Jalil Farooq injury update: Brent Venables claims OU WR's journey is 'not over'

Oklahoma wide receiver Jalil Farooq suffered a broken foot on the first offensive drive of the Sooners’ 2024 campaign. On Tuesday, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables provided an update on Farooq’s recovery.

“He’s a great competitor, cares about this program, cares about his teammates,” Venables said. “He feels like his mission, his journey is not over here at Oklahoma. He wants to have a legacy here. I think that’s important for Jalil. He’s had a lot of growth, development and transformation. He’ll be the first to tell you that since he’s been here.

“He loves to compete if you watch him play. If you never talked to him but watched how he plays, you would say a lot of those things. A guy that cares a lot, plays with great toughness, an edge.”

Farooq’s injury required surgery, which ruled him out for at least six to eight weeks. As of this report, it’s been just over nine weeks since his injury occurred. Farooq could play in Oklahoma’s final three regular-season games and its bowl game while still maintaining the season of eligibility.

His return would be a significant boost for the Sooners, who are in need of offensive weapons. In the 2023 campaign, Farooq tallied 45 receptions for 694 yards and two touchdowns. His 694 receiving yards were the third-most on the team.

Before leaving the season opener with his injury, Jalil Farooq recorded one catch for 47 yards. Venables knows how much Farooq’s return could mean for the Sooners.

“He can do a lot as a receiver,” Venables said. “Both explosively and can challenge you vertically in the touch game. We’ve missed that piece since he and Deion [Burks] have been out.

“I know he’s working hard. He has high hopes to contribute quickly. He was out there with us last night in some capacity. But the availability report starts tomorrow, and then we’ll go from there.”

On Saturday, Oklahoma will square off against Missouri at 7:45 p.m. ET. The game will air live on the SEC Network.