Why Jackson Arnold, Deion Burks could be dynamic duo for OU football in 2024

NORMAN — It didn’t take long for Jackson Arnold and Deion Burks to gain a relationship this spring.

When Burks arrived on campus as one of the most coveted receivers out of the winter transfer portal window, Arnold went out of his way to invite Burks to work out and watch tape. But it wasn’t until they walked onto the OU football practice field that they realized there was something special brewing.

“This connection came pretty fast,” Arnold said. “The first couple weeks of spring, I was throwing touchdowns to him and he was playing his butt off. … Deion’s special, a special player. He’s one of the fastest kids I’ve thrown to. He knows how to get open with great route running and he showed the ability today and I’m so proud of him.”

Arnold, OU’s new starting quarterback and former five-star recruit, and Burks, the Purdue transfer, erupted during the Sooners’ annual spring game Saturday with a combined 407 yards of offense in one half. The red team’s opening touchdown in the first quarter was a 50-yard laser from Arnold to Burks, with the latter showing off his twitchy quickness.

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The dynamic duo linked again in the second quarter, this time for 64 yards as Burks blew past every Sooner defender on the field so fast some of the 45,861 fans inside Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium might’ve missed him.

While Oklahoma’s spring game, which is essentially an extra practice scrimmage, is sure to ignite overreaction from fans on social media, Venables assures what Burks showed on the field will translate to the season.

"Probably the best thing he does is his work ethic,” Venables said postgame. “He's wide open when it comes to practice and his passion for the game, he's incredibly competitive. He helps the guys he's lined up against and the guys next to him as well. 

“So, he’s been fantastic. Great playmaker. He’s got tremendous speed and quickness. He’s got great hands. …. He’s really done a great job of learning what to do and transitioning that within our system."

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A star was born in Norman on Saturday.

Burks caught five passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns in the first half before sitting out the second half. He also rushed for seven yards on two carries.

Burks said he and new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell have brainstormed on different ways to utilize his skills whether it be with deep passes and jet sweeps, and the two envision his role will be similar to Drake Stoops’ last season.

“We pretty much just go into practice and try to find the green grass and just get used to the offense and stuff like that. … We go over a lot of plays all the time," Burks said. "They're pretty much direct on what they want and what they need and I just feel like film study with (Arnold) and the staff, it’s just helped motivate me to learn it.”

As for OU’s new QB1? Arnold looked more comfortable than he ever has in a Sooners uniform, going through his progressions, moving in the pocket and delivering mostly accurate passes.

He completed 10 of his 20 pass attempts for 233 yards and two touchdowns and finished with zero turnovers. While it’s just the spring game, Arnold showed more patience and took some "sacks" instead of throwing the ball into dangerous areas.

Venables has raved about Arnold’s increased leadership role this spring and it has seemingly translated to the field. He’ll certainly have a plethora of weapons at his disposal with the emergence of Burks and whenever Nic Anderson, Andrel Anthony and Jalil Farooq return from injury.

More:Oklahoma football spring game takeaways: Deion Burks shines as Sooners' Red team wins

“I'd say my leadership is where I've developed the most,” Arnold said. “There's a lot of stuff I can say on the field, but if I want to say off the field, just getting with these guys and creating a great connection with these guys and building that leadership and stepping into that role.”

Burks concurs. 

Arnold has already begun planning team-bonding activities this summer to help the team grow, similarly to Dillon Gabriel’s “Dimetime” retreats in recent years. If Saturday’s performance are any indication, Arnold and Burks have a chance to be one of the most explosive duos in the SEC. 

The two will spend the offseason perfecting the bond they’ve created on and off the field.

“(We’re) just going to keep building on what we did this spring,” Burks said, “just keep trying to get on the same page mentally and just get the reps that we need.”