Securing the state’s best prospects has been essential for the Oklahoma Sooners under Brent Venables.
On Sunday, they received a commitment from in-state four-star wide receiver Jaden Nickens. Nickens raved about how they made him feel at home and how playing for his home state was essential.
While the 2024 class doesn’t have nearly the nationally recognized talent that the 2025 class does in the Sooner Stare, legitimate Power Five prospects are still available.
One of those talents is Danny Okoye, a 247Sports composite four-star who is ranked No. 158 in his class.
He’s been a target of Oklahoma for a while now. After he visited the Sooners for Party at the Palace, Oklahoma made themselves a prominent figure in his recruiting. Okoye dropped his top six schools on Sunday afternoon, and Oklahoma made the cut.
Where is home gonna be?
pic.twitter.com/IWRC6apRrF
— Danny "
hantom" Okoye (@itsdanielokoye) August 13, 2023
The Sooners join Texas, Tennessee, LSU, Alabama and Colorado in his top six. Tennessee has developed a notable relationship with Okoye, making them a real threat in this recruitment. Alabama has also positioned itself in a favorable spot as well.
When speaking to Brett Greenberg of 247Sports (Subscription required) about his thoughts on each school, Okoye said this about Oklahoma:
”OU has always been showing the love for me since the beginning. One of the reasons they are in the top six is just after their last season, the amount of work that they’ve put in and the amount of progress they’ve made as a team and program, it’s definitely worth being noticed. The coaching staff is a national championship coaching staff, and I can definitely see OU winning the national championship in the future.”
No timetable for a decision has been confirmed, but Okoye told Bama247 he is planning for a mid-October to early November commitment. So it’s plausible this recruitment could see itself lasting well into the fall.
Okoye would also be a take regardless of what happens with the impending decisions of five-star edge target Williams Nwaneri and five-star defensive tackles David Stone and Dominick McKinley. Oklahoma could take up to seven defensive linemen in this class, and if they land Okoye, he would be one of them.
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