What to make of transfers Gavin Freeman and Da’Wain Lofton on Oklahoma State’s loaded wide receiver room
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What to make of transfers Gavin Freeman and Da’Wain Lofton on Oklahoma State’s loaded wide receiver room
Oklahoma State already had an experienced and deep wide receiver room before adding two Power Four receivers. What impact can those two make in 2024?
McClain Baxley21 hrsVIPSTILLWATER, Okla. — One of the first drills at a typical Oklahoma State practice is a punt returning simulation.
A coach will load up the JUGs machine and launch balls 40 yards down the field where a returner will attempt to catch it before making a simple move. There's no pressure on them, no gunners trying to dislodge the ball or force an error. The conditions are as similar to a game-like situation as possible.
At the Cowboys' first practice of fall camp on Wednesday, five players were going through this drill. Fifth-year senior and incumbent return man Brennan Presley led the group and was joined by Oklahoma wide receiver transfer Gavin Freeman, Virginia Tech wide receiver transfer Da'Wain Lofton, wide receiver Kyler Pearson and freshman safety Talon Kendrick..
hose two are part of the six players that Oklahoma State has added this offseason to an already deep and talented receiver room. The Cowboys returned four of their top six pass catchers from 2023, including two All-Big 12 honorees in Rashod Owens and Brennan Presley.
"I think we're ultra talented and we're ultra competitive with each other," Presley said of the wide receiver group in April. "There's a camaraderie that (Presley, Owens and De'Zhaun Stribling) have and the young guys follow it…There's a bunch of receivers and we're very close."
So with such a deep group, what can two receivers with Power 4 experience bring to the table?
Obviously depth. At the receiver position, as we saw last season, you want as many bodies as you can get. It was because of injuries that Texas Bowl MVP Rashod Owens worked his way up the depth chart and Division III transfer Leon Johnson burned his redshirt.
Oklahoma State wants as many talented players at each position, especially those that take hits and expend a good amount of energy like receivers.
Lofton was recruited this winter and committed to Oklahoma State in February. He comes to Stillwater after a disappointing 2023 season where he was overlooked by the new coaching staff in Blacksburg.
Evan Watkins, who covers Virginia Tech for VTScoop, thinks he still has potential to be a contributor in the passing game, despite his non-flashy statsheet.
"As a sophomore, he took a step into a starting role, but due to the limited offense that was implemented, he ended the season with just 254 yards, which was third best on the team at the time," Watkins told GoPokes247 in February. "As a wide receiver, I think he is a pure slot guy and he isn't afraid to fight for the ball and play in traffic. If he can fix the dropped balls issue, he has big play potential."
Lofton finished his career in Blacksburg playing in 36 games where he caught 35 passes for 410 yards and three touchdowns.
The 5-foot-11 receiver from Fort Worth had more of an impact at his previous stop than Freeman's two seasons in Norman.
The Oklahoma City native played in all 13 games for the Sooners in 2023, catching 19 balls for 95 yards and a touchdown. On special teams, he fielded 20 punts for 122 yards and one touchdown.
"Last season he flashed the ability to be a difference maker as a punt returner, taking an 82-yard punt return to the house against Arkansas State," said Tom Green, who covers the Sooners for Sooners Illustrated. "That was the highpoint of the season for him, though, as he was less effective in that role as the competition ramped up, averaging just 2.35 yards per return the rest of the year while having trouble fielding punts, muffing four of them. Ultimately, Freeman has some useful skills but remains a work in progress and is likely more of a complementary piece than he is a go-to receiver."
In 2023, Freeman had two dropped passes and four muffed punts for Oklahoma, per Pro Football Focus. That isn't ideal, especially for someone that's looking to backup Brennan Presley, who has some of the best hands in the Big 12.
But Freeman is also young and has time to develop and learn this season before vying for a starting role in 2025, which benefits him.
With both of these additions, Oklahoma State got deeper at receiver and has people in place for the future, which are two things that Gundy is always striving for across the board.
