In the wake of former Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley’s sudden departure to USC, several decommitments have rocked Sooner Nation over the past couple weeks. The most recent was five-star defensive lineman Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy who flipped from Oklahoma to Texas A&M.
Brownlow-Dindy is rated as the nation’s No. 3 defensive lineman and No. 8 player overall in the 2022 class according to 247Sports.
With Brent Venables officially announced as Oklahoma’s new head football coach, there could potentially be some good news on the horizon, though.
247Sports’ Ryan Wallace of GoPowercat.com flipped his crystal ball prediction for four-star athlete Jaren Kanak from Clemson to Oklahoma.
Kanak ranks as the No. 6 athlete and 120th player nationally according to 247Sports’ Class of 2022 rankings. The 6-foot-2, 210 pound product from Hays, Kan., is the top-rated player in the Sunflower state.
Kanak committed to Clemson back on July 30. Here’s what Catch It Kansas wrote about Kanak’s decision at the time.
Kanak’s recruiting took off following a standout showing at the Sharp Performance combine in 2020, and continued through a strong performance in running the second fastest 100 time (10.37) in all of Kansas during track season. Now a 4-star recruit according to both Rivals and 247 Sports, the 6-2 athlete is headed to play for another Kansas native in Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables. Also a receiver and returner for the Indians, most recruiting services project him as a linebacker or safety at the collegiate level.
Kanak chose the Tigers over 34 other schools, including Alabama, Oklahoma, Michigan, USC, and in-state schools Kansas and Kansas State. He visited the Tigers on the first official day of the recruiting period opening up following extended time without school visits due to the pandemic.
The number 8 athlete in the country, Kanak has drawn comparisons to another Kansas native in Isaiah Simmons. The Olathe native helped lead the Tiger defense to a National Championship before being selected in the top ten of the 2020 NFL Draft. – Catch It Kansas staff
It’s no certain thing that Kanak winds up at Oklahoma. He’s still committed to Clemson right now. However, Venables was the lead recruiter for Kanak, so his decision to become Oklahoma’s new head coach could open the door for the Sooners to pull off a late recruiting flip of their own.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions.
[vertical-gallery id=49575]