ESPN releases updated recruiting rankings, Oklahoma tops in the conference

Where the Oklahoma Sooners 2022 recruiting class ranks among the best per ESPN.

No question the Oklahoma Sooners have been red hot on the recruiting trail as of late. They fell to No. 22 in 247Sports composite team rankings after a pair of wide receivers decommitted from the class.

Since that time they have added a slew of top prospects to jump back into the top five of 247Sports’ updated rankings. Recently, ESPN released updated rankings (subscription required) for their recruiting coverage. OU is viewed as one of the top teams for them as well.

No. 6: Oklahoma Sooners

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

What ESPN Says…

Lincoln Riley may need to figure out a way to incorporate a second football into his offensive attack with the depth of playmakers he is amassing. The Sooners signed one of the best wide receiver classes in the 2021 cycle, and several more top offensive weapons are on board for 2022. The class includes ESPN 300 five-star WR Burden, a fast and smooth target out of Illinois who had an MVP performance at the Under Armour Future 50 event. Adding to the offensive firepower is a pair of top-five running backs in Gavin Sawchuk and Raleek Brown, a sudden and speedy scatback-type who can be dangerous in space. They also added some strong defensive pieces in lengthy and powerful top-five DE Moore and top-three ILB Kobie McKinzie.

According to ESPN’s rankings, Luther Burden is their top offensive commit with Derrick Moore coming in as the top defensive commit. The team just added another commit to the class on Saturday with four-star tight end Kaden Helms. Helms gives them their second tight end commit in the 2022 cycle. Given how Riley likes to incorporate multiple tight end and h-back sets, they will likely see plenty of time.

Oklahoma comes in just one spot ahead of their biggest rivals, the Texas Longhorns on the list. Baylor (No. 15) and Oklahoma State (No. 20) round out the Big 12 Conference’s team in the top 25 for ESPN. There are still more top targets available for the Sooners class as they continue to stockpile talent and maintain their stranglehold on the conference.

Up next on Sunday evening, OU is expected to land the No. 2 quarterback in Malachi Nelson. He would make the second 2023 commit after four-star athlete Treyaun Webb pledged on Saturday.

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