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It is that time of year. Over the new few weeks across the college football landscape, many Division I hopefuls will take campus visits across the country. The recruiting frenzy begins.
247Sports’ publishers and writers compiled a list of must-land recruits in the 2022 class for the top projected college football programs. These players are poised to become cornerstones in the future.
For the Oklahoma Sooners, 247Sports selected five-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy as the man to boost the roster in Norman.
Oklahoma took a massive step on the defensive side of the ball last year, jumping from 63rd to 26th nationally in yards allowed per play. Part of that is Alex Grinch’s schemes. But a big portion of that rise is talent. The Sooners have recruited well defensively and have stockpiled depth. What they haven’t done is signed a five-star d-lineman. In fact, the program hasn’t done so since 2009. Bronwlow-Dindy, an Oklahoma legacy, could be that guy as the Sooners wrestle with Ohio State, Texas A&M, Clemson and Florida.
“It’s Gabe Dindy, not because of a pressing need at d-line but because of the ramifications,” OU Insider’s Brandon Drumm said. “He’s an Oklahoma legacy. Both parents went to OU, and the Sooners have shown signs of life on defense since (defensive coordinator) Alex Grinch arrived in Norman. … Landing that five-star d-lineman is the next step in the Grinch evolution. Can they do that with a Dindy or Omari Abor, whose family has OU ties as well?
The Lakeland, Florida native is one of the most heavily sought after names in the college football recruiting scene. He has certainly caught the attention of Alex Grinch and the No. 3 defensive tackle in the country would make Oklahoma’s defense even more lethal. His speed and physicality in the trenches has certainly been a draw for OU, possessing traits that Grinch prioritizes. Oklahoma is the current 247Sports’ Crystal Ball leader for Brownlow-Dindy.
He explodes off the ball with rare first-step quickness and would thrive in Grinch’s one-gap scheme up front. At 6’3, 275 pounds, he anchors his team’s defense and consistently wreaks havoc on opposing offenses at Lakeland High School. As an interior lineman in 2019, he notched 29.5 tackles and an impressive 11.5 sacks. Typically defensive ends put up higher sack numbers with their primary role being to rush the passer, but for a defensive tackle to continuously collapse the pocket like Brownlow-Dindy, is special. He would help create a monstrous defensive line in Norman if Oklahoma wins the recruiting battle.