At long last, the NCAA has granted Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Nick Basquine a sixth season of eligibility. Lincoln Riley broke the good news to reporters following Tuesday’s practice.
Nick Basquine has received his waiver from the NCAA and will be eligible in 2019
— Carey Murdock (@CareyAMurdock) April 9, 2019
Lincoln Riley announces that WR Nick Basquine will been granted eligibility for the 2019 season #Sooners
— Tarik Masri (@TarikM_Official) April 9, 2019
Considering his circumstances, this doesn’t come as much of a surprise, but it’s a great moment for the guy all the same. After catching 20 passes for 265 yards and a pair of touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore, the Norman North product and former walk-on tore his achilles tendon in the summer of 2017, which forced him to miss the entire season. In January of 2018, he tore the opposite achilles and missed all spring practice, further hampering his development. He struggled to get back to his old form for much of the 2018 season but eventually finding a bit of a groove down the stretch, making two crucial catches for 44 yards in OU’s Big 12 Championship victory over Texas.
In 2019, Basquine figures to be one of the frontrunners to start in the slot, as he’ll compete with Trejan Bridges, Drake Stoops and Mykel Jones in the lead-up to the season. One has to think that, if healthy, he has another great opportunity to leave his mark on this program after suffering so many setbacks.