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Eli Lederman, ESPN Staff Writer
Oklahoma wide receiver Jalil Farooq is expected to miss six to eight weeks after he suffered a broken foot in Friday night’s season-opening 51-3 win over Temple, coach Brent Venables said.
The injury will require surgery.
Farooq, a senior, caught a 47-yard pass from quarterback Jackson Arnold in the first quarter. He exited the game later in the quarter and limped to the locker room later with the help of medical staff. Based on the timeline Venables presented, Oklahoma is likely to be without Farooq until at least late October.
Farooq’s injury is the second blow to the Sooners’ wide receiver depth in recent weeks. Junior Jayden Gibson is expected to miss the entire season after suffering a significant knee injury in fall camp earlier this month. Nic Anderson, the redshirt sophomore who caught 10 touchdowns last fall, missed Oklahoma’s opener due to injury and is considered day-to-day.
As a junior, Farooq set career bests with 45 catches and 694 receiving yards. One of the Sooners’ most reliable downfield options in the Venables era, the 6-foot-1 receiver totaled 82 catches for 1,160 yards and seven touchdowns across the past two seasons.
Including Farooq, six Oklahoma wide receivers registered at least one reception against Temple. Purdue transfer Deion Burks led the way, hauling in six passes for 36 yards with three touchdowns in his Sooners debut. Junior Brenen Thompson followed with four receptions, and Andrel Anthony — who suffered a season-ending knee injury last fall — logged one catch in his return.
No. 16 Oklahoma turned six Temple turnovers into 33 points and rode a confident performance from Arnold (17-for-25, 141 yards, 4 touchdowns) in his first career regular-season start.
The Sooners host Houston in Week 2.