Tag: clayton smith

How talented is the Oklahoma Sooners roster ahead of 2023?

According to recruiting rankings over the last 5 years, the Sooners should have one of the best rosters in 2023. But is that an accurate reflection of this roster?

We heard in the build-up to last season that the Oklahoma Sooners had one of the more talented rosters in the country. People (including me) pointed to that analysis as to why Oklahoma should be a contender in 2022. Some (not me) pointed to that analysis as to why 2022 was a coaching failure.

Based on recruiting rankings over the last five years, the Oklahoma Sooners should have one of the best rosters in college football. Based on recruiting rankings from the last five cycles, the Sooners have the eighth-best roster ahead of 2023. Brad Crawford of 247Sports explains:

Recruiting is the lifeblood of any successful program, and that’s no different at Oklahoma, a blue-blood accustomed to winning big. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen in Year 1 under coach Brent Venables, who came over to the Sooners following a lengthy tenure as Clemson’s top recruiter on staff under Dabo Swinney. The arrival of three five-stars in the 2023 recruiting cycle, however, is going to be a shot in the arm for Oklahoma prior to the school’s entry to the SEC in 2024. According to 247Sports’ recruiting rankings, Oklahoma has the second-most talented roster in the Big 12. You can probably guess who owns the league’s most lethal collection of talent. – Crawford, 247Sports

Oklahoma and Brent Venables have done a lot over the last two recruiting cycles to bring in talent from both the high school and transfer portal ranks. But as we saw last year when Oklahoma supposedly had one of the better rosters according to high school recruiting evaluations, it didn’t pan out to wins.

That doesn’t mean the analysis or rationale is wrong. The top of the list is carried by Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State, three teams that most would argue are the most talented teams in the country.

But given the turnover that Oklahoma’s undergone since Venables has taken over, do recruiting rankings prior to the coaching change accurately reflect the talent on the Sooners’ roster?

Oklahoma’s last two recruiting classes were strong, but there aren’t a lot of players left over from the three recruiting classes prior to Brent Venables’ arrival.

Oklahoma had the No. 4 recruiting class in 2019 on the strength of the signings of [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag], [autotag]Jadon Haselwood[/autotag], [autotag]Trejan Bridges[/autotag], and [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag]. All four of those players are gone. [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag], and [autotag]Nate Anderson[/autotag] are the top players remaining from the 2020 class but haven’t ascended into star players for the Sooners just yet.

The top three players in the 2021 class, [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Clayton Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Mario Williams[/autotag], are gone as well.

So, while the recruiting at Oklahoma has been good, the strength of the Sooners’ recruiting classes from 2019-2021 isn’t reflected on the 2023 roster. Given the amount of roster turnover that Oklahoma has undergone since Venables has taken over, these “talent rankings” don’t adequately reflect where Oklahoma is as a roster right now unless you look strictly at the last two recruiting classes.

But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a group capable of reasserting the Sooners as Big 12 contenders. Oklahoma brought in one of the best transfer portal classes in the first phase of the portal. Specifically, on the defensive side of the ball, the Sooners brought in several impact players. [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag], and [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] could all start for the Sooners, but at least will play significant roles for the Sooners.

Brent Venables and his staff have added talent over the last two offseasons. They have a better roster than they did a year ago, especially on the defensive side of the ball. There’s optimism that will reveal itself on the field in a wide-open Big 12 in 2023.

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Final thoughts on the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Oregon Ducks

As the Oklahoma Sooners get set to take on the Oregon Ducks, here are five final thoughts on the Alamo Bowl matchup.

The 2021 Valero Alamo Bowl provides a final opportunity for the Oklahoma Sooners to put their stamp on a 2021 season that didn’t go as expected. Despite how the season turned out, there’s a lot of optimism heading into 2022 following the return of Brent Venables.

As the Sooners head into their matchup with the Ducks, there’s an excitement for this game as well. The return of Bob Stoops has brought energy to a game that might otherwise feel like a typical bowl game.

As the Sooners close the 2021 season against the Ducks, there’s a lot to watch in this final game of the season. Oklahoma will get a great opportunity to evaluate talented players who might not have received a lot of snaps this season. The Alamo Bowl will provide a great look at what the young guys who will be important pieces for the 2022 team can provide as they step up the depth chart.

With a late kickoff tonight, here are my final thoughts on the Oklahoma Sooners matchup with the Oregon Ducks.

Oklahoma signee Caleb Williams viewed as the No. 1 prospect according to new recruiting service

New recruiting service On3 Sports ranks 2021 Oklahoma Sooners signee Caleb Williams as the No. 1 prospect, they see Clayton Smith higher than 247Sports composite ranking as well.

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In the world of college football recruiting there are three major recruiting services. ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports are the major sites to provide coverage of college recruiting. According to the composite scores, quarterback Caleb Williams was viewed as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 6 player of his class.

A look at the breakdown from each recruiting service

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 5 7 1 1
Rivals 5 5 1 1
ESPN 4 16 1 1
247 Composite 5 6 1 1

All three services ranked Williams as the No. 1 quarterback but his overall ranking varied from No. 5 to No. 16. ESPN was the only service that ranked him below a five-star. Whichever way you view it, the Oklahoma Sooners landed the top quarterback of the 2021 class. For now, he will back up fellow five-star signee from the 2019 class, Spencer Rattler. Williams is viewed as the quarterback of 2022 and beyond.

Now there is another recruiting service getting into the mix with On3 Recruits. From the founders of Rivals and 247Sports, On3 is expected to officially launch in August of this year just ahead of football season. Despite the fact that they haven’t launched yet hasn’t prevented them from putting out content already. They ranked the five-star prospects from the 2021 class and Williams was the top overall player of the class.

This just goes to show you how highly touted the 2021 classes’ top prospect for Oklahoma is viewed. He will be the No. 2 quarterback for the Sooners in 2021 but could rise to No. 1 provided Rattler exits stage left when the NFL draft takes place for 2022.

On3 also ranked another player in their top 32 players of the 2021 class, edge defender Clayton Smith. He ranked at No. 37 nationally according to his 247Sports composite ranking. On3 viewed him as a five-star prospect at No. 22 overall.

On3’s ranking of Smith was more in line with how Rivals viewed him. He was a five-star prospect ranked top two at his position at No. 23 overall. ESPN was much lower than both 247Sports and Rivals as they listed him as the No. 84 prospect overall as a four-star player.

On3 Sports will be yet another service to check out when it comes to recruiting.

Two Oklahoma Sooners make top true freshman list to watch

Two Sooners make top true freshman list

When it comes to true freshmen for the upcoming season, 247Sports highlighted 100 players to watch. The Sooners have two true freshmen that made the cut, one on each side of the ball. Both players are poised for a breakout campaign in Norman.

Clayton Smith, Linebacker

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

What 247Sports Says…

Pretty much everyone is back for the Sooners, but there is a rotational opening at outside linebacker with Jon-Michael Terry’s exit from the program. Smith is positioned to take some of those 331 snaps next to Nik Bonitto. And that might be an upgrade. Smith is instantly one of the most naturally talented pass rushers on the Sooners’ roster, and the motor he displayed in high school – he posted 40 TFLs and 20 sacks as a junior – indicates he’ll carve out a role immediately. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has already talked Smith up as someone who can take a lot of those reps Terry vacated. Smith is a bit raw, but he’s just one of those guys who finds a way to attack the football.

The departure of Ronnie Perkins to the NFL presents opportunities for young guys to step up, beginning with Smith. He is relentless in his pursuit of the ball and explodes off the line of scrimmage. Smith can act as a hybrid edge rusher, effectively playing as an off-ball linebacker in Alex Grinch’s system. With Nik Bonitto as the key cornerstone at Rush linebacker and Isaiah Thomas as a disruptor on the opposite side, Smith can be a rotation piece in certain packages. His athleticism provides tremendous flexibility, a trait Grinch covets in his players.

Mario Williams, Wide Receiver

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

What 247Sports Says…

Oklahoma always seems to have a next star receiver in the pipeline. Marvin Mims broke out last year, earning 247Sports True Freshman All-America honors. Now it seems Williams could be in line for a similar season. The nation’s No. 42 overall prospect and No. 4 receiver in the 2021 class, Williams made a star turn during the Sooners’ spring game catching a game-high five passes for 84 yards.

Spencer Rattler won’t lack options to throw to in 2021 with Marvin Mims, Jadon Haselwood and Arkansas transfer Mike Woods, but Williams showed Saturday he’ll at worst be part of the rotation. At best, he can provide a secondary complement to Mims that the Sooners lacked a season ago.

Williams adds to Spencer Rattler’s supporting cast. He is dynamic after the catch and quickly creates separation from press at the line of scrimmage. His change-of-direction will be dangerous for Big 12 defenses. Williams will likely line up primarily in the slot, but Oklahoma likes to rotate receivers in Lincoln Riley’s spread attack. He has the capability of elevating OU’s horizontal and vertical passing game. Many teammates have praised Williams’ quickness in practice and his infectious attitude is impacting the Sooners receiver room. He will be a guy to keep an eye on come fall in Crimson and Cream. Oklahoma had the most dropped touchdown passes a year ago, and the unit is gearing up to right the wrong between the hash marks in 2021.

Meet the 2021 Oklahoma Sooners recruiting class

The 2021 Oklahoma Sooners recruiting class with up to date signings. This is the full listing for Lincoln Riley’s fifth class.

The time has finally come for the final signing day of the 2021 recruiting cycle. The Oklahoma Sooners added 16 signees during the early signing period back in December. Of the 16, 10 enrolled early to get started on their life as a student-athlete in Norman.

The class is led by the No. 1 quarterback in the class, Caleb Williams. With Tanner Mordecai and Chandler Morris both transferring out of the program, the five-star composite signee will be the primary backup to another former No. 1 quarterback recruit in Spencer Rattler. He was the biggest addition in the class and another recruiter for the program. Much of the reason that the Sooners have a top 10 class.

The top defensive recruit of the class is Clayton Smith. The weakside defensive end that the Sooners were able to snag away from their rivals the Texas Longhorns. Another top Texas talent that will play his college football in Norman for Oklahoma.

A full look at the 2021 recruiting class. This will be continuously updated as prospects sign their letter of intent.

Oklahoma signs first five-star defensive player since 2018 with Rivals updated rankings

Oklahoma has now signed their first five-star defensive player since 2018 with Rivals updated recruiting rankings on Monday.

Oklahoma’s 2021 recruiting class got better this week without adding a player – at least in terms of rankings.

Linebacker Clayton Smith was elevated up to a five-star recruit on Monday by Rivals.

The Texarkana, Texas product is the second-ranked outside linebacker prospect in his class and the 33rd overall rated recruit by Rivals. This is the first defensive five-star player the Sooners have been able to add in their recruiting class since Brendan Radly-Hiles signed on with Oklahoma in the class of 2018.

Smith is certainly someone that the Sooners are very excited about and this rise in his rating is only going to add to that. Oklahoma currently has the 13th ranked 2021 recruiting class.

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Oklahoma signs first five-star defensive player since 2018 with Rivals updated rankings

Oklahoma has now signed their first five-star defensive player since 2018 with Rivals updated recruiting rankings on Monday.

Oklahoma’s 2021 recruiting class got better this week without adding a player – at least in terms of rankings.

Linebacker Clayton Smith was elevated up to a five-star recruit on Monday by Rivals.

The Texarkana, Texas product is the second-ranked outside linebacker prospect in his class and the 33rd overall rated recruit by Rivals. This is the first defensive five-star player the Sooners have been able to add in their recruiting class since Brendan Radly-Hiles signed on with Oklahoma in the class of 2018.

Smith is certainly someone that the Sooners are very excited about and this rise in his rating is only going to add to that. Oklahoma currently has the 13th ranked 2021 recruiting class.

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How Oklahoma class of 2021 commitments performed last week

Sooner commits across the country continued their senior campaigns and we’ve compiled all the results and stat-lines right here.

Oklahoma was sidelined this week after their matchup with West Virginia was cancelled due to an active COVID-19 outbreak within the Mountaineers’ football program, but the Sooners waged a war on the recruiting trail instead.

Oklahoma fought tooth-and-nail but ultimately missed out on five-star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka as the Washington native committed to Ohio State. While Egbuka won’t be joining Oklahoma’s 2021 class, there are still a number of targets out there, not to mention a handful of commits currently trudging through high school playoffs. As always, we’ve compiled all the results and available stat-lines right here for your viewing pleasure.

Just three Oklahoma commits remain in the hunt for a state title heading into this week: Billy Bowman (Denton Ryan) and Cody Jackson (Foster) in the Texas 5A-1 championship and Clayton Smith (Texas High) in 5A-2. The biggest blowout of the week goes to Denton Ryan, with a 69-6 win over Adams.

Oklahoma makes top-4 for four-star 2021 DE

Four-star DE Jeremiah Williams narrowed his list of schools down to four on Thursday, cutting Alabama and LSU.

With Sooner Summit commencing over the weekend and four-star DE Kelvin Gilliam committing to Oklahoma on Saturday, the Sooners’ 2021 class is suddenly on a roll.

With the new addition, OU’s class jumped to 14th in the country via 247Sports, notably one spot ahead of Texas. Gilliam marks OU’s 4th defensive end prospect, and it appears that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch already has his sights set on the next one.

Fellow four-star DE Jeremiah Williams narrowed his list of schools down to four on Thursday, cutting Alabama and LSU. The No. 6 weak-side defensive end in the country will now be choosing from Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Oklahoma.

His final destination is yet to be determined, but it’s no coincidence that defensive ends coach Jamar Cain tweeted the following image on the same day, alluding to Williams’ nickname, “Scooby.”

Williams would mark OU’s fourth weak-side defensive end in the class. Currently, three of the top 10 WDE in the country are committed to OU. In Williams, the Sooners are looking to go 4/4.

Williams is a 6-foot-3, 224 lb WDE from Ramsay High School in Birmingham, AL. 247Sports lists him as the No. 103 prospect in the nation, the No. 6 WDE, and the No. 5 player out of Alabama. He would be the No. 5 highest-rated player in OU’s 2021 class.

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Oklahoma four-star DL target Kelvin Gilliam sets commitment date

2021 four-star weak-side defensive end Kelvin Gilliam will make his college decision known on August 22.Β 

2021 four-star weak-side defensive end Kelvin Gilliam will make his college decision known on August 22.

Gilliam ranks as the No. 7 WDE and No. 3 player out of Virginia, per 247Sports.

OU’s 2021 class recently received its crown jewel, in the form of No. 1 QB Caleb Williams. Williams hails from Washington, D.C., only two hours away from Gilliam’s hometown of Highland Springs, VA.

Not only are Williams and Gilliam interested in the prospect of becoming teammates, they may end up rooming together at OU, Gilliam told Sports Illustrated’s AllSooners.

Gilliam would be the fourth DL prospect in O’s 2021 class, joining fellow four-stars Ethan Downs, Clayton Smith and Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge.

Also on DC Alex Grinch’s radar: Gilliam’s high school teammate and 2021 three-star CB Damond Harmon. Harmon will be committing on August 1st, choosing between OU, South Carolina, Tennessee, Penn State and Georgia.

As of July 31, 247Sports’ Crystal Ball gives OU a 100% chance of landing Harmon. It’s hard to imagine this domino would not have some kind of effect on Gilliam’s decision later in the month.

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