Tag: 247Sports composite rankings

Sooners land commitment from talented tight end Davon Mitchell

Oklahoma picks up a commitment from talented tight end Davon Mitchell. Mitchell is reclassifying to join the 2024 class.

A massive recruiting domino has fallen for the Oklahoma Sooners. Five-star tight end Davon Mitchell committed to the Oklahoma Sooners at a ceremony at Los Alamitos High School on Saturday afternoon.

Mitchell chose Oklahoma over Alabama and Miami after a competitive recruitment, with the Sooners and Hurricanes being the primary combatants in the late stages.

Mitchell’s recruitment with Oklahoma started last summer when Joe Jon Finley offered the talented prospect while he was still at Allen High School. Mitchell transferred out like his former quarterback, future teammate and close friend Michael Hawkins. The idea of playing with Hawkins in college has always been a motivating factor for both. While Mitchell was a class behind Hawkins, the premiere tight end prospect now gets to realize his dream of playing with his close friend. Mitchell announced he’s reclassifying to graduate this year, which would make him part of the Sooners’ 2024 recruiting class.

Hawkins committed in April and has been doing his part to entice the dynamic tight end to hop on board. Mitchell visited Oklahoma for the [autotag]ChampU BBQ[/autotag], where [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] introduced Mitchell to future hall of famer Jason Witten.

Miami and Alabama pushed hard and did their best to make it a three-team race. However, the relationships with the OU staff and other prospects made it too hard to pass up on the Crimson and Cream.

Mitchell offers Oklahoma a tight-end talent that could be as dynamic as Jermaine Gresham was for Oklahoma. He can run, has a great frame and length, and can work with his hand in the ground as a blocker. He can line up as an in-line tight end or split out wide to take advantage of smaller defenders. Mitchell is tough to bring down with the ball in his hands and uses his size to run through would-be tacklers.

As it stands, Mitchell was the No. 16 player in 247Sports’ composite rankings for 2025. He’s a five-star player and was the No. 1 player in California for 2025. He also is the second-ranked tight end nationally. He’ll likely land in the high four-star range with a chance at five-star status after he slots into OU’s 2024 class

This recruiting win is easily the biggest of Joe Jon Finley’s career. The job isn’t finished, though, as developing Mitchell and helping him realize his high ceiling is next.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1367]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma Sooners land commitment from four-star LB James Nesta

James Nesta committed to Oklahoma over UNC and Miami. Nesta also plans to play baseball at OU.

Oklahoma is starting to reap the benefits of its major recruiting event, the ChampU BBQ. Oklahoma just landed the commitment of four-star James Nesta. This talented dual-sport athlete is expected to play linebacker at Oklahoma and spend time on the diamond with the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team.

Nesta hails from North Carolina, where he plays at Hough High School just outside Charlotte. Nesta is a talented linebacker/edge who could play in the box and provide run support while rushing off the edge in clear pass-rushing situations. His athleticism and ability to play in space make him a possible cheetah candidate in Brent Venables and Ted Roof’s defense.

He finished his junior season with 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, nine sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, which he returned for a touchdown. His team made a deep run into the playoffs before being defeated by the eventual state runner-up.

Nesta’s commitment is significant for Oklahoma in 2024 because the Sooners’ board at linebacker was extremely open. The commitment of Payton Pierce to Ohio State and Sammy Brown to Clemson threw a wrench in Oklahoma’s plans.

Oklahoma sold Nesta on his role in Brent Venables’s defense with the development to match and the ability to play baseball on an SEC team. Nesta is a talented pitcher, and his commitment is a win for head baseball coach Skip Johnson.

The University of Miami was the leader heading into Nesta’s trip to Norman for the ChampU BBQ. However, the conversations and his time spent in Norman moved the needle in Oklahoma’s favor, and the talented rising senior never looked back.

With Nesta, the Sooners get the No. 347 player, according to the 247Sports composite. The composite also has him as a four-star and the No. 12 prospect in North Carolina. Nesta wasn’t beholden to playing his college ball in North Carolina, so the battle came down to Oklahoma and Miami in many ways. In the end, the appeal of the SEC and being developed by one of the best defensive minds in the game, Brent Venables, won out.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1367]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma moves into top 25 of 2024 team rankings after Zion Kearney commitment

How do the Oklahoma Sooners stack up in national recruiting rankings after the commitment of four-star wide receiver Zion Kearney?

The Oklahoma Sooners have been hot on the recruiting trail, picking up their sixth commitment since March 25 and their fifth in the month of April with Zion Kearney’s pledge on Thursday.

At No. 64 in the 247Sports composite, Kearney jumped Jaydan Hardy as the highest-rated Sooner in the 2024 recruiting class. The four-star wide receiver is the first top-100 player in the cycle for Oklahoma.

Oklahoma’s off to a faster start in the cycle than they were a year ago when they had just four players, and one blue-chip prospect, committed at the beginning of June.

If last year was any indication, there will be a number of commitments coming over the next few months for the Oklahoma Sooners. They’re in a great spot for several top 100 prospects in the cycle, like [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag]. Those recruitments are far from over, but the Sooners have recruited as well as anyone not named Georgia or Alabama over the last two cycles.

With Kearney’s commitment, the Oklahoma Sooners jumped into the top 25 of the 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

Sooners recruiting stays on fire, four-star WR Zion Kearney commits to Oklahoma

Oklahoma stays hot on the recruiting trail as the No. 89 player in the nation, Zion Kearney chooses Oklahoma.

April has officially started to feel a lot like July 2022 if you follow Oklahoma football recruiting. The Sooners landed another commitment, they’re fifth in the month of April.

Four-star wide receiver Zion Kearney announced his pledge to the Sooners. Oklahoma was contending with Nebraska, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M, and the University of Houston.

Oklahoma had been in the top spot for the last few months. After a visit to Norman for the spring game, predictions continued to roll in, favoring Oklahoma.

Kearney hails from Missouri City, Texas. He is a talented wide receiver standing at 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds. Ranked as the 16th-best prospect in the state of Texas. He is the No. 89 player according to 247Sports and is the No. 64 player in the composite rankings.

Kearney also runs track, and his ability to get up to top speed in the open field is very evident on tape. During his junior season, he posted 100-meter times of 10.89 and 10.98 in February. In the fall, he was a unanimous selection to Texas District 20-6A first-team after tallying 39 catches for 765 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022.

Kearney also displays an ability to operate as a big slot or out wide. From the slot, he caught bubble screens or ran drags that allowed him to utilize his speed and frame to be a huge target for his quarterback while on the move.

With his commitment, Oklahoma vaults into the top 25 in 247Sports’ composite rankings for the first time this cycle. Kearney joins fellow wide receiver K.J. Daniels, who committed last week.

And the door remains wide open for five-star wide receiver [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag] to walk thru as the final wide receiver commit for the Sooners 2024 class.

The haul of the three receivers would be an excellent start for wide receiver coach Emmett Jones in his first recruiting cycle with the Oklahoma Sooners. On the job for just a few months, Jones has made a significant impact on the recruiting trail and the Sooners are going to benefit greatly because of it.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1367]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbz7cqqgxy50qwt player_id=01eqbvp13nn1gy6hd4 image=]

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Where LSU’s promising 2024 recruiting class currently stands in the national rankings

LSU has the makings of a special class in 2024

National signing day for the 2023 recruiting class is barely in the rearview, but LSU’s staff is already locked into recruiting prospects in next year’s cycle.

Coach [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has recruited well in his first two cycles with the program, landing top-10 classes in each, but the 2024 group could be his best one yet. The Tigers already have 11 commitments, eight of which come from four-star prospects, including one of the nation’s top quarterbacks in [autotag]Colin Hurley[/autotag].

LSU has the makings of a special class if it can continue to build on it. There’s a lot of time between now and February 2024, but here’s where the Tigers currently stand in the 247Sports composite recruiting rankings.

How Oklahoma and Texas’ 2023 recruiting classes stack up with the SEC

Though Oklahoma and Texas may not enter the SEC until the 2025 season, their 2023 recruiting classes will be foundational to the move. How do they stack up in the 2023 team rankings?

The hope was the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns would make the move to the SEC for the 2024 college football season. But after negotiations stalled during Big 12 meetings in late January and early February, the Sooners and Longhorns appear unlikely to move until 2025.

If they don’t make the move until 2025, the 2023 recruiting class players will be in their third year in Norman, providing the foundation for the Oklahoma Sooners’ team that will make the transition. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] will be in their collegiate prime, which should allow the Sooners to make a smooth move to their new conference home.

If the 2023 composite rankings from 247Sports are any indications, the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns will have little problem fitting in. Here’s a look at how the Red River rivals stack up with the SEC in the 247Sports team recruiting composite.

Oklahoma Sooners up to No. 4 in the final 247Sports composite rankings for 2023 cycle

Oklahoma Sooners up to No. 4 in final 247Sports composite rankings for the 2023 recruiting cycle.

And just like that, poof, it was gone.

The 2023 recruiting cycle has now officially closed after national signing day on Wednesday. The Oklahoma Sooners didn’t have a whole lot going on but closed the book on the 2023 recruiting class with one more signature from local product Taylor Heim.

Heim gave the Oklahoma Sooners 26 players in the cycle. Of the top 10 teams in the 247Sports composite rankings, only Oregon (29) and Alabama (28) had more prospects signed to their recruiting classes than Oklahoma.

Only Alabama, Georgia, and Texas brought in more five-star prospects than Oklahoma’s three. Though Texas finished higher in the final team rankings than the Sooners, the Red River Rivals tied in the number of four and five-star prospects signed at 17.

Additionally, the Sooners are one of six current or future SEC teams in the top 10 of the composite team rankings. 12 of the top 25 are current or future SEC teams.

Here’s a look at the top 25 of the 247Sports team rankings.

Sooners sign top 100 offensive line prospect Cayden Green

Oklahoma signs their best offensive line recruit of the 2023 class in four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

Oklahoma’s signing day has gotten off to an excellent start with many of their prospects already submitting their national letters of intent. Oklahoma’s best offensive line commit is now on board with four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green officially a Sooner.

Green, is a massive commit, both figuratively and literally. His signing represents the first top 100 offensive lineman the Sooners have signed since Savion Byrd in 2021. At Green’s size, he projects as a great offensive tackle and would have the ability to slide inside and play guard.

Oklahoma earned Green’s commitment in their historic recruiting month of July as they beat out the home state school of Missouri, LSU, and Nebraska as well.

As 247Sports’ 68th best prospect and ranking No. 80 in the 247Sports composite, Cayden Green is a monumental get for the Oklahoma Sooners. Considering they lost three starting offensive linemen to the NFL draft, Cayden Green adds some much-needed talent and depth as they attempt to reload up front.

For next year, it’s unlikely Green figures to be a significant part of Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line rotation. Still, with two open spots at tackle and a spot at right guard open due to the graduation of Chris Murray, there are opportunities if Green can blow the team away. It’s more likely he’s a fringe name on the two-deep to start the season next year.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Uber-athletic 4-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho signs with Oklahoma

Oklahoma earns signature of uber-athletic four-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

If there’s a short list for the best athlete in Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class, four-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho is firmly on the list. The Oklahoma Sooners will be head over heels that they no longer have to worry about anyone coming to poach him away. Omosigho signed his national letter of during the early signing period.

Omosigho fits the mold as a modern-day hybrid linebacker of the future. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he can run well and is expected to be an asset in coverage.

Omosigho is the No. 67 overall player, the No. 10 player in Texas, and the No. 93 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings. Samuel Omosigho can do it all.

He could have played Power Five football at receiver, as he had multiple offers to do that as well. Instead, he chose to play for the Sooners over the Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers. Brandon Hall and Ted Roof led the way in his recruitment.

Omosigho has also been very vocal in his efforts to recruit other targets on Oklahoma’s radar to wear the crimson & cream.

He was selected as an All-American Bowl participant during his senior year and was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in as a junior Texas District 8-5A. He also earned unanimous first-team all-district honors at outside linebacker.

With his signature, Omosigho is locked in and will turn his attention to next season where he may end up in a similar situation as current Sooner, Jaren Kanak. Kanak hasn’t quite settled into a position yet, but he saw time early due to depth issues at LB. Kanak’s natural talent helped him get on the field, and the same could be said about Omosigho, provided he adds some much-needed weight.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma’s crown jewel of 2023 class, 5-star QB Jackson Arnold signs with the Sooners

Five-star QB and long-time commit Jackson Arnold signs with Oklahoma on Wednesday.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners’ [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag] is beginning to put pen to paper.

Jackson Arnold has risen to astronomical heights since he committed to Oklahoma on Jan. 24. He’s officially a Sooner as he signed his national letter of intent Wednesday.

Arnold was 28-3 as a starter. He won Elite 11 MVP during the summer before totaling 57 touchdowns, 3,476 passing yards and 921 rushing yards as a senior in Texas’ highest level of football. He completed 68.7% of  his attempts and threw just three interceptions on the season. He also won the Landry Award, honoring the best player in North Texas, last week. On Tuesday he was honored with the Max Prep State Player of the Year award for Texas.

All of those accomplishments helped Arnold climb to the No. 7 player nationally on the 247Sports composite. He’s the fourth-ranked quarterback overall.

Prior to his meteoric rise, Arnold was ranked No. 47 overall by 247Sports. In just under 11 months, he’s risen 40 spots and is a consensus five-star with every major recruiting service.

Arnold was most heavily by Notre Dame and Ole Miss. Jeff Lebby’s prior recruitment while with the Rebels helped the Sooners land the now five-star prospect in the 2023 class.

Now that he’s a Sooner, what can we expect? Unless Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Dillon Gabriel decides to leave following Oklahoma’s bowl game, which seems unlikely, Jackson Arnold will not be starting in his first year with the Sooners.

Arnold should compete with Davis Beville for the backup QB job. If Beville’s performance in 2022 is any indication, Arnold should be Oklahoma’s QB2 when it kicks off next season against Arkansas State. Beyond that, Arnold will be the overwhelming favorite to take over the program in 2024, which could be the Sooners’ first season in the SEC.

Oklahoma’s future is riding on Arnold’s development. He seems poised for stardom and appears to have the head to handle whatever his career throws at him. Now the real fun begins as we watch his story unfold in Norman.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.