Minutes after entering the transfer portal, Andrel Anthony was contacted by Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.
“For Coach Lebby to call me that fast, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. I must be pretty up there for them,’” Anthony said. “And that was a good feeling for me.”
Anthony, a Michigan transfer, officially entered the portal on Jan. 5 and was quickly met with offers from OU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, UCLA, Auburn and others.
But Anthony knew as soon as soon as he arrived for a visit that Norman would be his next home. He would only be in the portal for a few days, committing to the Sooners on Jan. 10.
Junior wide receiver Andrel Anthony during spring practice April 18.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, I'm definitely gonna come here,’” Anthony thought upon arrival. “Like, we hadn't even really watched the specific tape; but just going over that, just the opportunity to come in and contribute to this team is phenomenal.”
The 6-foot-2, 190-pound receiver caught 19 passes for 328 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons with the Wolverines. He burst onto the scene with six catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns, against in-state rival Michigan State as a freshman, only for his opportunities to dwindle as a sophomore last season.
YOU'RE NOT CATCHING HIM ⚡️@UMichFootball gets the first TD of the game thanks to this 93-yard catch and run by @andrel_jr! pic.twitter.com/QecWvygzrP
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) October 30, 2021
Chances to contribute will be abundant with the Sooners, however, as they aim to replace 151 receptions, mostly from Marvin Mims Jr., Brayden Willis and Eric Gray, each of which are off to the NFL draft.
His blazing speed displayed against the Spartans two seasons ago should fit perfectly in OU’s offense that’s now lacking a downfield presence.
“On my official visit, me and my parents sat down with Coach Lebby and he showed me, ‘This is how we plan to use you. Just moving inside and outside,’” Anthony said Feb. 16. “That’s very intriguing. Just the fit overall is tremendous.”
That window of opportunity, paired with the fast pace of Lebby’s offense, which ranked sixth nationally with 78.4 average plays per game in 2022, made for a perfect situation for Anthony.
“The first day got me,” Anthony said April 10 of the offensive tempo. “It kind of crept up on me. I thought I was in shape but it was tough. But after that I realized, ‘Oh it’s not that bad.’ I got through it. I didn’t know what to expect, and then after that first day I really realized it’s not bad.
"I like it, though, because it catches the defense off-guard. You’ll be lined up and ready to go and they’re not even set yet. So it helps us take advantage.”
Anthony has since caught attention from his teammates in his first batch of spring practices with the Sooners thanks to his blazing speed. Anthony even told reporters he caught an 80-yard touchdown in a scrimmage, although he laughed and said he wouldn’t tell who threw it to him.
#Sooners WR Andrel Anthony after practice: pic.twitter.com/HsMMAEavqs
— OU Daily Sports (@OUDailySports) April 11, 2023
“He’s a burner,” sophomore receiver Gavin Freeman said. “He’s insanely fast.”
Sophomore receiver Jayden Gibson added:
“There ain’t no one I feel can stay in front of him and I’ve been playing football for a long time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone get off the ball as fast as him. … We all see his talent for sure.”
Anthony will likely slot in behind rising junior Jalil Farooq and sixth-year senior Drake Stoops, who caught a combined 76 passes last season for 859 yards.
Junior wide receiver Andrel Anthony during spring practice April 18.
The East Lansing, Michigan, native has already started developing a relationship with the other receivers.
“Jalil, Drake, those are guys I’ve been talking to a lot,” Anthony said. “Funny enough, Drake is like my big brother on the team they assigned me. And I basically text Drake every day. … We’ve built a really good relationship so far.”
Emmett Jones, who was announced as OU’s new receivers coach on Jan. 10, the same day Anthony committed, has also been getting acquainted with his new pupil.
“Last Saturday, I was in his office from about 9 in the morning till about 3:30,” Anthony said. “We went over two installs and then we watched all of the drills that he (did) with Kansas and Texas Tech. And I was like yeah, I can really apply those to my game. And that’s what I’m looking for.”
Anthony is the lone addition to Oklahoma’s receivers room outside of four-star freshmen Jaquiaze Pettaway and Keyon Brown, who arrive in summer.
Excited for a fresh chance, Anthony is aiming for a heightened role in 2023.
“It’s a brand-new start,” Anthony said. “(They said) ‘we know you have a lot of potential and a lot of untapped skills, and we want to unlock that for you.’”
Grace Rhodes copy edited this story.
