Receiving corps is a strength for '07 Sooners

By Jake Trotter

Published: August 14, 2007

NORMAN — In Saturday's scrimmage, receiver Malcolm Kelly had the most exciting play, leaping over Marcus Walker to haul in the ball for the offense's second touchdown.

Earlier in the scrimmage, however, when Oklahoma struggled and needed a spark, the Sooners didn't throw to Kelly.

Because they didn't have to.

Juaquin Iglesias started the first scoring drive by snaring a 19-yard pass from quarterback Keith Nichol near the sideline, and Manuel Johnson finished it, breaking open for a 3-yard touchdown reception.

Kelly might be one of the nation's top wideouts. But OU's other receivers give the entire unit a chance to be one of the nation's best, as well.

"Malcolm does get the headlines, and he deserves it because he makes a lot of plays,” said Iglesias, OU's second-leading receiver last year with 41 catches for 514 yards and two touchdowns. "The rest of us, we just try to do what we can and try to catch everything.”

OU brings back every receiver that had a reception last season. Besides juniors Kelly, Iglesias and Johnson, the Sooners return juniors Quentin Chaney and Fred Strong, and electrifying sophomores Brandon Caleb and Adron Tennell, who led all receivers in the scrimmage with five catches for 46 yards.

"I feel we're the best receiving group in the country,” Tennell said. "Everybody brings different things to the table.”

Last season, Kelly — who had 62 receptions for 993 yards — provided most of the highlights, catching more touchdowns (10) than the rest of the receivers combined (7).

But with the emergence of Caleb and Tennell, and the experience of Iglesias and Johnson, OU might have more balance this year, making it difficult on defenses to focus on stopping Kelly.

"Malcolm is the core of the receivers, but we make plays off of him, and as a whole, we're one of the best groups in the country,” Johnson said. "When teams double him, that's when we have to step up and do our part.”

If OU is to excel offensively, the receivers will need to be good, to allow whoever emerges as a starter in the quarterback competition to develop confidence.

"It shouldn't be too much on the quarterback,” Johnson said. "The quarterback just needs to get it close, and we'll make the plays.”

Dropped passes plagued the offense last season, receivers coach Kevin Sumlin said.

But in Saturday's scrimmage, the receivers didn't drop one pass.

"The way we play on the perimeter, we'd like to have seven or eight guys play without any drop off,” Sumlin said. "It's time for these guys as a group to do what they're capable of doing,”

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