Checotah product and OU freshman wide receiver Elijah Thomas receives high praise

Transferring from Washington State, the Sooners know what they are about to get with quarterback John Mateer. But, what about the players catching passes from the potential Heisman candidate?

Deion Burks, Isaiah Sategna, and Jayden Gibson (who is currently still rehabbing an injury) are proven at the wide receiver position for Oklahoma. But, after that the Sooners are set to rely on a bunch of other transfers and young guys.

We'll see how much true freshman Elijah Thomas plays in the season opener next Saturday against Illinois State, but the Checotah product recently received high praise from his position coach.

Thomas compared to Malik Nabers

Speaking with the media earlier this week, OU wide receivers coach Emmett Jones compared Thomas to former LSU star and New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers. Nabers caught over 105 passes last year for the Giants to go with over 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns.

"That's Malik Nabers right there," Jones said of Thomas. "I think he's gonna have a little bit of that athletic ability in him, but this program will instill you with different DNA. He's just so explosive. Learns fast, takes good notes, man. Never really makes the same mistake."

Explosive is the adjective used to describe Elijah Thomas

"We put a lot of pressure on him to see how he will respond, Jones said. He's responding well. I try to break him on the field, try to break him in the classroom. I can't break him at all. He's got natural ball skills. Like I said, he's so explosive. His catch range and his radius is ridiculous, man. He is Just a freak of nature that gets better everyday."

A standout at Checotah

A four-star prospect coming out of high school, Sooner fans can turn on Hudl and watch what they expect from Thomas at the next level. A top 130 national recruit, Thomas racked up over 2,00 total yards and 37 touchdowns for Checotah during his senior year.