Andrel Anthony and his family were blown away.
The ex-Michigan receiver, who entered the transfer portal last winter after catching seven passes for 80 yards in 2022, planned to visit two schools before deciding on his next destination. After traveling to Norman, the family had an itinerary for another visit, which proved unnecessary.
“We were like, ‘What else can you ask for?’ from what we’d seen,” Andrel Anthony Sr. told the OU Daily. “You get a checklist of things you want covered. It was almost like, ‘OK, well, the boxes are checked.’ Why even waste time going anywhere else? They covered everything you want in a school.”
Hosted by head coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, the Anthonys’ visit to OU couldn’t have gone better. Going into it, they desired an offensive system relying more on a passing game, unlike Jim Harbaugh’s in Ann Arbor.
The family left the visit intrigued by Venables’ and Lebby’s family values — which align with Anthony’s, who has a tattoo on his right bicep that reads his surname — and the similarities with their own unit.
Now, seemingly OU’s No. 1 target after catching the Sooners’ first two passes for 48 yards in their 73-0 win over Arkansas State last Saturday, Anthony is thriving in both the system and culture he craved after two years with the Wolverines. His 66 total yards nearly eclipse his season total from a year ago, boosting his morale.
“It was definitely a big confidence booster,” Anthony said of his play. “Not like a sigh of relief but just finding my feet with a new team. It’s different and a change, but the more reps and game scenarios, those are really a confidence booster.”
Anthony still calls his father after practices and games for advice and to evaluate his performance. Last weekend, however, the two had the chance to evaluate his play in person as his family flew to Oklahoma from their home in East Lansing, Michigan.
“It’s literally God and family in my life,” Anthony said. “When I saw my mom when I got off the bus, she was crying. I was emotional. And it’s just like it’s funny too, because whenever I’m at any game, I have no idea where they’re going to be sitting since it was my first game and I’m looking around for my mom.”
Anthony Sr. was impressed with his son’s Sooners debut but is picky and says there’s a lot to build on. Expectations surrounded the junior when he arrived on campus for his speed and deep ball prowess.
Dillon Gabriel and Anthony connected on one before Arkansas State defenders resorted to tackling him during routes when the ball was in the air, which earned pass interference calls.
“It is frustrating but at the same time, it happens. It’s a part of the game,” Anthony said. “And I was talking to my dad about it as well, I wish they would incorporate more of a spot foul. Eliminate those in a sense. At the same time, it’s about the next play, go get the next one. That’s how I look at it.”
Anthony had been on Lebby’s radar since he tried to recruit him to Mississippi out of high school. The Sooners’ play-caller, who is always looking to increase his tempo, remembered the speedster and phoned him a day after he entered the portal.
“When he got in the portal,” Lebby said. “I have some really close connections at Michigan and was able to reach out and talk to some people inside the building, they didn’t want to lose him. They loved him. They wanted him there.”
Meeting Venables’ wife Julie and his son Jake and Lebby’s wife and young children meant a lot to the Anthony’s and showed them what environment their son would be in every day.
With an offseason in Norman under his belt, Anthony is beginning to form relationships with teammates, improving chemistry with Gabriel and leaning into the family atmosphere. He loves the quiet living Norman provides and sits on his front porch in the evenings, watching cars drive by.
It’s why the family canceled their second visit and have a desire to move from their home state to Oklahoma. It feels like family.
“It wasn’t like a regular visit you go on,” Anthony Sr. said. “So you go on visits and it’s like you see this facility, you see this weight room. At this stage of football, everyone has the big weight room and nice facilities, but (OU has) that comfort where they were just seemed like they were just normal people.”
