Apr. 4—Perry Ellis. Hunter Renfrow. Jarrett Stidham. Drew Timme. JT Barrett.

Certain college athletes just seem to stick around the college ranks for a long time. Now a fifth-year senior, Drake Stoops is moving into that territory.

It’s not hard to find fifthyear seniors on collegiate rosters this season. Players have been eligible to play as many as seven seasons following the NCAA’s decision to not count the 2020 season toward’s an athlete’s eligibility.

S till, it’s been hard to ignore Stoops’ presence over the past four seasons.

In his first collegiate game against Florida Atlantic in 2018, as a true freshman walkon, Stoops caught two passes for 16 yards. After each catch, Oklahoma fans would rain down a long and boisterous cheer of “Stoops”.

According to the Oklahoma Athletics Department, Stoops is believed to be the only true freshman walk-on in school history to catch a pass in a season opener.

Many more would follow over the next four seasons.

“I think just the opportunity in of itself,” Stoops said about coming back. “Why deny the opportunity to come back and play another year? Another guaranteed year of football here, and continue to just develop my skills and really be intentional about seeking out things that I’m not necessarily good at and trying to sharpen those tools so that I can be a better overall player.”

Stoops has come a long way from the former walk-on that made just two appearances in his freshman season.

As a sophomore, the 5-10 slot receiver appeared in all 14 games and caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the fourth overtime against Texas. In 2020, he took another step forward in production, catching 15 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

During the 2021 spring game, Stoops was finally given a scholarship — proof that the undersized, son-of-ahall-

than just a locker room presence. Stoops was producing on the field and getting better year-after-year.

“Really (first-year receivers coach Emmett Jones) has helped me a lot fundamentally,” Stoops said about his growth during this offseason. “Just tightening up — whether that’s my footwork, how fast I’m playing within 15 yards, making it look like I’m really about to run by someone and then maybe I snap it down or even just also becoming faster on my top-end speed so I can really run by guys and expand that part of my game.”

Last season, Stoops finished tied for second on the team in receptions (39) and fifth on the team in receiving yards (393). With the team’s top three pass catchers moving on, Stoops will be expected to take on an even larger role this season.

During a spring practice last week, the Sooners were running the “W drill” when Stoops and defensive back Billy Bowman needed to be seperated by teammates after the play. It wasn’t a fight, just a physical play where neither player wanted to back down to the other.

It’s also a good example of the kind of player that Stoops has become and what he’s had to do to get to that point.

“Yeah, that happens in practice,” Stoops said. “Billy’s my guy. He’s an amazing player and is an ultimate competitor, as am I. Sometimes things just get heated, but that’s just two guys going at it. And me and him are still great teammates. It’s nothing more than that — two guys going at it.”

Only Jalil Farooq returns with more receiving production than Stoops (36 catches for 461 yards and five touchdowns last season). Players like Jayden Gibson, Nic Anderson, LV Bunkley-Shelton, J.J. Hester and Gavin Freeman will be relied on to play more snaps this season.

“Being the older guy with a lot of experience, your voice carries a little bit and I think that’s an important part,” Stoops said. “As you get older it’s kind of an obligation. It’s a privilege as well to be a leader in the room and guide your guys through experiences that you’ve been through and adversity you’ve been through and kind of help them along that way.”

Oklahoma brought in a new receiving coach over the offseason following the Cale Gundy’s abrupt resignation before the 2022 season. Jones who has four years of experience coaching receivers in the Big 12 at Texas Tech and Kansas.

“Coach Jones is great,” Stoops said. “A real technician. Really teaching the game from a receiver perspective, teaching us all the fundamentals, all the stuff like that. And really just breaking it down, step-bystep and trying to start from square one in the spring now and then continue to build the curriculum as we go. It’s been great so far.”