Tag: ChampU BBQ

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.

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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.

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Recruits react on Twitter to time with the Oklahoma Sooners at ChampU BBQ

Recruits react on Twitter to time spent with the Oklahoma Sooners at the ChampU BBQ.

The Oklahoma Sooners completed arguably their biggest non-game day weekend of the year. The ChampU BBQ is their preeminent recruiting event each year, and this year Lee Davis and the on-campus recruiting staff pulled out all the stops to put the Oklahoma Sooners’ best foot forward.

Oklahoma hosted a number of prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle and they made substantial headway with Caden Durham, Mykel Patterson-McDonald and Xavier Robinson. That trio had a number of recruiting predictions issued in favor of the Sooners landing their commitments.

Additionally, Oklahoma hosted five-star defensive tackle Dominick McKinley alongside David Stone. The Sooners have made the defensive line a point of emphasis this recruiting cycle, and they’re not holding back in their pursuit of top-tier defensive line talent. Stone and McKinley were on campus a week after five-star edge Williams Nwaneri made his official visit.

If the Sooners are able to land Stone and another highly-regarded defensive tackle or two, like McKinley, it would go a long way to laying the foundation of Brent Venables’ defense for years to come.

ChampU BBQ a huge opportunity for the Oklahoma Sooners

This BBQ will see a number of highly valued recruits including two five-star defensive linemen and the nation’s top running back.

We’ve finally made it. The annual ChampU BBQ is upon us as “28 monsters” make their way to Norman.

This is typically when recruiting starts to take off for the Sooners. It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, recruiting weekends of the year. As Sooners Wire’s Bryant Crews notes, the annual event netted Oklahoma seven commitments last year. Quarterback Jackson Arnold, who had committed months earlier, also attended.

This year’s BBQ will see a number of highly valued recruits, including two five-star defensive linemen and the nation’s top running back.

They are five-star defensive lineman David Stone and four-star running back Taylor Tatum. Both really like Oklahoma, and this weekend is huge for the Sooners to make progress in earning their commitment.

Director of recruiting for 247Sports Steve Wiltfong broke down both prospects ahead of this weekend.

Stone seems like a guy who, when he commits, will open the floodgates for the Sooners on the recruiting trail. He has that personality people want to follow. I’ve seen him compared to former OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

“David Stone he’s obviously from Oklahoma,” Steve Wiltfong shared. “The crystal ball favors the Sooners right now in this recruitment. He loves coach Todd Bates, loves coach Brent Venables, and the culture that they’re instilling in Oklahoma. He says that they’re quickly going to be a contender again under this new staff, but there are other contenders in the recruitment for David Stone.

“He was recently at Miami again; he’s visited them several times. Oregon is a contender Texas A&M is in the mix, the Florida Gators. He’s had a few great visits to Florida this calendar year. So Oklahoma looking to continue to re-solidify themselves as one of the teams to beat with David Stone this weekend.”

The Sooners sit in a really good place in his recruitment. Whenever he commits, it will be a gravity-shifting pledge that could pull other top prospects along with him.

Another guy who could commit this weekend but is unlikely is Tatum. Tatum was thought to be an OU lean until a trip to USC.

“And then Taylor Tatum. A lot of momentum around USC right now, a lot of momentum around the Trojans on the trail,” Wiltfong said. “Taylor Tatum, one of the guys that they’re trending for, but Oklahoma is their main competition, in my opinion. [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] has done a fantastic job recruiting him and his family. He likes coach Jeff Lebby, in the offense in Norman, and he’s talked about Jackson Arnold being one of the best quarterbacks in college football for years to come. So a lot of enticing things about Oklahoma for Taylor Tatum coming into the weekend.”

All signs indicate he wants to play baseball as well, and USC’s baseball program might help the Trojans get the edge win out in this recruitment.

But it’s no secret he has a good relationship with DeMarco Murray, and it just feels like Murray is due for a big-time win.

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ChampU BBQ Visitor List: Who’s coming to Norman this weekend?

A look at who’s coming to town for the ChampU BBQ this weekend.

Oklahoma’s future looks bright. Less than a day ago, they received news of their first slate of SEC opponents when they begin play in their new conference in 2024. It’s a compelling slate and something that gets the competitive energy flowing.

If they plan to make an impact when they get there, the class of 2024 will have a profound hand in that. This class will be the first class that hits the ground and is immediately thrown into the fire that is the SEC. They’ll spend their whole careers being molded by the best football conference in the country. For the Sooners to compete for the top, this 2024 class must be unique.

It’s only fitting that Oklahoma has its premier recruiting event, the ChampU BBQ this weekend, right after the SEC opponents were revealed.

The Sooners can use the SEC to their advantage, selling the appeal of playing in an elite conference to any athlete unafraid of competing against the best in the country.

Last year’s ChampU BBQ had attendees signing with the Sooners and are now on campus with the current roster. Here’s a running count:

  • OT [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag]
  • LB [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag]
  • ATH [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag]
  • RB [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag]
  • CB [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag]
  • WR [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]
  • OT [autotag]Logan Howland[/autotag]
  • QB [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]

In short, a nice chunk of OU’s 2023 class came to the event. Arnold was already committed before the BBQ, but having him there helped Oklahoma recruit and, ultimately, the remaining players committed in the months after.

The visitor list for the event is long, with well over 20 official visitors already confirmed.

This weekend in Norman will be jam-packed with an extensive amount of talent. David Stone, a consensus top-10 recruit, is the headliner. He’s a hometown kid who grew up a Sooner fan. A commitment from him would be massive. He’s at the top of the Sooners’ recruiting board and a must-have in this cycle.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] are two talented four-star running backs Oklahoma would be delighted to have.

Oklahoma has four 2024 commits in the building this weekend, and aside from them enjoying their officials, they can and will likely be used to recruit some of their uncommitted counterparts. [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] are the four commits who will enjoy their officials as Oklahoma Sooners.

[autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] join David Stone as highly touted defensive linemen in Norman this weekend. Aside from landing Stone, can Oklahoma at least snag two of the remaining three? This weekend of visits could go a long way in determining that.

This weekend will have ripple effects for the 2024 cycle and help lay the foundation for Oklahoma’s future in the SEC. Last year’s event netted Oklahoma seven commits in the weeks and months after. The Sooners will be thrilled if the same happens this year.

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Oklahoma Sooners to host a number of big names June 8-11

Oklahoma will look to turn up the heat on their 2024 recruiting as they host a number of prospects for official visits this weekend.

Recruiting has hit its zenith as the June has rolled around, and prospects across the 2024 class can take official visits. Oklahoma has a number of prospects expected to visit during the month, and the program’s signature ChampU BBQ is the headline event.

While this weekend’s official visitors will be a week early, June recruiting visits are where teams begin to separate themselves. Oklahoma will aim to start the recruiting month by knocking this first weekend of officials out of the park. Here is who is expected in Norman in this weekend.

  • Four-star OL [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag]  

  • Four-star OL [autotag]Jason Zandamela[/autotag]

  • Four-star OL [autotag]Eddy Pierre-Louis[/autotag]

  • Four-star OL [autotag]Weston Davis[/autotag]

  • Four-star DB [autotag]Marcelles Williams[/autotag]

  • Five-star DL [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag]
  • Five-Star CB [autotag]Kobe Black[/autotag]
  • Four-star CB [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag]

  • Three-star Edge [autotag]Caleb Redd[/autotag]

  • Four-star OL [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag]
  • Four-star WR [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag]
  • Four-star QB [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] (committed)

There’s a great deal of talent coming to Norman this weekend, headlined by five-star prospects Williams Nwaneri and Kobe Black. The Sooners have been the projected leader for Nwaneri, who hails from the Kansas City area, but this is a huge weekend for Brent Venables and his staff to close the deal. Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee and Missouri are serious names to watch.

Black’s recruitment is more contentious at this point, but given the success Jay Valai has had over the last two recruiting cycles, I wouldn’t count out the Sooners.

The Sooners also welcome fellow blue-chip defensive backs Eli Bowen and Marcelles Williams. Oklahoma leads for Bowen based on recruiting projections. The Sooners are hoping to pry Williams from West Coast schools USC and UCLA.

Oklahoma’s also is hosting five offensive linemen over the weekend, which provides them a good opportunity to spend time with the staff, namely Bill Bedenbaugh, but also each other. Chemistry is a huge factor in offensive line play. Spending time with offensive linemen on campus and those the Sooners are pursuing could create a further comfort level with Oklahoma.

This is a big weekend to kick start Oklahoma’s June recruiting efforts.

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Prospect Profile: 2024 five-star wide receiver Terry Bussey

A look at five-star wide receiver Terry Bussey, who will visit Oklahoma for the ChampU BBQ.

Emmett Jones has flexed his muscles since joining the Oklahoma staff in January. In less than six months on the job, Jones has landed three wide receiver commits and added a pair of portal receivers. Oklahoma is in a prime position to land five-star wide receiver [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag] and is even lending his hand in recruiting four-star running [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag].

Jones’ name means a lot in Texas high school recruiting and is a weapon Oklahoma doesn’t take for granted. The early returns on his hire have been fruitful and could look even better. Of all the names we’ve mentioned among receivers from the class of 2024, Terry Bussey hasn’t been one.

Bussey, a five-star wide out from Timpson, Texas, will be taking an official visit to Norman for the ChampU BBQ.

Bussey stands 5-foot-10 and clocks in around 180 pounds. He’s smaller in stature but makes up for it with explosiveness, versatility, and a skill set that allows him to play in all three phases.

He plays for a smaller 2A school but amassed over 4,000 yards from scrimmage and 72 touchdowns in 2022. He’s listed as an athlete, but his future calling looks to be at wide receiver, where he can use his 10.66 100-meter dash times to blow past defensive backs.

While Oklahoma isn’t out of the loop yet, the race for Bussey is probably a bit more congested than the Sooners’ race for Bryant Wesco. Alabama, Texas, LSU, and Texas A&M are among the schools courting Bussey the hardest.

Terry Bussey’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • Texas A&M has three Future casts in favor of landing Bussey

Film

HUDL

Five-Star DL target Williams Nwaneri begins his June official visit tour

One of Oklahoma’s top targets, Williams Nwaneri, begins taking his official visits this weekend. Oklahoma will host him June 9-11.

June is a monumental month for Oklahoma football. Oklahoma’s summer program and prep for the 2023 season is turning the page to summer workouts before fall camp in August. June will also be a huge month for the Sooners in their pursuits in the [autotag]2024 recruiting cycle[/autotag].

While early signing day won’t take place until December, many players choose to use the summer as a time to visit and narrow their focus. Often, players will make their pledges before the beginning of their senior season.

June will be a busy month full of official visits for Oklahoma and for Nwaneri.

The reigning national champs, Georgia, will get first dibs starting this weekend. Oklahoma will host Nwaneri June 9-11. Expect the red carpet treatment and all hands on deck for that. The Sooners will not get to have Nwanwri in town for the ChampU BBQ as the talented athlete will be in Knoxville visiting the Tennessee Volunteers that weekend.

 

Missouri, another SEC school close to Nwaneri, will host him June 23-25. He also has a visit scheduled to Oregon in September. Many believe the recruitment won’t last that long, and a commitment could come sometime after the June wave of visits.

Oklahoma is right in this fight. They are verifiably one of the top 3 schools for Nwaneri. Finishing and securing the commitment has been Oklahoma’s biggest struggle with these five-star defensive linemen lately. Last year they landed five-star defensive end [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag]. Still, the Sooners have an unprecedented chance to land not one but two if they somehow find a way to entice Nwaneri and five-star defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] to commit to OU.

Nwaneri is a talented and dynamic defensive player. Oklahoma has gone the distance to put itself in a position to woo the five-star defender. The job isn’t done; in many ways, it may just be getting started.

All the groundwork that has been done has led Oklahoma to the official visits. Recruiting insiders across the industry believe the Sooners are in a strong position to land Williams Nwaneri. Now all they have to do is land the commitment and get his signature.

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Social media reactions to big OU recruiting week with Brent Venables Camp and ChampU BBQ

Social media reacts to the Oklahoma Sooners’ big week on the recruiting front with Brent Venables camp and the ChampU BBQ.

It was a big week in Norman for the Oklahoma Sooners who spent time hosting players of all ages for multiple camps, with the high school camp already reaping the reward with the commitment of four-star wide receiver Keyon Brown.

The biggest event of the week came in the ChampU BBQ, where the Sooners football program hosted players from the 2023 class, many for official visits. 2023 takes center stage for the next eight months as the Oklahoma Sooners attempt to lock in commitments through 2023’s national signing day next February.

Though he still has several official visits to attend, top 10 offensive line prospect [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag] was in Norman for his official visit with the Sooners. He’s received numerous projections to land with Oklahoma over the last couple of months.

As they look to “win Oklahoma,” the Sooners also had in four-star athlete [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] out of Mustang. Johnson, the No. 2 player in the state according is projected to land with Oklahoma as well. Johnson and several other visitors shared thoughts on their time with Oklahoma with 247Sports’ Steve Wiltfong.

[autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], a four-star edge rusher, and top 20 player according to On3 Recruiting shared his thoughts with Chad Simmons on his time with the Sooners.

It was a great week for Oklahoma Football. They’ll have more official visits coming this week, but let’s take a look at some of the best social media reactions from recruits, parents, and coaches.

How does Oklahoma stack up against the Big 12 in 247Sports team recruiting rankings as of June 1?

As the calendar flipped to June, how does Oklahoma stack up against the Big 12 in 247Sports updated team recruiting rankings for 2023?

This summer is bound to be an active one for the Oklahoma Sooners on the recruiting trail. With the ChampU BBQ coming to Norman this weekend, the Sooners look to make significant strides with their targets from the 2023 recruiting cycle.

Oklahoma’s class took a temporary hit with the flip of [autotag]Ashton Cozart[/autotag] to the Oregon Ducks, but with the additions of [autotag]Javian Hester[/autotag] and [autotag]L.V. Bunkley-Shelton[/autotag], they’ve got some wiggle room at wide receiver for the next couple of seasons. On the bright side, the flip allowed the Sooners to focus their attention on in-state prospect and four-star wide receiver Cole Adams.

With just four commitments in their 2023 recruiting cycle, the Sooners currently sit No. 39 overall and No. eight in the Big 12. [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], and [autotag]Kaleb Spencer[/autotag] may not have five stars next to their name, but they were priority targets for the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff. There’s a chance that each of these guys adds another star to their recruiting profile with strong senior seasons.

The Texas Tech Red Raiders currently lead the Big 12 in team recruiting rankings and are the No. 2 team in the country. While they’ve had a nice start to the 2023 cycle under new head coach Joey McGuire, they’ve also got 20 commitments in the class, so of course, they’re leading the Big 12. Baylor, the No. 2 team in the conference has just 10 players committed to the 2023 class.

Recruiting is a marathon and not a sprint. While teams may have jumped out to early leads for tops in the conference, the Oklahoma Sooners have a big summer ahead of themselves. But as of June 1, let’s take a look at where the Big 12 stands in 247Sports composite team recruiting rankings.