Jan. 10—Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has found a long-term answer at wide receivers coach.

The Sooners announced Tuesday the hiring of Texas Tech wide receivers coach Emmett Jones to the position. Jones, a former Red Raiders player, spent the last season on the Texas Tech staff under head coach Joey McGuire.

Jones will also serve as passing game coordinator for the Sooners.

“The University of Oklahoma’s tradition and the chance to work with Coach Venables made this an opportunity that was too hard to turn down,” Jones said in a statement. “Also, I’d been researching and paying attention to (OU offensive coordinator Jeff) Lebby ever since I was back at South Oak Cliff (High School) and he was coaching running backs at Baylor.

“I feel like working with him — one of the brightest minds in the game when it comes to offensive schemes — will help me continue to grow in this profession. And same thing with being able to soak up knowledge from Coach Venables.”

Jones will replace L’Damian Washington, who served as the interim wide receivers coach in 2022 following Cale Gundy’s sudden resignation a few weeks before the 2022 season began.

“We’re trying to keep L’Damian in an enhanced role,” Venables said in a statement. “He jumped right in the ‘A’ gap and did a fantastic job of making us better in our first season, improving our players and our offense. He’s been bold and courageous and has been connected to both players and staff. I’m very thankful for his contributions and we’re fighting like heck to keep him here. He brings tremendous value to our staff, our locker room and that position group.”

Texas Tech ranked first in passing offense last season with Jones on staff. The Red Raiders also ranked 13th nationally in passing yards (3,296).

Prior to landing at Texas Tech, Jones spent two seasons as the wide receivers coach at Kansas from 2019-2021. Jones served a previous stint with Texas Tech starting in 2016, when he spent two seasons as an outside receivers coach.

Jones also coached high school football in Texas for 13 years, serving tenures as an assistant coach at Seagoville High School, Dallas Lincoln High School and Dallas Skyline High School. He served as head coach at South Oak Cliff High School from 20122014, where he posted a 30-8 record.

Jones played wide receiver at Texas Tech from 1993-1995 before playing one season at UTEP in 1996.

“Coach Jones is a great teacher of the game with a track record of positional development at the highest level,” Venables said in a statement. “He’s produced great collegiate players who have gone on to the NFL and he’s been around some of the brightest minds in college football in Kliff Kingsbury and Lance Leipold, and of course Joey McGuire this past year at Texas Tech.

“He’s been incredibly successful wherever he’s been, including in the high school ranks in the Dallas area. He’s a coaching giant in Texas high school football.”

Sooners land former Michigan receiver via transfer portal Michigan wide receiver Andrel Anthony Jr. announced via Twitter on Tuesday that he’s transferring to the Sooners.

The former three-star recruit caught 19 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons with the Wolverines.

It’s a significant addition for the Sooners. With Marvin Mims and Brayden Willis leaving for the NFL, and Theo Wease transferring to Michigan, wide receiver has become a position of need for the Sooners entering the offseason.

Anthony isn’t the only player the Sooners have added in recent days. They’ve also added much-needed depth to the defensive line, adding defensive ends Davon Sears (Texas State) and Rondell Bothroyd (Wake Forest) over the weekend.

Sears recorded 15 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, and one sack in 12 games last season. Bothroyd, currently a fifth-year senior, recorded 136 tackles, 31 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks in 68 games for Wake Forest.

Anthony marks the 10th player the Sooners have added via the transfer portal.