Tag: 2024 early signing period

One of North Carolina’s best, James Nesta, signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma is getting not only a talented linebacker but Oklahoma’s baseball team is also getting a stud pitcher with James Nesta signing.

When the dust settles on the signing periods this cycle, Oklahoma will have not one but two athletes on its football team who also will play baseball. One  hails from North Carolina. [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] is a dynamic two-sport star who will make his home on the Oklahoma football team as a dynamic linebacker.

On the diamond, he’s a pitcher who could one day be drafted, but for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], he’ll join a loaded linebacker room led by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Nesta stands 6 feet, 5 inches, and his Hough High School team possessed a fearsome defense partly due to his ability to play in space as a traditional linebacker and on the edge, rushing the passer.

With the depth in Oklahoma’s linebacker unit, Nesta will likely not see the field much in Year 1, but he should be able to learn and grow plenty.

Nesta is the first prospect from North Carolina Venables has signed since taking over the program. However, Nesta will not be the last due to how fruitful North Carolina was to Venables during his time at Clemson.

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Oklahoma inks its second QB commit of 2024 cycle in Brendan Zurbrugg

Brendan Zurbrugg becomes the second quarterback Oklahoma signed in the 2024 class. He’s a productive passer out of Alliance, Ohio.

Oklahoma got caught unprepared in the 2022 season, as they had no competent backup scholarship quarterbacks when Dillon Gabriel went down in the loss to TCU. That unpreparedness saw them score zero points against the Texas Longhorns.

The Sooners took it personally and went out with a plan for the 2024 class. They have signed not one but two quarterbacks. Michael Hawkins was already in the boat, and the Sooners doubled up and landed Brendan Zurbrugg, a productive passer out of Ohio. Zurbrugg went from being a Syracuse commit to a Northwestern commit before he flipped to OU and has now officially signed with the Sooners.

Zurbrugg stands 6-foot-3 and will graduate from Alliance High School as the program’s all-time leader in passing yards, completions, completion percentage, and passing touchdowns. As a senior in 2023, he was an all-state first-team member.

Barring something catastrophic, Jackson Arnold is the quarterback for the next few years, but Zurbrugg and Hawkins will compete hard for that QB2 spot.

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Underrated offensive tackle prospect Isaiah Autry signs with the Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners officially add Isaiah Autry, an underrated offensive tackle prospect out of Mississippi.

The world of recruiting can often be a roller coaster ride. There are ebbs and flows in recruitments. One of the more underrated additions the Oklahoma Sooners are making during the early signing period is offensive tackle [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag].

Autry committed to the Sooners back in April and like nearly every one of the Sooners committed prospects, never wavered on his pledge. Despite receiving overtures from programs like Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, and in-state schools Ole Miss and Mississippi State, Autry stayed with his commitment to the Sooners.

The No. 1 offensive tackle in the state of Mississippi, Autry has good technique and displays great strength. Once he latches on to a rusher, he stops them in their tracks. His 6-foot-7 frame provides good reach to prevent rushers from getting in on his body, allowing Autry to maintain good leverage. He drives his feet as a run blocker, continuing his blocking assignment well after the ball carrier has broken through to the second level.

Autry was the first offensive lineman that Bill Bedenbaugh received a commitment from in the 2024 recruiting class. As they get ready to move into the SEC, the Mississippi native will one day be an important piece at tackle for the Sooners.

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Crown jewel of Oklahoma’s 2024 class, David Stone, is officially a Sooner

David Stone officially signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

For the first time in a long time, Oklahoma has landed a five-star defensive lineman in consecutive classes. [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] signed as a five-star last winter, and David Stone fits that bill this year.

Stone is one of the most important signings in recent history. The talented defensive tackle was born and raised in the Sooner State before moving to play his last two years of high school ball at national power IMG Academy.

Now an official member of the Sooners, Oklahoma lands a young man with the talent and ability to be a foundational piece of the Sooners’ defense as they begin their journey into the SEC.

Signing Stone also showcases Oklahoma’s ability to recruit defensive players at a much higher level than the previous coaching regime. That is a significant development for the future of the program.

He stands 6-foot-4 and carries 280 pounds effortlessly. With that frame, he could certainly add more mass. That size, combined with elite athleticism, technique, charisma, and production at the highest levels of high school football, is unmatched. He’s the crown jewel of the 2024 recruiting class and should see snaps as soon as next year.

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4-Star Safety out of Texas officially signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma adds to their incredible safety depth as 4-star prospect Jaydan Hardy signs with the Sooners.

The safety position has become a position of strength in recent years under Brandon Hall. The emergence of [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] as an All-American type talent has helped provide playmaking to the back end of the Sooners defense in 2023.

The Oklahoma Sooners are adding more talent to the position as four-star safety Jaydan Hardy signed his National Letter of Intent during the early signing period.

Hardy, out of Lewisville, Texas, is considered the No. 16 safety in the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 31 player in the state of Texas. Hardy earned 22 Power Five offers and chose the Sooners over SMU, Oregon, Texas A&M, and Tennessee.

He’s a versatile safety who’s shown the ability to play cornerback, in the box, or as the deep safety. His athleticism landed him a two-way role for the Lewisville Farmers, where he’d also line up at wide receiver.

Hardy joins a safety room that includes Bowman, Robert Spears-Jennings, Peyton Bowen, Daeh McCullough, and Erik McCarty along with incoming freshmen Reggie Powers and Mykel Patterson-McDonald.

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Davon Mitchell officially signs his National Letter of Intent with the Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners big time tight end target is officially on board as he signs with Oklahoma.

In 2023, the tight end position was one of the weaker groups on the team. That’s why it was important for [autotag]Joe Jon Finley[/autotag] to restock that position as the Oklahoma Sooners head to the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

He did just that by getting the commitment from four-star tight end [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag]. Mitchell was considered a five-star prospect and the No. 1 tight end in the 2025 class before reclassifying to 2024.

Mitchell is someone who could compete for a lot of playing time right away. This position is losing the only player that had any real production in [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag]. It’ll be hard for a true freshman to come in and play right away but he’s a guy that may just be too talented to keep off of the field.

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4-star cornerback out of Arizona signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

During the early signing period, Jeremiah Newcombe signs national letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The month of March was coming to an end, and the Oklahoma Sooners had not received a commitment in their 2024 recruiting class. All that changed after a visit to Norman led to the pledge of four-star cornerback Jeremiah Newcombe.

Newcombe shocked the world by becoming the first player committed in the 2024 class. After he broke the ice, a flood of commitments came through in April and in the summer months, but Newcombe will always be remembered as the first player to join the Sooners recruiting class.

A consensus four-star prospect, Newcombe is the No. 27 cornerback in the 2024 recruiting cycle. A two-way player for Casteel, Newcombe is a really good athlete that will only continue to improve as he matures physically.

At cornerback, he displays fantastic play recognition and comes downhill in a hurry on wide receiver screens and in run support. Playing a lot of off-corner, he showed fantastic discipline and awareness in zone coverage. He plays like the fastest player on the field.

Newcombe received 17 Power Five offers, which included Colorado, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Ole Miss, USC, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Now officially a member of the Oklahoma Sooners, Newcombe joins a young and hungry cornerback group led by Jay Valai.

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No. 4 player in the state of Oklahoma signs National Letter of Intent with OU

The state’s No. 4 overall player has officially signed with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Since stepping into the role as cornerbacks coach for the Oklahoma Sooners, [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] has done an outstanding job both with development and with recruiting. The Sooners’ cornerbacks, when healthy, made big strides in 2023.

Valai also did a good job on the recruiting trail, earning three commitments. One of those was the No. 4 player in the state, [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag].

Jordan played at Tulsa Union and is a 5-foot-11 and 168-pound four-star cornerback. He’s someone who probably will not see the field much in 2024 unless it’s on special teams.

The Sooners return a number of young players who saw the field in 2023. But if 2023 is any indicator, that could change at any moment. There were guys last year who probably weren’t expected to play a whole lot before the season but had to due to injury.

Jordan has great speed. In fact, 247Sports reported he ran a wind-aided 10.71 100 meters and 21.93 200 meters times as a junior in spring 2023 at the OSAA 6A regional meet. He placed fifth at the OSAA 6A meet in the 100 with a wind-legal 10.91. Speed is something the Sooners can use in the secondary.

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Versatile defender Michael Boganowski signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Versatile hybrid defender Michael Boganowski officially signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Brent Venables has a unique defense that has been replicated and studied by coaches at all levels of football. It’s multiple by nature, and its ability to match up with whatever a team may throw at it is one of its foundational principles.

For this defense to be successful, versatility is a must. That’s why Oklahoma went out to find a kid like Michael Boganowski. His size, speed, and versatility always attracted the Sooners staff.

He dominated at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds at Junction City (Kan.) High and was even initially recruited as a safety. It’s safe to say he’ll get his first crack in college as a safety as well, but because of his frame, he could slide down, bulk up, and play linebacker, or he could end up at the most versatile spot on the defense, Cheetah.

Signing Boganowski is excellent because he won’t be rushed to the playing field in the vaunted SEC, and the Sooners can use the offseason to try and figure out where he fits the most. The Sooners have depth at linebacker and in the secondary, so as they find a home for him, he can be brought along slowly if necessary.

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Oklahoma Sooners continue Denton Guyer pipeline, sign cornerback Eli Bowen

The Sooners have had a lot of success recruiting Denton Guyer recently and they continue that with the signing of Eli Bowen.

[autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] had his hands full in 2023 thanks to a lot of injuries at his position. The one steady spot was [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag], but the other side constantly saw guys in and out.

A lot of those young guys showed their youth but also showed promise, which just shows how important it is to recruit the right guys. Valai hopes he has another one of those guys with the signing of [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag].

Bowen is the younger brother of [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] but is no slouch himself. He’s a four-star cornerback who is 5-foot-9 and weighs 165 pounds.

His role in 2024 is unclear. As I mentioned before, it’s a position that suffered a lot of injuries, so he could be thrown into the fire in year one. He joins a group that includes Gentry Williams, Kani Walker, Kendel Dolby, Makari Vickers, and Jacobe Johnson. Ideally, he spends a year with [autotag]Jerry Schmidt[/autotag] getting bigger because he has a bright future in the Crimson and Cream.

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