Tag: Danny Okoye

Davon Mitchell one of CBS Sports ‘freshmen to watch’ in Spring Game season

CBS Sports Shehan Jeyarajah includes Davon Mitchell among CBS Sports freshmen to watch during spring game season.

The Oklahoma Sooners have several freshmen who have created a lot of buzz in spring ball. [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], and [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag] have turned heads with what they accomplished during winter workouts and on the defensive side of the practice field.

On offense, [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] has impressed. And so has his good friend and fellow freshman, [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag]. Though he may not be working as a starter right now, he’s shown out with his size and ability. With just under two weeks to the Oklahoma Sooners spring game, CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah pointed to Mitchell as a freshman to watch in spring game season.

The Sooners have several tight ends on the roster, but early returns of Mitchell have been off the charts. Originally a member of the Class of 2025, Mitchell reclassified down a year and has already made an impact. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds, he already boasts the requisite frame and strength to play in the SEC. While snaps may not come early, Mitchell is the future of the position at OU. – Jeyarajah, CBS Sports

Mitchell has created a lot of buzz in spring camp with his ready-for-college size and his ability in the passing game. At the moment, it sounds like he’s working in a rotational role at tight end, but because of his ability, he should see snaps in the passing game during the 2024 season.

The number of snaps is still to be determined. In addition, Bauer Sharp has been impressed with his play style and leadership qualities.

Mitchell has all of the traits to be really good at the collegiate level and his time is certainly coming. Like many of the signees in the 2024 recruiting class, he has the right mindset and demeanor to push for an impactful role as a true freshman. The Sooners spring game will be the first opportunity to see what the future of the position will look like.

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Danny Okoye looking to develop ‘as much as possible’ during spring practice

Danny Okoye is one of the more intriguing prospects the Sooners have had in awhile and he’s ready to make an impact.

One of the bigger surprise signings of the 2024 recruiting class was four-star edge [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag]. Okoye finished in the top 80 nationally, and at one point had eliminated the Oklahoma Sooners from his recruitment.

But after reconsidering Oklahoma, he quickly went all in on the Sooners before committing and then signing. Now, he’s an early enrollee and already participated in winter workouts and spring ball.

Okoye is one of the more intriguing prospects. He didn’t face great competition in high school, but his physical tools are off the charts. Okoye came into Oklahoma at 233 pounds but is already up to 255 pounds. He ran a 4.56 40-yard dash.

Okoye talked about his expectations for the spring.

“Just develop as much as possible,” Okoye said. “This is the first spring ball that I’ve been a part of. I’m not expecting to be as advanced as some of these other guys, but if I can advance myself as much as I can in the time that I have given to me, I’ll be happy. I’m sure it’ll pay off when the season comes and I can fight for a starting spot.”

The hardest part for many freshmen is the mental aspect of the game and it’s even harder playing in a Brent Venables defense. But the physical attributes are there for Okoye. He also has the work ethic to go with it.

Having that combination could see him get early playing time and start terrorizing [autotag]SEC[/autotag] offenses next season.

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Where each of the Oklahoma Sooners signees finished in final 2024 recruiting rankings

A look at where each Oklahoma Sooners 2024 signee finished in the final rankings for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The 2024 recruiting class finished in the top 10 for the Oklahoma Sooners. It was an important class, as it marked the first group of players that would play their entire career in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Given the need to rebuild the offensive and defensive lines to be able to contend in the SEC, additional importance was placed on landing a strong offensive and defensive line class. And [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff did just that.

But that’s not where the impressive returns stopped. Oklahoma also came through with the top running back in the cycle and a blue-chip set of wide receivers. It was an impressive cycle for [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] and [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag].

[autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] was considered the top tight end in the 2025 recruiting cycle before reclassifying to 2024, giving Joe Jon Finley a bonafide star to work with.

At defensive back, Jay Valai and Brandon Hall continued to pull in impressive talents, landing four-star prospects [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Newcombe[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], [autotag]Eli Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag].

At quarterback, the Sooners landed highly productive passers from two big football states in [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] from Texas and [autotag]Brendan Zurbrugg[/autotag] from Ohio. Two years ago, the depth at the position was questionable. Now [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag] has an impressive group of passers to lead his offense into the future.

Looking back at the trenches. The Sooners landed two legit studs in [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] for the interior and three blue-chip prospects to work along the edge in [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag].

It was a necessity heading into the SEC, where the offensive line play and physicality in the trenches go to another level. And as much as we love the defensive line recruiting, the offensive line recruiting could end up being just as impactful.

Sure, aside from [autotag]Eugene Brooks[/autotag], Bill Bedenbaugh’s group didn’t receive a ton of recognition in recruiting circles. But it’s an athletically impressive group with a strong work ethic and a lot of upside.

So as we turn the page on Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting class, let’s take a look at how each player finished in the final player rankings from ESPN, Rivals, 247Sports, and On3.

At the end, you can see which recruiting service liked each of Oklahoma’s signees the most.

5 positions where the Oklahoma Sooners are better than they were a year ago

Every year there is roster turnover, but where are the Sooners better? Here are five positions Oklahoma’s better than they were a year ago.

Every offseason teams around college football have to deal with a significant amount of turnover to their roster. That’s been the case for the Sooners each season of the Brent Venables era.

No position group was hit harder than the offensive line. They lost the five guys that were starters for the majority of the season. Though they’ve been able to retool the lineup with transfer portal additions, it will be months before we know if those additions will work out.

Elsewhere, however, the Sooners look to be in really good shape, especially when you compare it to how several positions looked this time last year.

Here are five position groups that look better compared to where they were a year ago.

Oklahoma Sooners’ 2024 signing class position outlook

A position by position look at who signed with the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2024 signing class.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together another top-10 recruiting class, signing all 27 of their prospects on the first day of the early signing period.

It’s a class that will help define Oklahoma’s success in the SEC. It’s a class that’s balanced, with 14 offensive signees and 13 on the defensive side of the ball. The defensive front is garnering all of the attention, but the Oklahoma Sooners brought in a number of really talented players on both sides of the ball.

Here’s a position breakdown of the Sooners’ 2024 signing class.

More: [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag] coverage

Oklahoma’s No. 1 player in 2024 officially signs with the Sooners

The Sooners got the signature of a big-time local prospect who could provide an immediate impact.

Once [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] took over as head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners, he and his staff made it a priority to recruit the local prospects. That push paid off. The Sooners earned the commitment and now the signature of the state’s top prospect.

[autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], who plays at Tulsa NOAH homeschool, signed his national letter of intent to be a Sooner. Okoye is a four-star prospect who is listed at 6 feet, 4 inches and 241 pounds.

Okoye has all of the physical tools to make an immediate impact at Oklahoma. You worry about the competition he played in high school, but the tools are there. He’s someone who could be a situational pass rusher in 2024 and has a very bright future.

More from the [autotag]2024 Early Signing Period[/autotag]

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Oklahoma Sooners one of the biggest team ranking risers of the summer

The Sooners continue to hit it out of the park in the 2024 class being one of the biggest risers since the summer.

Not many teams in the country have had as big of a rise in the recruiting rankings as the Oklahoma Sooners over the last few months. The Sooners have been on an absolute heater since July.

With the most recent commitment of [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], the Sooners are No. 7 in 247Sports’ team composite ranking and No. 8 over at On3. On3 Sports ranked the teams to make the biggest jump since the summer, and the Sooners were included, moving up nine spots.

Brent Venables and Co. flexed their recruiting muscles in a big way last cycle, ending with the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class. It featured three five-stars and 15 blue-chippers in total. Beating that haul in 2024 was always going to be a tall task, but the Sooners are yet again on the verge of securing a top-10 class. Five-Star Plus+ DL [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] choosing OU over Miami was the highlight of the summer in that regard, but the Sooners have also added four-star pass-rushers [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] and Danny Okoye to a very good defensive class. Not to be outdone, OC [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] and the Sooners offense has amassed some weapons this summer with elite running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag], four-star tight end [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag], and wideouts [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], among others. – Keegan Pope On3 Sports

This move has ranked the Sooners as the fourth-biggest riser of any team in the country. But the Sooners are not done yet. They are still waiting on the decision of offensive linemen [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag]. They also are waiting for defensive back [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag].

Of the three players mentioned, Oklahoma holds a lead for only Akinkunmi, according to On3 Sports. There’s also always that potential of a flip from a five-star or two, but we don’t need to get everyone’s hopes on that just yet.

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Social media reacts: 4-Star EDGE Danny Okoye commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Social media reacts to the commitment of 2024 four-star DE Danny Okoye, another blue chip DL for 2024 and the No. 1 player in the state of Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Sooners football program has done an incredible job on the recruiting trail since arriving in Norman in December of 2021. They’ve secured a pair of top-ten classes, one of which was a top-five class in the 2023 cycle. They look well on their way to another great recruiting class in 2024.

The latest addition was in-state talent [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], a four-star prospect who plays for NOAH. He’s an incredible athlete who can do backflips at 6-foot-4 and 240 lbs and deadlift more than three times his weight at over 700 pounds.

Danny Okoye’s commitment highlights the work the Sooners have done this cycle to put together an incredible group along the defensive line. Okoye joins [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], and [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag] in the 2024 cycle. When this group gets to Norman, it will arguably be the best defensive line recruiting hall in the history of the program and also provide incredible competitive depth to the Sooners defensive front.

With Okoye, they added a disruptive talent who has a chance to be an elite pass rusher at the next level.

With the addition of Okoye, the Sooners move up to No. 7 in the 247Sports team rankings, No. 5 over at Rivals, and No. 8 in On3’s rankings.

Brent Venables and his staff have the Sooners recruiting elite defensive prospects again and here’s how social media reacted.

Sooners land commitment from in-state 2024 four-star EDGE Danny Okoye

Oklahoma is back on the board with another commitment. The Sooners landed four-star EDGE rusher Danny Okoye on Wednesday evening.

Oklahoma has put together a great recruiting class for 2024, and it just got better along the defensive line. Four-star EDGE [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag] committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday.

Oklahoma was the choice over Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and a number of other Power Five schools.

Oklahoma’s pursuit of Okoye started in the summer of 2022 when the Sooners offered in July. Since then, Miguel Chavis has spearheaded that recruitment, keeping Oklahoma in the thick of it.

Okoye cut down his options and posted a top-six featuring the Sooners, Crimson Tide, the Volunteers, Colorado, LSU, and the Texas Longhorns in August.

When speaking to Brett Greenberg of 247Sports back in August (Subscription required), Okoye said this about Oklahoma:

”OU has always been showing the love for me since the beginning. One of the reasons they are in the top six is just after their last season, the amount of work that they’ve put in and the amount of progress they’ve made as a team and program, it’s definitely worth being noticed. The coaching staff is a national championship coaching staff, and I can definitely see OU winning the national championship in the future.”

Oklahoma hosted Okoye for an official visit for the first game of the season when they blew away the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Momentum began to build for Okoye to the Sooners. The Sooners rode the wave and have secured his commitment.

When looking at the 247Sports composite, which takes into account rankings from each of the primary recruiting services, Okoye is pegged as the No. 152 overall recruit in the 2024 class. The four-star also rates as a top-10 edge rusher in the nation and the top player in Oklahoma. He also looks like an EDGE, standing six-foot-four and hovering around 240 pounds. He’s explosive, and during his junior season in 2022, he tallied 43 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, one interception, and forced a fumble.

With Okoye’s commitment, Oklahoma now has 24 pledges in the 2024 recruiting. Oklahoma has also moved in front of Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the No. 7 spot in the 247Sports team rankings.

The Sooners’ pursuit of a top-five recruiting class continues with decisions from three-star OL [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], four-star OT [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag], three-star CB [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag], and four-star LB/S [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] still to come.

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Vols make top three for No. 1 2024 prospect in Oklahoma

Tennessee is one of three schools for the No. 1 2024 prospect in Oklahoma.

Four-star edge prospect Danny Okoye announced his top three schools on Sunday.

Tennessee, Texas and Oklahoma are Okoye’s top three schools.

The 6-foot-5, 230-pound edge prospect is from NOAH Homeschool in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Okoye is the No. 159 overall prospect in the class of 2024. He ranks as the No. 9 edge prospect and No. 1 player in Oklahoma, according to On3 Sports industry rankings.

As a junior, Okoye totaled 43 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss, six sacks, one interception and one forced fumble. He recorded 78 tackles, 21 tackles for a loss, 10.5 sacks and two forced fumbles during his sophomore season.

Tennessee is ‘setting the bar’ for 2024 prospect Danny Okoye

https://x.com/itsdanielokoye/status/1700903598811398187?s=20