NORMAN — OU football received some positive offseason news on Saturday.
The Sooners have lost six wide receivers to the transfer portal since it opened but redshirt junior Deion Burks announced Saturday he’ll be returning in 2025. Burks also announced he’ll wear No. 4 next season.
Burks missed most of the 2024 season with an injury but caught 31 passes for 245 yards and three touchdowns in five games. Burks, who transferred to OU from Purdue last offseason, is expected to be one of the Sooners’ leaders in the receivers room next season.
Burks’ announcement comes a day after head coach Brent Venables said the receiver had “a lot to weigh.” Venables also said Friday he expects Jayden Gibson, who missed the entire 2024 season with a knee injury, to return for the Sooners next season.
OU has lost Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony, Jalil Farooq, J.J. Hester, Jaquaize Pettaway and Brenen Thompson to the portal.
The Sooners have also lost out on two wide receiver transfer portal targets, Indiana transfer Donaven McCulley, who visited Norman on Monday, to Michigan, and Miami (OH) transfer Reggie Virgil, who committed to Texas Tech.
Prior to dealing with injury in his first season at OU, Burks started all 12 games for the Boilermakers in 2023 and led them with 47 receptions, 629 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns.