Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class could be legendary for Brent Venables’ tenure as Oklahoma’s head coach. In many ways, that class could lay the foundation for what the Sooners will be and look like with Venables at the helm.
It’s the best Oklahoma class on paper in years. Defensively, it’s undoubtedly the best defensive class the Sooners have had in quite some time. The 2024 class could top it defensively, but we won’t count those chickens before they hatch.
What we can count on, though, is that 247Sports agrees and believes that Oklahoma has some talented freshmen that can be playmakers from the start. 247 tabbed 100 freshmen they believe will be impact players in 2023. Three Sooners were included on the list, and each of them was on the defensive side of the ball. The names included safety Peyton Bowen, EDGE Adepoju Adebawore, and cornerback Jasiah Wagoner.
Bowen, No. 57 overall and the No. 3 safety in their final rankings has already made an impression in his first spring in Norman. He had one of the craziest recruitments in recent memory, but once he landed on campus, he made plays and culminated his first spring with an interception of starting QB Dillon Gabriel in the spring game. Brent Venables couldn’t speak highly enough of Bowen in the early part of his tenure.
You could argue safety is one of Oklahoma’s deepest positions with both Billy Bowman and Key Lawrence back, along with Texas Tech transfer Reggie Pearson. But good luck keeping Bowen off the field. Fans got a glimpse of his talents in the spring game when he intercepted Dillon Gabriel on a deep shot. Bowen is going to be in the two deep at safety and can also play some nickel. He’ll see plenty of reps this year, helping a Sooners pass defense that needs to take a major step. – Chris Hummer, 247Sports
Hummer believes Oklahoma’s safety group is better than last year’s and reasonably deep, but Bowen is known as a deep safety playmaker. Bowen’s athleticism and processing speed will make it hard for the coaching staff to keep him off the field. He’s gotten reps at both safety positions, nickel, and Cheetah throughout spring practice.
Joining him in the secondary is cornerback Jasiah Wagoner. Wagoner, a native of Washington, created a lot of spring buzz with his play inside and outside. He’s feisty, and while he’s only 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds but plays like he’s 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds. Oklahoma is in the business of finding steady play at cornerback opposite senior leader Woodi Washington. Wagoner may be someone that can provide that. Wagoner was the No. 31 CB in his class.
Speaking of players who could help a shaky pass defense, Wagoner is another to watch after a strong spring practice run. The Spanaway (Wash.) Lake product earned his share of first-team reps, and he’s well positioned to play important snaps for OU after Jaden Davis transferred and D.J. Graham switched to the offensive side of the ball. The 5-foot-11, 171-pound Wagoner has also drawn high praise from the Sooners staff publicly. – Hummer, 247Sports
And last but certainly not least, EDGE Adepoju Adebawore is the third Sooner freshman on the list. Adebawore looks physically ready to make an impact, but he’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. He has an NFL pedigree. His older brother was selected in the 2023 NFL draft after tearing up the NFL scouting combine with his athletic testing.
Adebawore is a player who could push for significant pass-rushing snaps throughout the season due to his insane athletic profile. Oklahoma’s pass rush was a huge reason their defense was terrible last season. Middle-of-the-road passing teams were able to do what they wanted against the Sooners’ defense. Adebawore could help with that from the outset. As the No. 9 overall player and No. 2 EDGE in the 2023 class, big things are expected from Adebawore.
One of the true athletic freaks from the 2023 class, Adebawore pairs his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame with an 85-inch wingspan, 10-inch hands and a verified 4.8 seconds in the 40-yard dash — and 34 inches in the vertical jump. He’s an athletic marvel and someone who will only get freakier as he adds weight. As it is, Adebawore is fast and twitchy enough to make an immediate impact. Oklahoma needs him to do so, too. The Sooners struggled to generate pressure without blitzing last year (a usual staple of Brent Venables’ defenses), and Adebawore and a few transfers should help address that issue. – Hummer, 247Sports
Oklahoma’s season hinges on the defense’s ability to improve. If that happens, it is hard to imagine a scenario where Oklahoma doesn’t at least win nine games. Bowen, Wagoner, and Adebawore have a chance to make an impact this season and be cornerstones to Oklahoma’s defensive resurgence.
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