With rumors still swirling as to the whereabouts of Trey Metoyer the Sooners are still preparing for the season without him. There's no doubt he has talent and could certainly help Oklahoma on offense but that doesn't necessarily mean the Sooners are in trouble without him and that his absence hurts. The reason why? They already have one of the most talented receiving corps in the nation with a possible Heisman contender in Ryan Broyles.
The Starters
Broyles is entering his final season at Oklahoma and will leave the university as the greatest receiver in the history of the program. A consensus All-American last season, Broyles set nine school records in 2010 and now owns a total of ten records. If he's just average in 2011 he'll put most of his records out of reach. In three seasons he has amassed 3,429 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns. Quite possibly the greatest aspect of his game is the fact that he's able to get the ball in his hands and create a huge play even when the defense is keying on him.
Perhaps the person who benefits the most from the success and talent of Ryan Broyles is Kenny Stills. A fourteen game starter last season as a true freshman, Stills caught 61 passes for 786 yards and 5 touchdowns. At 6-1/189 he's not a big body but he can burn you deep especially when left with single coverage. A Freshman All-American in 2010, Stills is the leader of a bright group of up and comers at the receiver position.
At 6-4/217, Miller is the "big body" receivers for the Sooners. After finishing third on the team in receptions in 2009, Miller's season was cut short in 2010 after suffering a knee injury. His health and presence on the field in 2011 is crucial to Oklahoma as it would provide Landry Jones three game breaker type options in his progressions and force defensive coordinators to try to stop Oklahoma's passing attack by pressuring the quarterback rather than trying to match up with all the receiving targets.
The Future
After appearing in nine games as a true freshman in 2009, Jaz Reynolds was forced into a redshirt last season for disciplinary reasons. Now that his Twitter account is under control he's worked hard to reclaim a spot in the rotation and restore his reputation. He's had a solid spring and and summer camp and should be expected to see some time on the field this fall.
Redshirt freshman Justin McCay is another big body who has a bright future at Oklahoma. Listed at 6-2/209 he will rotate in and out of the lineup this fall to give Kenny Stills a breather.
Almost an exact clone of Broyles in size, sophomore Trey Franks is a speedster who can do great things with the ball in space. Franks played in all 14 games last season, catching 29 passes for 263 yards and a touchdown.
Tight Ends
James Hanna came on strong towards the end of last season, showing the speed and talent that made him the nation's 20th ranked tight end prospect coming out of high school. His 76-yard touchdown pass against Oklahoma State was a career long and one of the top highlight moments of the season.
Trent Ratterree has grown from a walk-on scout team player in 2007 to a special teams player in 2008 and then to a starter in `09 and is now a scholarship athlete at Oklahoma. He is the heart and soul of what it means to be a Sooner and for that reason he's a fan favorite. Known for his ability to make key blocks, Ratterree also has decent hands as proved by his 21 career receptions for 350 yards.
Sophomore Austin Haywood is the future of the tight end position at Oklahoma. He's got good size (6-4/247) and speed. Last season he saw action as a true freshman but failed to record any receptions.