Oklahoma got the injury news it wanted just hours before kickoff. Wide receiver Parker Livingstone, who transferred in from Texas this offseason, has been cleared to play against UTEP tonight, according to Yahoo Sports' Pete Thamel. He'd been banged up with a concussion that kept him off the practice field, and the uncertainty hung over Norman all week heading into the opener.
Sources: Oklahoma WR Parker Livingstone has been cleared to play and will be available against UTEP tonight. He'd recently missed some practice time with a concussion, but he will make his debut for the Sooners against UTEP. This will be his first game since transferring from Texas.
This is Livingstone's first snap for Oklahoma, period, and it's been a long road to get here. He entered the transfer portal in January and was in Norman within days, a move he later called "a business decision" after Texas reportedly wasn't willing to match what Oklahoma put on the table. He also said publicly that if it weren't for his agent walking him through his market value, he probably never leaves Austin.
The tape backs up why Oklahoma wanted him. In his lone season as a starter at Texas, Livingstone caught 29 passes for 516 yards and 6 touchdowns, plenty of them from his old roommate, Arch Manning. He redshirted as a true freshman in 2024 with zero catches, so 2025 was really his first real showcase — and it was enough to make him one of the bigger names to switch sides of the Red River Rivalry this cycle.
Pete Nakos and On3 had been tracking the injury situation right alongside Thamel, and their earlier report Thursday flagged Livingstone's status as one of two things worth watching on Oklahoma's injury report ahead of kickoff, along with the health of the Sooners' starting center.
The latest @On3 is hearing on Oklahoma WR Parker Livingstone and the Sooners' starting center ahead of tonight's season opener against UTEP. Injury Report: t.co/soYFY1E2S6
None of that matters if he can't suit up, which is why the clearance is the headline. UTEP is about as favorable a matchup as Oklahoma could ask for to ease a new receiver into the lineup — low pressure, a chance to get some real reps against a live defense before Big 12 play ramps up the degree of difficulty.
For Oklahoma, getting Livingstone on the field tonight is about more than one non-conference tune-up. He was brought in to be a difference-maker in the passing game, and every game he sits is a game the staff doesn't get to see what they paid for. Tonight, at least, they finally get a look.