Arlington Renegades draft Drake Stoops, son of head coach Bob

The Arlington Renegades drafted former Oklahoma wide receiver Drake Stoops on Wednesday amid the UFL college draft. The team snagged him with their 10th selection, giving the NFL rookie a fallback plan if he doesn’t stick to a roster. He signed with the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent after the NFL Draft in April. If he ever ends up playing for the Renegades, he’d be coached by his father, former Sooners head coach Bob Stoops.

The elder Stoops coached the Dallas Renegades of the XFL before serving as an interim coach at Oklahoma, then took over the re-formed Renegades in the UFL in 2023. The Renegades went 3-7 this season, gaining the third pick in the 10-round draft. They selected former UCF and Ole Miss quarterback John Rhys Plumlee with their first-round pick.

UFL contracts allow players to sign deals with an “NFL out,” which lets them play in the big leagues during the season. The team that drafts a player holds their exclusive rights until the player reports to the team or the team gives up that player’s rights.

Stoops prepares for first NFL training camp

Even as he’s drafted into the UFL, Stoops is currently preparing to begin his NFL career. The Rams have rookie check-in for training camp on July 23. The team will hold their training camp practices at Loyola Marymount and host joint practices with both the Cowboys and Chargers.

Despite drafting his son, Bob Stoops hopes Drake works out in the NFL. He opened up about the wide receiver’s fit in Los Angeles after the draft.

“I love it, I think it’s a great fit,” the coach said. “I love Coach McVay, just watching him. Don’t really personally know him, but always respected and appreciated the way they coach and play design and everything they do. Really solid program and he does a great job. Great quarterback, so yeah, all of it’s really good.

“Hopefully for Drake, and what they kept telling him for several weeks is just what a great fit he is for them. Fortunately, they called immediately as the draft was ending, so it was positive. No matter where you might be drafted or not, or free agent or not, you’ve got to go earn it. It’s a competitive environment, but Drake’s excited about it, of course.”

Stoops was a six-year player for Oklahoma. He joined the team as a member of the 2018 recruiting class out of Norman North High School. Lincoln Riley signed him as a walk-on, though he eventually worked his way to a scholarship in 2021.

During the 2023 season, Stoops was Oklahoma’s top receiver. He finished with 84 receptions for 962 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 11.5 yards per catch. Stoops had 100+ yard games on three different occasions, with the best being 164 yards and three touchdowns in a win against West Virginia.