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Oklahoma went to a very unlikely place to improve its wide receiver depth for next season: the SWAC.
The Sooners got a commitment on Wednesday from transfer wideout Javonnie Gibson, who starred at Arkansas-Pine Bluff this season. Gibson told On3 that he was heading from the SWAC program to the SEC, a big leap for a player but one that Oklahoma hopes will be successful in 2025.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Gibson terrorized SWAC defenses in 2024, catching 70 passes for 1,215 yards and 9 touchdowns. Oklahoma believes that level of production, even in the lower levels of college football, can translate to the SEC. The sophomore will have 2 years of eligibility left starting next season.
Gibson’s arrival in 2025 is just what the Sooners needed. Their wide receiver room has already been decimated in this portal window. Oklahoma has lost Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony, JJ Hester, Jaquaize Pettaway and Jalil Farooq to the portal, and the lone returning scholarship wide receivers with more than 1 season of college experience are Deion Burks and Jayden Gibson.
Oklahoma also saw quarterback Jackson Arnold transfer to Auburn, as the Sooners transition to new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle in 2025. Now, they’ll have Gibson in the fold as they try to turn the page from a disappointing 2024 season.
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Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
