Tag: 2022 recruiting cycle

5-star DL Lebbeus Overton commits to Texas A&M

2022 5-star defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton chooses the Aggies over Oklahoma, Ohio State, Oregon, and Georgia.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

Once a part of the sweepstakes for five-star defensive lineman Lebbeus Overton, the highly-touted member of the 2022 class has committed to the Texas A&M Aggies. It doesn’t come as much of a surprise as recruiting services 247Sports and On3 were trending Overton toward Texas A&M in recent days. Still, the Sooners have to be disappointed they didn’t get a chance to host Overton on an official visit.

Originally, Overton had plans to visit the University of Oklahoma in April, but in recent days cancelled that visit along with one to Ohio State as he planned to make his commitment decision.

The No. 17 player in the 2022 class was initially a part of the 2023 class before reclassifying to the current recruiting cycle. Now he joins an already impressive Aggies recruiting class that was No. 1 in the nation with eight five-star players prior to Overton’s commitment.

Overton is one of six defensive linemen committed to Aggies along with former Oklahoma Sooners commit Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy.

Time will tell what the impact on the field will look like, but the Aggies are making a strong push to challenge Georgia and Alabama at the top of the SEC in the next several years.

For Oklahoma, the Sooners have three defensive lineman committed for 2022; Gracen Halton, Alton Tarber, and Cedric Roberts. As Brent Venables looks to reshape the Sooners defense not even getting an official visit with Overton hurts.

However, the Sooners got some good news for their 2023 defensive line class as Peter Woods included the Sooners in his “final four” teams ahead of his commitment that will likely come this summer.

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Where the Oklahoma Sooners stand with 2022 5-star DL Lebbeus Overton according to 247Sports

With an official visit on tap for April, 247Sports Steve Wiltfong breaks down where the Sooners stand for 2022 5-star DL Lebbeus Overton.

The Oklahoma Sooners currently hold the No. 8 recruiting class in the 2022 cycle. There are a couple of five-star prospects in play that the Sooners have offers out to that could raise that ranking; offensive tackle Josh Conerly and defensive tackle Lebbeus Overton.

Overton was originally a member of the 2023 class but reclassified to be eligible to step on campus in 2022. The Sooners are in his top five, with a visit scheduled for April. An Oklahoma legacy, his father Milton Overton played offensive line for the Oklahoma Sooners in the 90s. Then he told 247Sports Steve Wiltfong that the hiring of Brent Venables made a difference when the five-star defensive lineman trimmed his list of schools to five.

247Sports is working through a series titled “War Daddy” that looks at the top talent and which schools are in the mix for their commitment. For [autotag]Lebbeus Overton[/autotag], the Sooners are in the mix, but Director of Recruiting at 247Sports Steve Wiltfong believes the “Aggies are the team to beat.”

But with an official visit on the horizon with the Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables and staff will get their opportunity to show “L.T.” what Norman has to offer. Though not in the lead, Oklahoma still has a shot.

Initially, Overton’s interest in Oklahoma was rooted in going out to see where his father played. Overton made it to the ChampU BBQ last summer and returned for a game. Lincoln Riley’s energy similar to Day’s was exciting. When Brent Venables got the job at Oklahoma, that didn’t hurt things — his scheme at Clemson has always intrigued Overton and Overton knows the type of defensive lineman he can become playing under Venables. Overton is scheduled to get back to Norman for the Oklahoma spring game the week after Ohio State’s. – Wiltfong, 247Sports

Over the years, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has developed a track record for establishing great defensive play and providing opportunities for defensive linemen to win along the line of scrimmage. [autotag]Gerald McCoy[/autotag] and [autotag]Tommie Harris[/autotag] at Oklahoma and Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence at Clemson are just a few examples. That track record will keep the Sooners squarely in the sights of Overton until he makes his decision.

The Sooners have made a concerted effort to stockpile defensive line talent to bolster Oklahoma’s defensive front before the move to the SEC. Adding a player like Overton would put the Sooners in great shape with their future move on the horizon.

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LSU basketball loses final commit in 2022 recruiting class

With Yohan Traore backing off his pledge, the Tigers’ current recruiting class sits vacant.

When Tigers athletic director Scott Woodward made the decision to fire men’s basketball coach Will Wade on March 13 as a result of the NCAA’s investigation into the program, it would have been reasonable to guess that some roster attrition was likely to follow.

What has happened since for LSU, however, could be deemed a worst-case scenario. The Tigers lost both of their 2022 signees in the wake of Wade’s departure when Julian Phillips and Devin Ree were released from their letters of intent and decommitted.

Now, LSU has lost the final piece of its 2022 class as five-star Glendale (Arizona) Dream City Christian center Yohan Traore backed off his pledge to the Tigers.

LSU also lost its lone commit in the 2023 class in five-star point guard Marvel Allen.

Now, the Tigers are left with a completely bare 2022 class with not much time to get things fixed. National signing day is on April 13, meaning new coach Matt McMahon has just over three weeks to try to find at least one player to add to the class.

Barring something unforeseen, the transfer portal will likely be this team’s best bet to rebuild for 2022-23, and given the state of college sports, it’s very likely McMahon could target some of his former Murray State players to make the jump to the power conference ranks.

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LSU basketball signee decommits in the wake of Will Wade firing

Devin Ree become the first LSU player to back off their pledge after Wade’s firing.

Attrition in recruiting is sure to follow any coaching change, an the ongoing situation at LSU is no different. After the program fired basketball coach Will Wade on Saturday, it lost the pledge of one of its three commitments in the 2022 recruiting class.

Four-star forward Devin Ree, who signed his letter of intent in November, announced late Sunday night that he has decommitted from the Tigers in the wake of the uncertainty surrounding the coaching situation. Wade was fired in the wake of a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA that cited him with multiple Level I violations, alongside associate head coach Bill Armstrong.

Interim coach Kevin Nickelberry will coach LSU in the NCAA Tournament, where it faces Iowa State in the first round on Friday night in Milwaukee.

Ree is the No. 82 recruit in the country, per the 247Sports Composite. The Terry (Mississippi) prospect averaged 23.2 points and 12 rebounds during his junior season in 2020, and he’s been pledged to LSU since December 2020.

With Ree out, LSU is left with one signee and one hard commit in the 2020 class. Five-star power forward Julian Phillips — the No. 12 player in the country — has signed his NLI, while five-star center Yohan Traore is unsigned but remains committed.

Still, with the news, both (as well as lone 2023 commit Marvel Allen) could look to head elsewhere. The Tigers could also be in danger of losing several players to the transfer portal.

It’s a lot for fans to wrap their heads around as this team looks to make a run in March Madness this week with an interim coach at the helm.

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Oklahoma Sooners the best at recruiting running backs in 2022 according to ESPN

The Oklahoma Sooners running back additions in the 2022 recruiting cycle make OU the best at recruiting the position in 2022 per ESPN.

One of the brightest spots on the recruiting trail over the last few years has been the emergence of running backs coach DeMarco Murray as one of the best recruiters in college football. In the wake of the coaching change at OU, several players made it clear they were planning on staying with Oklahoma as long as DeMarco Murray was with OU.

Two of those players are 2022 signees Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes, two highly-ranked running backs and players that could have an immediate impact as freshmen. Recruits weren’t the only ones to take notice, though.

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren put out a list of the best schools at recruiting each position on offense (ESPN+). The Sooners made his list as the best at recruiting running backs, according to VanHaaren.

Gavin Sawchuk is the No. 60 recruit overall and the fourth-best running back in the class out of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. He’s joined by Jovantae Barnes, who is ranked No. 93 overall and as the No. 7 running back. He’s a 5-11, 185-pound back out of Las Vegas, and both should be able to provide some impact in 2022. – VanHaaren, ESPN

Due to Murray’s success in the NFL and his abilities as a college coach and recruiter, he’s opened access to the western half of the United States, particularly Las Vegas, for the Sooners.

Barnes and fellow 2022 signee Jake Taylor hail from Murray’s hometown in Nevada. 2023 four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore, who recently withdrew his commitment, was originally from Vegas before moving to Los Alamitos to play with Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon.

The Sooners lost Moore’s commitment through no fault of Murray’s as Moore relayed a lack of communication from the new coaching staff as part of why he reopened his commitment.

With Barnes and Sawchuk, the Sooners landed two of the top 10 running backs in the country, setting them up for the next several years at the position. But as long as DeMarco Murray is in Norman, Oklahoma will remain at the top of the sport recruiting the running back position for a very long time.

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Oklahoma Sooners add punter Brady Braun out of Indiana to 2022 recruiting class

The Oklahoma Sooners added to their 2022 recruiting class, getting a signature from punter Brady Braun.

Punters can be a weapon for a team with a strong defense. Pinning your opponent deep in their own territory or flipping field position with a strong effort from your punter and punt unit can help take the wind out of the opponent.

Teams never want to have to use a punter, but every team wants a good one. The Sooners have a great one in Michael Turk and hope they’ve added another great one with the signing of punter Brady Braun out of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Braun announced today via his social media account that he has signed his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Sooners got a commitment from the Under Armour All-American back on Feb. 1 and he made it official today from his high school Bishop Chatard in Indianapolis.

Braun is ranked as the No. 4 punter according to Kohl’s Kicking, a kicking camp that provides evaluations on more than 100 kickers and punters. Here’s what they had to say about Braun.

Braun recently competed at Kohl’s 2021 National Scholarship Camp in July. He won a spot to play in the Under Armour All-American Game at that camp. At the Midwest Spring Showcase he won the punt competition in May of 2021. At the Underclassman Challenge in January of 2021 he scored 111.2 points as a punter. In July of 2020 at the National Scholarship Camp, he had a punt score of 110.84 and earned a 5 star rating. During the 2019 Winter Showcase, Braun charted all three disciplines. His technique puts him in a great position to hit a clean football. He shows top-tier leg strength in his class. Braun has the tools to be a very successful punter. He is definitely one to watch this season!

According to a story from OUInsider’s Parker Thune, Braun received his offer and committed all during his official visit. Those meetings must have spoke volumes for the All-American as he looked to take the next step in his playing career.

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Positional breakdown of additions made by the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022

A positional breakdown of the players the Oklahoma Sooners added through the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners suffered losses to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. The talent that walked out the door is difficult to replace. However, holes in the lineup mean new opportunities for younger players to step up and the depth chart to do its job.

Brent Venables and his staff did a tremendous job addressing needs through the transfer portal, and they attacked the 2022 recruiting cycle looking to the future of the program.

Through it all, they’ve added some nice pieces that can contribute right away and a bright future that might be able to make an impact in year one with the Sooners.

Here’s a positional breakdown of each player the Oklahoma Sooners added this offseason.

Oklahoma football’s official recruiting class after national signing day 2022

A look at the 2022 recruiting class and where each player ranks with the four major recruiting services after national signing day.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together one of the eight best recruiting classes in the country through national signing day. The declarations of the Sooners’ demise was greatly exaggerated as Brent Venables and his staff has breathed new life into a program that had struggled to maintain its top spot in the Big 12 over the last couple of years. That ultimately led to missing the Big 12 title game altogether in 2021.

Unlike other major college programs that experienced a coaching change, the Sooners were able to create positive momentum heading into the spring despite the coaching change.

The Sooners are the only team in the top 10 without a five-star recruit. While it would be nice to land Josh Conerly or Lebbeus Overton in the 2022 cycle, the teams high ranking in the cycle reveals just how good their four and three-star players are.

The Sooners have several incoming freshman that could come in and earn an opportunity right out of the gate. A top eight class is nothing to sneeze at and it speaks to the tremendous talent of the players and the work done by the coaching staff to get the guys on board.

As we continue our look at national signing day, here are where the Sooners 21 incoming freshman rank across the four major recruiting services; 247Sports, On3, Rivals, and ESPN.

Ranking Big 12 football recruiting classes after 2022 national signing day

With national signing day behind us, how do the Big 12 teams rank according to 247Sports composite rankings?

National signing day has come and gone, and the Oklahoma Sooners finished with a bang. After watching their team recruiting ranking fall as low as 27th after Lincoln Riley left for USC, new Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables and his staff finished with a flurry of unexpected signings, including three commitment flips on national signing day.

Though the Sooners still have five-star targets Josh Conerly and Lebbeus Overton in their sites for 2022, the recruiting class is already one of the best in the country. With their 21 commitments, the Oklahoma Sooners rose to No. 8 in the nation according to 247Sports composite team rankings. Pretty incredible, considering they don’t have a single five-star commitment or signee at this point in the cycle.

Conerly or Overton could change that, but regardless, it’s a strong class that will set the Oklahoma Sooners to compete for conference titles and playoff spots down the road.

The Texas Longhorns finished at the top of the Big 12, but they also have seven more signees than the Oklahoma Sooners in this cycle. Despite their improved play in the 2021 season, the Kansas Jayhawks sit at the bottom of the Big 12 with just seven commitments in the class.

With that, let’s take a look at where each team stands in the final 247Sports 2022 team composite rankings.

Texas, Steve Sarkisian among big winners on national signing day

Texas ended national signing day on a high note

The 2022 recruiting class is officially in the rearview mirror and for the Texas Longhorns, they couldn’t have done much better. They locked up the No. 5 overall class with their high school signees and incoming transfers.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian knew they needed to address the offense in a big way. They have one of, if not the best running back in the country. However, as we all know one man can do it alone. The team needed to give Bijan Robinson some help in the way of the offensive line and at quarterback. While Casey Thompson wasn’t bad, he wasn’t a world-beater. A lot can be attributed to his injured hand but Texas improved there with a former five-star quarterback and No. 1 recruit in Quinn Ewers.

The Horns beefed up the trenches as well as they landed two five-star offensive linemen in Kelvin Banks and Devon Campbell. The latter signed on Wednesday. According to the initial reaction from ESPN (subscription required), Sark and Texas were big winners on the day.

What ESPN Says…

John Gutierrez-USA TODAY Sports

The Longhorns had already put together an excellent offensive line class heading into Wednesday, with tackle Kelvin Banks (the No. 32 recruit overall), Neto Umeozulu (No. 53) and Cameron Williams (No. 283).

The staff added to that haul with five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell. He chose Texas over Oklahoma and gives the coaches four ESPN 300 offensive line commits.

Campbell is the No. 9 prospect overall and could make an impact early on for the Longhorns.

It wasn’t just ESPN that praised the Longhorns after NSD, but USA TODAY Sports analyst Erick Smith was also signing their praises.

What Erick Smith Says…

Image courtesy of John Paull II High School (Nick Schiele)

You’re not supposed to pull off a top five class after going 5-7 in your first season. But that’s exactly what Steve Sarkisian did. More important than the ranking was the Longhorns addressing their biggest concern with seven offensive line additions, led by heralded prospects Kelvin Banks and Devon Campbell. DB Terrance Brooks leads a strong group of defenders. How quickly newcomers can make an impact could determine the team’s success in 2022 and 2023 as Sarkisian tries to rebuild the program with an SEC move on the horizon.

It’s one thing to win on the recruiting trail but now they need to put that plan to action in the spring and fall camps. We will find out just how good this team can be early on when they host Sark’s former team, the Alabama Crimson Tide in September.