Oklahoma’s Leading Returning Receiver Suffers Season-Ending Injury

University of Oklahoma wide receiver Nick Basquine has been ruled out for the 2017-18 season after suffering a torn Achilles in a non-contact portion of practice on Saturday, head coach Lincoln Riley announced this week.

Basquine was the leading returning receiver for the Sooners headed into the season and was expected to take a major leap after the departure of Biletnikoff Award winner Dede Westbrook. The former walk-on from Norman logged 20 receptions for 265 yards last season in just 10 games last season, leaving OU especially depleted of proven players at the position.

In addition to Basquine’s injury that will cost him the season, the Sooners also lost backup offensive lineman Alex Dalton for the season due to a knee injury suffered last week.

With Basquine out of the picture, the door is now wide-open for OU’s receivers to take advantage of a newfound opportunity. Riley mentioned Mykel Jones and Charleston Rambo, a pair of former four-star receivers, as guys who will likely be called upon to take on a bigger role in camp to solidify themselves in the rotation.

OU also adds Kentucky transfer Jeff Badet to its receiving group as well as touted freshman CeeDee Lamb, who chose the Sooners over OSU and Texas A&M in the recruiting process.

Although Basquine has been little more than a bit player to this point in his career, the loss could be a significant blow to the overall depth of a Sooner receiving attack which is already scrambling to replace the production of the aforementioned Westbrook and Joe Mixon, the two leading Oklahoma receivers from last year who are now in NFL training camps.