The long recovery is over for redshirt junior wide receiver Javonnie Gibson.
The Arkansas-Pine Bluff transfer was projected to play a big role in OU’s offense this fall, but an injury during spring practice caused him to miss all of fall camp and the Sooners’ first four games of the season.
Last season, Gibson totaled 70 receptions for 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns. Gibson’s return adds to the depth of the wide receiver room, headlined by redshirt senior Deion Burks, redshirt junior Isaiah Sategna III and redshirt senior Keontez Lewis.
It will also help sophomore quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr., as he makes his first start of the season on Saturday.
“I’m excited for (Gibson) because the kid loves football and he loves being around the team,” offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle said on Tuesday. “Just seeing how he handled himself during the injury and the whole process that took, you can tell it really took a lot on him, but he’s a very mature kid.”
Even without Gibson to this point, OU’s passing offense ranks 17th in the country and fourth in the Southeastern Conference. Adding Gibson should provide another spark in Arbuckle’s offense, even with redshirt junior quarterback John Mateer’s injury.
When Hawkins started four games last season, he dealt with a plethora of injuries to his wide receivers and offensive line.
Going forward, the only question seems to be the amount of snaps the receivers will get.
Burks and Sategna each have 23 and 22 receptions, respectively, while Lewis has 17 receptions. Add senior tight end Jaren Kanak’s 18 receptions, and OU has a really solid pass-catching corps.
Gibson’s return will bring another threat to the OU offense, which is something it desperately lacked a season ago.
“I think (Gibson’s) a big-time playmaker,” Arbuckle said. “We’ve got to get his football legs back under him. The way that kid works and the way he approaches everything is awesome, so I’m excited to see Javonnie get back out there on the field.”
It was a long way to get back on the field, but the time is now for Gibson to make an impact for the No. 5 ranked Sooners.
Standing at 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, Gibson provides a frame that is something different from what Burks, Sategna and Lewis provide, and it will be interesting to see how he’s utilized over the next few weeks.
“This will be an opportunity for him to catch up quickly with everybody else,” head coach Brent Venables said on Tuesday. “I’m really proud of him for staying on schedule and all of the work that he’s put in. He's had to go through a lot.”
This story was edited by Laurie Jones.
