Could Jadon Haselwood surprise and lead the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners in receiving?
2020 was a weird year for the Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver corp. Charleston Rambo was the guy expected to take a leap in production with the departure of CeeDee Lamb to the Dallas Cowboys. Yet it was true freshman Marvin Mims who led the way for the Oklahoma Sooners. In a shortened season due to COVID-19 that limited the out-of-conference schedule for the Sooners and the rest of the country, the production at wide receiver dropped off from what weve become accustomed to. Mims led the way for Oklahoma with only 39 receptions and 627 yards. While his touchdown total (9) would have been fantastic in a typical year, the reception and yardage total left a bit to be desired. Heading into 2021, Marvin Mims looks to be the odds-on favorite to lead the way for the Sooners in many receiving categories yet again. His chemistry with Spencer Rattler and deep threat ability give him a shot to surpass the 1,000-yard mark and be the Sooners leading receiver. However, theres another player that isnt being talked about enough as a possibility to lead the Soonersthird-year wideout Jadon Haselwood. I know what youre thinking. Unfortunately, Haselwood hasnt played much, and his two years with the Sooners havent lived up to expectations. His first year with the Sooners was pretty solid in 2019. He totaled 19 receptions for 272 yards and a touchdown as a freshman. Im not sure you could expect more than that on a run-first team under Jalen Hurts and with CeeDee Lamb leading the way at wide receiver. In the spring of 2020, when he was expected to be a huge part of the passing attack, he tore his ACL and was out until November. First of all, the fact that he could make it back in less than eight months is absolutely incredible. Thats a testament to his work ethic and desire to be on the football field. He had limited opportunities after his return to the field in 2020. Still working his way back, Haselwood had only four receptions for 65 yards. Still, he showed the raw athleticism that makes him such an intriguing weapon. Heading into 2021, hell have a shot at more big plays. At 6-2, 208 pounds, his size gives him the opportunity to out position smaller defensive backs. In addition, his athleticism and ability to win contested catches will help him make some huge plays in the Sooners passing offense this season. Haselwoods playstyle fits really well with quarterback Spencer Rattler. As we saw in 2020, Rattler has a gunslinger mentality and is more than willing to throw the ball into contested areas. In 2020, that got him into trouble because he didnt have players adept at winning 50/50 balls down the field. Marvin Mims and Theo Wease are good wide receivers, but their strengths lie in their ability to create separation using their route-running ability. Lincoln Riley isnt expecting these guys to win jump balls down the field. Perhaps the most impressive play of the #Sooners spring game came courtesy of @jadon_haselwood, who snagged this 50-50 ball with one hand. 11 is back, folks. pic.twitter.com/LKP0s4mftE  Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) April 24, 2021  But thats where Haselwood can thrive. He has enough route-running ability to create separation, but his athleticism allows him to win his matchups in a way that the rest of the wide receiver depth chart cant. And that will suit Spencer Rattler just fine. Spencer Rattler doesnt shy away from double or triple coverage if he thinks he can make the throw. Unfortunately, that got him into trouble last year, and the benching was evident that his decision-making needed improving. However, Jadon Haselwood is the player that can erase a bad decision with his ability to win contested catches. As weve seen in his last two outings, against Iowa State, and in the spring game, Haselwoods catch radius, athleticism, and size give Spencer Rattler much bigger windows in which to throw the football. Jadon Haselwoods traits will pay huge dividends for Rattler and the Oklahoma Sooners offense in 2021.