Oklahoma Football: Where can Sooners turn after Nick Basquine injury?

Oklahoma football received some devastating news on Friday as junior wide out Nick Basquine suffered an Achilles injury.

Losing Dede Westbrook seemed to be the only devastating thing that would happen to Oklahoma football’s receiving corps in 2017, but that was until Friday when Nick Basquine suffered an Achilles injury. The junior wide out was the team’s lead returning wide receiver and he is expected to miss the year.

More: 5 reasons why Oklahoma Sooners will stink in 2017

Where does Oklahoma go from here?

Losing Westbrook was already a tough blow, but now the Sooners will have to replace the guy coming back with the most production from last season. The junior caught 20 passes for 265 yards and two scores and looked to be a rising star.

Fortunately, there’s one leading candidate to take over that top receiving spot, and he wasn’t on the team last season. In fact, his name is Jeff Badet and he’s a Kentucky transfer. The senior put up 31 catches for 670 yards and four touchdowns with the Wildcats in 2016.

Baker Mayfield played a role in getting him to Norman and there’s a solid chance he could be the Sooners’ top breakout candidate this fall.

I mean, just look at this footwork from the newest Sooner:

Although the loss of Basquine will be tough to overcome, it looks like the Sooners are replacing him with a potential star.

If that’s not enough, senior Jeffery Mead and junior Dahu Green will also provide a punch at the position. This team is filled with relatively unproven talent at the wide receiver position, but don’t be surprised if Badet, a 6-foot, 178-pound senior from Orlando, becomes the next breakout Sooner wide out.

Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

Oh yeah, and Mark Andrews at tight end will lessen the blow. He is the team’s top returning pass-catcher, from 2016. He had 31 catches for 489 yards and seven touchdowns. Expect his, and Badet’s, numbers to skyrocket.