By Michael Kinney
Anyone who has seen CeeDee Lamb since the end of last season has noticed a remarkable difference.
Out of all of the Sooners who have made changes to their physique, none of them have done as much as Lamb. According to the junior, it’s all about the mentality he is taking into his third season at Okla
“Aggressive,” Lamb said. “I want to come out and attack whoever it is guarding me. Open up lanes for my teammates. Just be a better teammate if you will. That goes along with aggressiveness. Just doing what I have to do as a receiver, all that I can do. I just want to be better overall.”
As a freshman Lamb came into the program at 173 pounds. He is currently listed in the Sooners spring roster at 189 pounds. However, he looks closer to more than 200.
Over his first two seasons at OU, Lamb was known for his sure hands and the ability to make big catches in clutch situations. He has 111 receptions, 1,965 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Despite the strong numbers, Lamb saw room for improvement. And it began with working on his body. That includes his arms and chest.
“Now I feel like I’m more powerful in the arms and just upper body as well. Overall, I feel like I’ve grown as a person in the weight room, on the field,” Lamb said. “I just feel like coming here in a system where they take everything seriously: weights, protein. Whatever it is, they take it 100 percent and they want you to grow as a person. I feel like that’s the ultimate goal. “
Lamb said the intense workout regimen isn’t just for looks. It is to help him become a better football player at Oklahoma and beyond.
“I feel like it just adds to my repertoire, if you will,” Lamb said. “Instead of just doing releases I can maybe just run through one of them. That is where I feel the strength can play a part. And maybe inside my route, I don’t get pushed inside, off my route. I can stay in and get open where the quarterbacks need me. It just opens up a lot of situations.”
With Marquise Brown heading to the NFL, Lamb will become the primary focal point of the passing game. It could look similar to the way he dismantled the Alabama secondary in the Orange Bowl with eight catches for 109 yards, all coming once the Sooners were down 28-0.
However, Oklahoma brought in a group of young, talented wideouts to help Lamb this season. The incoming freshman of Trejan Bridges, Jaden Haselwood, Theo Wease and tight end Austin Stogner.
Lamb said he is not pushing the new receivers to follow his lead in the weight room just yet. He says they have time, like he did.
“I don’t push too much on them right now because before you know, they will all be 210,” Lamb said. “I just take it year by year if you will. Because the weights, they will be there. If you come here, or any college program, you don’t have to worry about weights. Just worry about building as a person and a player. Because weights and all the small things, they are going to fix that for you.”
Michael Kinney is a Freelance Content Creator