Oklahoma makes final 3 for No. 1 2021 QB Caleb Williams

The momentum on the recruiting trail for Oklahoma is picking up steam by the day. Caleb Williams cut his list to three, and OU made the list

The momentum on the recruiting trail for Oklahoma is picking up steam by the day.

Targets Christian Leary and Danny Stutsman have commitment announcements coming soon, with the Sooners being the presumed leader for both.

Then there is five-star and No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams. Lincoln Riley made him the main focus for his 2021 recruiting class after the de-commitment of Brock Vandagriff. The Oklahoma coaching staff has been hinting at a ‘Serious 3’ and Williams has been sending out his own cryptic tweets that a decision could be coming.

On Monday, Williams announced a final three from a final six he made a month ago. Oklahoma, as expected, made the list.

Williams cut Clemson and Penn State off his list, and remains focused on the Sooners, LSU and Maryland.

“I really feel like those schools are the best schools for me overall, not just for football,” he wrote in his weekly blog on Monday. “I really feel like those schools can provide me the best opportunity academically and with my football career with the connections I’ve built with the coaches, the fans and the connection my parents and everybody has built with the coaches. The feel with all of those places, it just feels right.

“I really feel like those three can help propel me to the next level and help propel my game to the next level.”

Oklahoma has four commitments for its 2021 recruiting class, but someone like Williams can really push others to join him.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

May recruiting update: Lincoln Riley still after one—a five-star

The quarterback position at OU is one that not many get an opportunity to even get in the room. Here is where quarterback recruiting stands.

The quarterback position at Oklahoma is one that not many get an opportunity to even get in the room.

Lincoln Riley is very selective in his offers. Some times he offers a high school freshman in Arizona named Spencer Rattler, who turned into a five-star and No. 1 quarterback in the 2019 class. He offered six in 2020, but moved his focus quick to Bryce Young and then from Young and Chandler Morris.

There are two quarterbacks who have been offered by Oklahoma in the 2021 recruiting class. One has been committed and has since de-committed. Brock Vandagirff opened the door up up for the other offer to soak up all of Riley’s attention.

Here is where Oklahoma’s quarterback board stands in May for the 2021 recruiting class.


CALEB WILLIAMS—FIVE STAR—NO. 1 QB

Since Brock Vandigriff’s de-commitment at the turn of 2020, Lincoln Riley has put his sole focus on Caleb Williams. The five-star is the No. 1 quarterback in the country and has been talking up Oklahoma a lot recently in his weekly blogs with Sports Illustrated. 

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Five-star QB, Oklahoma target Caleb Williams says he has ‘exciting news’ coming soon

Could Oklahoma finally be on the verge of finding its next quarterback? Caleb Williams says he has exciting news coming soon.

Could Oklahoma finally be on the verge of finding its next quarterback?

Five-star and No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams has been chronicling his life for the last month and a half. He has discussed as much from his last visit to Oklahoma, FaceTimes with coaches and his personal life during the coronavirus pandemic.

In this week’s edition of his blog on SportsIllustrated, Williams teased that there is some “exciting news coming up really soon. Real soon.”

Who knows what that could be in our current age of recruiting, but Williams sent this tweet out on Sunday.

In last week’s blog, Williams mentioned that he was recruiting offensive players like Oklahoma targets Christian Leary and Mario Williams as well as major defensive target Kendal Daniels.

This week’s list of recruits he has contacted with is much more star-studded.

“It’s really been defensive guys, that I’ve been really trying to pick their brains to see where we can all go and have fun, have a good time and play for national championships and ultimately get to that next goal,” Williams wrote. “Masson Smith, out of Louisiana and Korey Foreman, out of California. I’ve been talking to Latrell (McCutchin), out of Texas. Kelvin Gilliam, I’ve been talking to him, out of Va. Clayton Smith, too. JC (Latham), too, we were on FaceTime yesterday. We’re trying to get on the same page and go to the best place for all of us.”

Out of that group, Oklahoma is recruiting Latrell McCutchin and Clayton Smith really hard and has offered No. 1 overall recruit Korey Foreman.

The Sooners have four commits in the 2021 recruiting class. Major Oklahoma target Leary announced he will commit to his school in June.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Five-star quarterback Caleb Williams says he’s messaged with 3 of Oklahoma’s top targets

One of OU’s biggest recruiting targets for the 2021 class has been giving everyone a peek behind the curtain into his recruitment and life. 

One of Oklahoma’s biggest recruiting targets for the 2021 class has been giving everyone a peek behind the curtain into his recruitment and life.

No. 1 quarterback Caleb Williams has dove into a blog with Sports Illustrated. He’s talked about from anything about training and his personal life to his last visit to Oklahoma, relationship with Lincoln Riley and recent FaceTimes with the head football coach.

This week? Well, it’s strictly about being the recruiter and not the recruited.

“When I commit to one of these schools, I want it to be like fireworks going off,” Williams wrote in his blog. “That class of the school I choose will explode to the top, that type of thing. That type of explosion.”

He talked about how he wants to bring together top offensive and defensive talent to wherever he goes and that no top talent can hide. Williams says he won’t hold back if he’s trying to help getting someone to join him.

The top quarterback prospect mentioned more than a handful of names he’s been messaging as of late.

“I’ve been texting all the guys—Christian Leary, Mario Williams, Kelvin Gilliam, Dallas Turner,” Williams wrote. “I’ve been texting Kendal Daniels. I was texting J.T. (Tuimoloau) today. We were talking, he has a bunch of schools that I have but isn’t really a public guy. I’ve also been talking to (Amarius) Mims lately. He came out with his top group on April 1.”

Christian Leary, Mario Williams and Kendal Daniels are also top Oklahoma recruiting prospects. Dallas Turner has been talking up the Sooners as of late on Twitter, but the other three—some of the top targets regardless of position for Riley.

Caleb Williams has been sending out cryptic tweets with emojis as of late, but no telling when the top Oklahoma prospect will make his official commitment.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

No. 1 class of 2021 quarterback Caleb Williams talks FaceTime with Lincoln Riley

As the presumptuous favorite to land Williams, Oklahoma seems to be doing all the right things when it comes to his recruitment.

Top-ranked 2021 quarterback prospect Caleb Williams gave fans yet another peek behind the curtain of his life with another update on his blog with Sports Illustrated.

Lincoln Riley got to catch up with him on Easter Sunday. The duo talked about how life is different during the pandemic and even studied a bit of film. As the presumptuous favorite to land the 5-star quarterback, Oklahoma seems to be doing all the right things when it comes to Williams’ recruitment.

“Me and Coach (Lincoln) Riley got on another call Sunday. We just talked about the day and the pandemic that we’re all going through,” Wrote Williams. “We obviously also talked ball. He brought up a few clips and I wrote a few things down. I actually sent some of those things to my offensive coordinator because as you know Coach Riley is a great offensive mind so why not implement the things I’ve learned.”

Williams even sent some of the clips and concepts Riley discussed over to his high school coach to implement this upcoming fall.

“Trying to be Tom Brady, that’s what I’ve been focused on lately,” Williams wrote. Riley told Williams that he needs to be “more rooted” in the pocket.

“With that information from Coach Riley, especially him being who he is and what he’s done in the past with his quarterbacks,” Wrote Williams. “I take that into account and I’ve been working on that. Having that Tom Brady style in the pocket, with him being so rooted in the pocket. He’s super smart and on top of his game since he can’t really do those other things that Russell (Wilson), Deshaun Watson and those more athletic quarterbacks can.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oklahoma five-star quarterback target Caleb Williams announces commitment timeline

Oklahoma five-star quarterback target Caleb Williams has the recruiting world at his fingertips. He details his commitment timeline.

While many thought Caleb Williams may wrap up his recruitment early last Monday, the five-star quarterback had other plans.

Oklahoma’s only quarterback target released a top-five instead, with the Sooners entrenched in the fight. Williams has wrote glowingly about his relationship with Lincoln Riley and how his last visit to Oklahoma checked off all the boxes in past blogs with Sports Illustrated.

The Washington D.C. native has another entry in his weekly blog, this time letting the world know of when he thinks about committing.

“With the timeline, I’ve always wanted to commit before my senior year of football,” wrote Williams. “That’s still the plan, I don’t want to move that unless I have to. I’m still wanting to stay before the season but if that has to change then it has to change.”

In the mean time, Williams wrote that he will spend his time building relationships with some of the other top recruits in the 2021 class. He says he’s not pressuring anybody in this role, but communicating with them constantly and building a friendship.

Williams says he’s been waiting to get to this part of the process in order to help put the best recruiting class around him.

“Being able to have the same options along with top guys in the nation is pretty cool, especially when you can build relationships and bring those guys with you,” he wrote. “You really don’t get that in high school, especially at Gonzaga because you have to get in the school first. So you’re not able to bring guys in like college. Then in the NFL, like my dad says, they choose you. You don’t choose what team you want to go to, at least not in the first contract you get. College is pretty unique and pretty special.”

The Sooners remain without a quarterback committed for the 2021 class and Williams remains the priority for Riley and Oklahoma.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Oklahoma is reportedly on top for four of the top-16 recruits in the 2021 recruiting class

In the midst of an emergency mandated recruiting dead period, Oklahoma has surged on the trail for four of the top-16 recruits in 2021.

In the midst of an emergency mandated recruiting dead period, Oklahoma has surged on the trail.

The Sooners week got started on Monday when five-star and No. 1 overall quarterback Caleb Williams included Oklahoma in his final five schools after weeks of positive movement in his recruitment for Lincoln Riley. Within the next 48 hours, the momentum got bigger.

Four-star and No. 3 overall wide receiver Mario Williams has reportedly moved the Sooners near or the top of his list. Rivals’ national recruiting director Mike Farrell tweeted out that five-star and No. 1 offensive guard Bryce Foster was trending to Oklahoma—which was followed by Foster tweeting ‘BOOMER’ and Sooners’ center Creed Humphrey tweeting his pitch.

Foster has visited Norman, Oklahoma, twice since year turned in Jan., with one being an impromptu visit for the first practice of the Sooners spring.

The wave of momentum culminated with a report on Wednesday that Oklahoma is the No. 1 contender for the No. 1 running back in the 2021 recruiting class in Camar Wheaton.

“Wheaton has frequented Oklahoma’s campus as much as any school in the country and it should be poised out the success Lincoln Riley and the Sooners have enjoyed in North Texas,” wrote Sam Spiegelman, the south central recruiting analyst for Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma for Rivals. “Oklahoma was one of two schools to get the five-star on campus before the travel ban, which is probably a testament to the strong bond that has formed between Wheaton and the head coach. Right now, the Sooners have to like where they sit with the elite running back.”

Those four are four of the top-16 recruits in the entire 2021 recruiting class according to Rivals—Caleb Williams at No. 3, Wheaton at No. 7, Foster at No. 9 and Mario Williams at No. 16.

The last time Oklahoma was able to accomplish that feat was in 2019 when Jadon Haselwood, Theo Wease, Spencer Rattler and Trejan Bridges signed when the four were in the top-21 of the entire ’19 recruiting class. The Sooners landed the No. 5 recruiting class in 2019 with those four leading the haul.

It’s a long way until the first national signing day in Dec., but Riley and Oklahoma have made big in-roads for four of the country’s best in the 2021 recruiting class. The Sooners can’t bring any visitors in or go see any on the road due to the mandated recruiting dead period for the coronavirus through April 15, but Oklahoma can still contact recruits on the phone.

Oklahoma makes top-five schools for five-star quarterback Caleb Williams

Oklahoma has made the final list for one of the 2021 recruiting classes’ best. Five-star recruit Caleb Williams has cut his list to five.

Oklahoma has made the final list for one of the 2021 recruiting classes’ best.

Five-star and consensus No. 1 quarterback recruit Caleb Williams is ready to start winding down his recruitment. He announced a top-five on Monday morning with the Sooners included.

Oklahoma will be battling for his services against long-time leader LSU, Clemson, Maryland and Penn State.

“To Oklahoma, I mean, kinda speaks for itself,” Williams wrote in his weekly blog with Sports Illustrated about including Oklahoma. “Their history and what Coach (Lincoln) Riley has done these past three years — Baker (Mayfield) to Kyler (Murray) then to Jalen Hurts, then to whoever else is next and then maybe me.”

Williams recently saw the Sooners on March 5-7. It was his third unofficial visit to see Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma. One of those took place after then-No. 1 quarterback Brock Vandagriff committed in the summer of 2019.

“I got the clarity that I needed,” Williams wrote in an earlier blog about that visit to Oklahoma. “Having the trust in coaches and mentors Mark and Russ, my dad and my mother being with me, it also helped that they asked a few questions that I wouldn’t know to ask and they gave us the answers. It felt like it was the truth, what they were telling us.”

His dad gave the same glowing remarks about the visit to the Sooners.

“From my perspective it feels like you go to Oklahoma and get into the lab for three or four years,” said Carl Williams in the same blog. “You get glimpses of what they’re developing on Saturdays and they prepare you for the NFL. That’s what I really see there. We had detailed explanation. We didn’t get a chance to see a lot of Norman, we didn’t get a chance to see a lot of Oklahoma City, but we will when we return.

“In terms of meetings and things we did there, I think we got an in-depth look at what student life will be like as an athlete at Oklahoma. I think that’s really important. We feel really good about it.”

With the recent recruiting dead period mandated by the NCAA, Williams will have to wait to return to Oklahoma, but he can still remain in contact with Riley and the OU coaching staff.

The Washington D.C. native could become the second No. 1 quarterback recruit to commit to Oklahoma in the last three recruiting class, joining presumed 2020 starting quarterback Spencer Rattler.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Five-star quarterback Caleb Williams recaps March visit to Oklahoma in latest blog

Oklahoma had one of its most important recruits from the upcoming class of 2021 recruiting class on campus this past week. 

Oklahoma had one of its most important recruits from the upcoming class of 2021 recruiting class on campus this past week.

Five-star recruit and No. 1 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class, Caleb Williams, took in the sights and sounds of Norman, Oklahoma, from Thursday through Saturday. It was Williams third visit to Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley.

“I got the clarity that I needed,” Williams wrote in his personal blog on Sports Illustrated. “Having the trust in coaches and mentors Mark and Russ, my dad and my mother being with me, it also helped that they asked a few questions that I wouldn’t know to ask and they gave us the answers. It felt like it was the truth, what they were telling us.”

Joining Williams on the trip was his mom and dad and two of his mentors.

He says that he met with Jalen Hurts and Oklahoma president Joseph Harroz on the visit. Williams says Harroz laid out out a strategic plan over the next few years and how important Oklahoma football is to the university.

The five-star quarterback wrote that his mom enjoyed the visit and “how peaceful it was”. Williams says that his mom “thought it was a very mellowed out campus and that the vibe was very cool”.

His dad also had beaming remarks.

“From my perspective it feels like you go to Oklahoma and get into the lab for three or four years,” said Carl Williams in the blog. “You get glimpses of what they’re developing on Saturdays and they prepare you for the NFL. That’s what I really see there. We had detailed explanation. We didn’t get a chance to see a lot of Norman, we didn’t get a chance to see a lot of Oklahoma City, but we will when we return.

“In terms of meetings and things we did there, I think we got an in-depth look at what student life will be like as an athlete at Oklahoma. I think that’s really important. We feel really good about it.”

The Sooners have four commitments already for the 2021 recruiting class. Oklahoma took a 2020 quarterback late in the son of Auburn offensive coordinator Chad Morris, Chandler Morris and are expected to be going with the top quarterback from the 2019 class in Spencer Rattler through the 2021 season.

Williams has not announced when he is returning to Oklahoma for a visit.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Five-star quarterback Caleb Williams talks upcoming visit to Oklahoma, relationship with Lincoln Riley in personal blog

Five star quarterbacks and Oklahoma remain a thing. Caleb Williams talks upcoming visit and relationship with Lincoln Riley in personal blog.

Oklahoma and five-star quarterbacks remain a thing.

The Sooners landed Spencer Rattler in the 2019 recruiting class, who ended up as the top quarterback in that class. Then it was Bryce Young, who ended up the same in the 2020 class but chose hometown USC before flipping late to Alabama, though the prevailing thought was that he’d pick Oklahoma if it weren’t for Rattler.

Enter Brock Vandagriff in the 2021 class. He was the No. 1 ranked quarterback at the time of his commitment to Oklahoma last summer and eventually de-committing for hometown Georgia.

Now?

Current five-star and No. 1 quarterback in the 2021 recruiting class Caleb Williams*, who is set to visit Oklahoma over the next three days.

“If you just go look at their recent history with Coach (Lincoln) Riley, that should be enough to get me back on campus,” Williams wrote in his personal blog with Sports Illustrated. “With Baker (Mayfield), to Kyler (Murray), to Jalen Hurts. They were all Heisman contenders, two Heisman winners and two were first overall picks. Jalen is coming up in this draft and he should go high.”

When Vandagriff committed last summer, Lincoln Riley never stopped communicating with Williams.

The Washington D.C. native visited Oklahoma soon after Vandagriff made his commitment and the Sooners not having a spot for him. Williams has visited Norman, Oklahoma, twice, and wrote on his relationship and upcoming visit the next three days.

“I’ve already visited there twice and I’ve liked it,” he wrote. “I like Coach Riley. He and I were in the war room—they call it—the offensive meeting room. We were going through a bunch of plays; we were talking and connected very well. I think it was for a long time and it wasn’t supposed to be, it was supposed to be 20 minutes or so and it went way longer. I have a good connection with Coach Riley. The recent history is enough for me to come back.

“Still trying to figure out if that is one of the places for me out of all the schools I’m choosing from. And just the feeling of being there and if I could be out there for three or four years and call it my home.”

Oklahoma is the perceived leader in the clubhouse with LSU and Clemson being the stiffest competition.

It has not been announced or reported if Williams will be making a return visit to the Sooners after this weekend.

*according to Rivals.com

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]