring when healthy. In 2025, he caught 59 passes for 847 yards and five touchdowns and earned Third Team All-ACC recognition.
The early returns at Oklahoma have impressed those around him, even after the missed time.
“He’s a vet, man, so he knows ball,” sophomore wide receiver Manny Choice said. “He’s making plays.”
The Sooners are counting on Harris to help take some of the load off Isaiah Sategna, who was far and away Oklahoma’s top receiver a year ago. Sategna finished his first season in Norman with 965 receiving yards, while Deion Burks was next on the list at 620.
Sategna is expected to be a major piece again in 2026, but Oklahoma can’t afford for him to be the only reliable threat on the outside. Last season, defenses were able to key on his speed at times, and Alabama held him to two catches for 17 yards in the College Football Playoff.
That’s where Harris and the rest of the receiver group come in. Venables said the room has the kind of makeup Oklahoma needs if it wants to handle the defensive looks it will see this fall.
“Those guys are well-coached,” Venables said. “They have a lot of pride. They like to win.”
The schedule won’t make things easy. Oklahoma faced a string of tough defenses a year ago - Alabama, LSU, Missouri, Auburn, Texas and Michigan - and will run into another demanding slate in 2026 with Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia, Michigan and Ole Miss on deck.
Still, the Sooners brought Harris in for a reason, and his recent work has only added to the sense that he can be part of the answer.
“Seeing him be able to succeed and take steps that he wants to, it's been fun,” quarterback John Mateer said. “It's going to be a lot of fun.”
In Other News...
Oklahoma Fall Camp Buzz Is Building Around 4 Unexpected Names
Fall camp has started to sort out a few early surprises for Oklahoma, and the buzz around Lloyd Avant, Noah Best, Trystan Haynes and Cole Sullivan has only grown as practices have rolled on. Avant has pushed his way into the conversation at running back, Best has stood out at right guard, Haynes has added needed depth at cornerback and Sullivan has been showing his value at linebacker after transferring from Michigan.
For a program still working through its depth chart ahead of the season opener, those kinds of developments matter. Coaches and media have taken note of the four players' progress, but the bigger question is how much of that practice momentum carries into roles that actually stick once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Elijah Thomas Is Making A Real Push In Oklahomas Receiver Race
Elijah Thomas has spent the offseason trying to turn a promising stretch of practice into something more lasting as Oklahoma sorts out its receiver picture for 2026. The Sooners have plenty of young players trying to carve out roles, but Thomas has stood out enough that Brent Venables and teammate Manny Choice both singled him out for the kind of steady development that can move a player up the depth chart.
Venables pointed to former OU standout Ryan Broyles as an example of the growth and maturity it takes for a young receiver to keep climbing once the attention starts. For Thomas, the challenge now is simple enough to say and tougher to finish: keep building on the consistency he has shown and make the case that his work deserves a place in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Tank Carrington Is Turning Into An Oklahoma Name Fans Need
Tank Carrington has started to sound like one of those early camp names that sticks because the people around him keep bringing it up. The first-year defensive lineman has earned praise from Brent Venables, as well as teammates Jayden Jackson and David Stone, with the talk centering on his block recognition, his growing body and the way his technique has already come along for a young player.
Venables even put Carringtons maturity in that area in the same conversation as Jacksons freshman season, which is a good sign for a player still working through the usual growing pains. Carrington is still very much a work in progress, but Oklahomas staff sees enough development and fundamentals to believe he can become part of the line depth this season, and the next step will be seeing how that practice momentum carries over when the games matter. [Read more 🡒]