Sooners’ injury problem at one important position during spring football is starting to show a good issue OU could have
The Oklahoma Sooners have begun spring practice, but they seem to be having a major injury issue. Specifically, one position is getting injured a ton.
The Oklahoma Sooners have a big issue to start spring football, as a ton of their players are banged up. Specifically, it seems the wide receivers are taking the brunt of the injuries. But that could turn into a good issue for the Sooners during the 2026 season.
Sooners’ injuries at WR position have opened up reps for others
Fan favorite wide receiver and sophomore Elijah Thomas—expected to have a bigger season than last year—appears to be in a boot. He’s not alone with his injury concerns. Senior WR Jer’Michael Carter, who made significant contributions at the end of last season and is expected to carry that momentum into 2026, is also dealing with an injury. Carter was observed in a boot and using a crutch. Furthermore, key transfer wide receiver Trell Harris’s surgery is a clean-up procedure. However, he will most likely miss the entire spring as he works back to 100%.
Because of these injuries, the Sooners are getting some extra reps from their younger wide receivers. The freshman guys are getting much more reps than they thought they would, and likely getting reps with first or second string guys—guys they normally wouldn’t get reps with. And of course, the guys who were freshmen last season and should have played more are getting some run, too. Guys like Manny Choice are making sure they capitalize on those.
“Man, you want to talk about a dude who just keeps his mouth shut and works… Manny is figuring it out big-time,” Sooners offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said.
Standing at 6’4″ and 210 lbs, Choice is tied as the tallest receiver on the roster. He gives the Sooners a massive physical target that the offense previously lacked. He was a consensus top-100 player in Texas. On3 ranked him as a 4-star prospect and No. 93 overall in the country. Other outlets like 247Sports and Rivals listed him as a high 3-star.
OU will be hoping for a breakout year from Choice in 2026, and his showing how good he can be is creating a good problem for the Sooners—too many wide receivers to keep on the field. Great depth isn’t a bad thing, but finding playing time for all these guys will be hard.
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