Recruiting roundup: Checking out the 2022 recruiting class and other notes

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners stand with certain players in the 2022 recruiting class?

The Oklahoma Sooners are riding a lot of momentum as the calendar has flipped to November. They are undefeated, ranked in the top eight of every major ranking, and can currently boast a top 10 recruiting class.

While the on-field product has been good and still has the potential to be great this season, great programs don’t just neglect the other part of the team. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college sports. Especially college football despite what Florida head coach Dan Mullen might suggest.

It’s a 365 days a year job and it never stops.

Despite some hiccups, the Sooners are closing in on another top 10 class for the 2022 recruiting cycle. We would seriously be talking about a top 3 class had they not lost a top 10 national recruit in Luther Burden earlier this year. They also lost Jordan Hudson and Talyn Shettron as well.

However, the Sooners picked up the slack in terms of sheer star power and talent by their October run landing two of this senior’s class best talents in Gabriel Brownlow Dindy and Gentry Williams according to the USA Today Sports High School Composite Player Rankings.

With an early signing day of December 15th, the Oklahoma Sooners can put pen to paper and close the deal for good by having many guys sign and send in their National Letters of Intent.

As it currently stands, Oklahoma’s well on its way to locking down their 2022 class as no one currently looks like a surprise flip to somewhere else at the moment with a month to go.

However, there are a few recruits who could still jump on board namely guys like Jovontae Barnes, Hero Kanu, Marvin Jones Jr., Azareyeh Thomas, and Chris McClellan.

Jovontae Barnes, a running back from Las Vegas is set to visit Oklahoma for the Iowa State game. He plans to silently commit and announce his decision at one of the winter All-Star games in January. The Sooners are in an excellent spot here if you’ve followed our coverage over the months.

Hero Kanu, a defensive lineman originally from Germany, but playing football in California, is another huge possibility for the Sooners here. Judging things right now, this seems like it may be down to Oklahoma and Ohio State, which may be a theme for Oklahoma over the next few months on the recruiting trail.

Marvin Jones Jr. plays with 2023 Sooners commit Brandon Inniss. The chance is there for them to play in college as well. Jamar Cain is on the prowl and is positioning Oklahoma to be right in the thick of it over the coming months in a battle with Alabama and Florida State for the highly talented edge rusher.

Azareyeh Thomas popped onto the scene after a visit a few weeks ago and Oklahoma is trending well enough to have garnered multiple crystal ball predictions on 247’s site. Thomas is listed as an athlete but looks to be playing safety if he plays for the Sooners.

Most, if not all of these guys will be names to monitor in the coming months as letters of intent begin to get signed and as players end their high school seasons, allowing them to focus solely on their recruiting journeys as their senior football seasons come to an end.

Report: Oklahoma Sooners flip wide receiver with OU ties from the Oregon Ducks

The Oklahoma Sooners got a much-needed wide receiver addition to the 2022 recruiting class with the commitment of Nicholas Anderson.

This weekend wasn’t just good for Oklahoma on the field. We chronicled before the game, the Sooners would have some visitors in town for their matchup with Texas Tech. At the top of the list sat Nicholas Anderson. He was an Oregon commit and was in town to watch the Sooners play on an unofficial visit.

Whatever took place on this visit, had a profound impact on Anderson as he flipped his commitment from the Oregon Ducks to the Oklahoma Sooners.

It should be noted that Nicholas Anderson is no stranger to the Crimson and Cream. He’s the younger brother of former Sooners great Rodney Anderson. It may seem as though a visit in the game-day atmosphere once again was all Anderson needed to make his decision. He’s now the lone wide receiver committed for Oklahoma’s 2022 recruiting class and is a much-needed addition after Oklahoma lost three previous commits at the wide receiver position.

Anderson is tall at 6’3 and is long, lanky, and has track speed. He can fly and he’ll have to add weight but he’s considered one of the best route runners in the state of Texas for his class. This is a very solid pickup for Oklahoma at a position that needed depth in this class.

Anderson may be a project receiver but with his athletic gifts, he’s worth bringing in and seeing how he develops under outside wide receiver’s coach Dennis Simmons’ tutelage.

Nicholas Anderson’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247 3 n/a 44 55
Rivals 3 n/a 65 63
ESPN 4 106 22 13
247 Composite 4 237 38 38

Vitals

Hometown Katy, TX
Projected Position WR
Height 6’3
Weight 195

Recruitment

  • Offered on November 1st, 2021
  • visit on October 30th, 2021

Offers

  • Oregon Ducks
  • Notre Dame Fighting Irish
  • Texas A&M Aggies
  • Auburn Tigers
  • USC Trojans
  • Tennessee Volunteers
  • Penn State Nittany Lions
  • Florida State Seminoles
  • Virginia Tech Hokies
  • Stanford Cardinal

Crystal Ball

Film

Nicholas Anderson film

Twitter

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Uiagalelei continuing to fight with unshakeable belief

In Clemson’s 30-20 win over the Florida State Seminoles in Memorial Stadium on Saturday, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei continued to lead his offense to yet another victory at home to keep the Tigers 32-game win streak in Death Valley alive. Uiagalelei …

In Clemson’s 30-20 win over the Florida State Seminoles in Memorial Stadium on Saturday, quarterback DJ Uiagalelei continued to lead his offense to yet another victory at home to keep the Tigers 32-game win streak in Death Valley alive.

Uiagalelei himself, while inconsistent at times, made strides in the right direction in Saturday’s matchup. The sophomore completed 19-of-31 passes for 189 yards, one interception, and one touchdown.

“It felt better,” the California-native said. “Yeah, I felt good. The ball’s coming out good, kind of just felt like a good game. I feel like I played a solid game, still got stuff to work on, but it was a solid game today.”

Offensive coordinator Tony Elliot echoed Uiagalelei’s improvement on the field. Elliot was pleased with his quarterback’s steps toward leadership and the way he has become more vocal, continuing to challenge his guys to be their very best.

“That was the main thing I tried to focus on,” Uiagalelei said. “Definitely thought I did a better job this week. Trying to be more vocal, man, trying to be encouraging.  Just trying to be a leader and trying to get guys going any way I can, being positive and just be out there and be a voice for the offense.”

While it has been an emotional rollercoaster for the quarterback in his first starting tenure with the Tigers, Uiagalelei continues to fight for success with an unshakeable belief in himself and his teammates. A mindset that reminds him of why he even plays the game in the first place.

“Just keep fighting, man, have the unshakeable belief,” Uiagalelei said. “I mean, I gotta believe in myself a hundred percent, a hundred percent believe in this offense and this team, and we just gotta keep fighting. That was my main mindset. Just gotta go out there and keep swinging the hammer, just keep going and going and going. Just got to keep attacking, keep playing ball. We’ve played this game since we’ve been little kids, so we just gotta go out there and play like we’ve always played. We love the game of football for the game of football, so that’s my mindset.”

Clemson hits the road this weekend for another ACC matchup when the Tigers travel to Cardinal Stadium on Saturday, November 6, to face Louisville. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on ACCN.

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

Florida State’s botched last-second laterals against Clemson led to a horrible bad beat

The end of FSU-Clemson had major betting implications.

Florida State trailed Clemson on the road by four with the ball at their own 33-yard line and four seconds left on the clock. In an effort to try and make something happen, the Seminoles attempted a series of laterals and passes. After a missed backwards pass left the ball alive at the four-yard line, Clemson was able to scoop and score the late touchdown. Final score: 30-20, Clemson.

It was utterly disastrous, not just for FSU — which fell to 3-5 with the loss — but for some bettors as well.

According to Tipico Sportsbook, Clemson was favored by 9.5 points heading into the game, and the over/under was set at 47.5 points. Before Jordan Travis and FSU got a little chaotic on the final play, those that took FSU +9.5 and the under were sitting pretty.

Not the case four seconds later.

The definition of bad beat.

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The mother of all bad beats as Clemson tops Florida State

Florida State backers not only lost the game to Clemson but suffered another kind of defeat

Teams that disappointed played in South Carolina on Saturday in an ACC clash. Florida State visited Clemson.

And if you think those teams have come up poorly for the 2021 season, imagine how those Seminole supporters felt after this play.

Clemson led 24-20 and Florida State needed a miracle.

The same kind of miracle bettors who had the Tigers and had given 9.5 points needed.

Off the play went and FSU decided to try and lateral its way to an incomparable victory.

What happened, instead, was the mother of all covers — translate that into bad beat who had money on FSU plus 9.5 points.

The play unfolds and the Seminoles’ backward passes are going perilously in the wrong direction.

The final one becomes a total disaster as Clemson’s Barrett Carter recovers the ball and is knocked into the end zone for the touchdown that makes it 30-20. There was no PAT in case you were concerned.

Yes, the Tigers won by 10 and if you had 9.5 points … you lost.

Shipley gives Tigers an answer

Clemson answered Florida State’s score to reclaim a 17-13 lead on a two yard touchdown run by Will Shipley with 3:41 to play in the second quarter. The Tigers’ scoring drive covered 88 yards in 10 plays and 4:28. Shipley led the way on the drive …

Clemson answered Florida State’s score to reclaim a 17-13 lead on a two yard touchdown run by Will Shipley with 3:41 to play in the second quarter.

The Tigers’ scoring drive covered 88 yards in 10 plays and 4:28. Shipley led the way on the drive with four carries for 45 yards including the two yard touchdown run.

Norvell addresses relationship with Swinney, disagreement about cancellation of last year’s game

Following Florida State’s practice on Wednesday morning, head coach Mike Norvell met with the media ahead of Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup against Clemson at Death Valley. Norvell was asked about his relationship with Dabo Swinney and suggested they …

Following Florida State’s practice on Wednesday morning, head coach Mike Norvell met with the media ahead of Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. matchup against Clemson at Death Valley.

Norvell was asked about his relationship with Dabo Swinney and suggested they have had an amicable relationship for years dating to Norvell’s days as Arizona State’s offensive coordinator from 2012-15.

“Back when I was at Arizona State as offensive coordinator, his whole offensive staff came out and talked ball,” Norvell told reporters Wednesday. “So, there was prior relationship a little bit before that. But it’s one that he’s somebody to be respected in the job that he’s done and what they have been able to accomplish.”

Norvell says there’s no bad blood between himself and Swinney stemming from the verbal spat the two coaches had last year after Florida State decided to cancel its scheduled game against Clemson on Nov. 21 just three hours before kickoff, with the Seminoles saying they did not feel safe playing the game after a Clemson player was sent home the day before after testing positive for COVID-19.

Swinney was not happy about how the situation was handled, or the fact FSU indicated it was Clemson’s fault.

Over the next week, Swinney and Norvell sparred through the local press on each side, as well as the national media. There seemed to be no love lost between the two head coaches at the time.

But Norvell implied Wednesday that’s all behind them and attributed the conflict to a couple of passionate coaches sticking up for their respective programs during a “unique” situation.

“Last year’s situation was so unique in itself, and there’s a lot of emotion,” Norvell said. “When you prepare for a game … Both sides, everybody wanted to play the game, and there’s emotional comments that get made and all of that. But everybody’s passionate about what we do, and it’s one of the reasons — his passion that he has for his program and his players, that shows up evident. It’s why they’ve had the success that they’ve had. I’m passionate for this program and the people that are in it and around it. I’ve got that too. So, that was one of those things that it was a unique situation, but it’s nothing that ever carries over, or additional thoughts.”

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Are the Gators still the best team in Florida?

4-3 isn’t good enough for Florida to compete nationally, but the Gators are still the No. 1 in-state program.

It’s been a rough season for the Gators. After a hot start, losses to Kentucky and LSU have Florida (4-3) unranked, snapping a streak of 52 consecutive poll appearances. The good news is that UF is still the best college football team in the state, according to The Athletic.

Dan Mullen may be on the hot seat, but his team is on top of the “Sunshine State 7” for now. The performance against Alabama (a two-point loss in the Swamp) won’t be forgotten, but it’s Mullen’s inability to get Florida over the top against the nation’s best that sticks out.

The biggest question is whether coach Dan Mullen will ever get Florida back into legitimate title contention. After leading the Gators to two top-10 AP poll finishes in his first two seasons, Florida has lost seven of 19, mostly to college football’s elites (LSU twice, Alabama twice, Texas A&M, Oklahoma) and are clearly behind Georgia in the pecking order of the SEC East.

UCF (3-3) is second in the state, but the Knights have the excuse of losing star quarterback Dillon Gabriel and Kaila Davia, an impact play on the defensive line. Florida has been without one of the best corners in college football, Kaiir Elam, for some time as well, though.

Florida State (2-4) and Miami (2-4) are third and fourth as both programs are having disappointing years. FAU (3-3), USF (1-5) and FIU (1-5) round out the list with the latter two beating among the worst in football right now.

While the competition isn’t necessarily that strong in the state of Florida, the Gators’ numbers against FBS opponents are still impressive in comparison. Florida scores 34.4 points per game against FBS opponents, which is good for 24th nationally. No other team in Florida makes the top 50. The Gators’ 7.07 yards per play on offense is fourth-best in the country. FIU and Florida State are the next highest-ranked at Nos. 37 and 38.

Defensively, Florida is still on top of the state with possibly even less competition across the state. Todd Grantham isn’t the most beloved figure in Gainesville right now, but some other Florida team may snatch him up quickly if his contract isn’t renewed as many expect.

Finally, four Gators made it onto the Sunshine State 7 Midseason Team. Emory Jones the second quarterback on the list after FAU’s N’Kosi Perry. Offensive lineman Ethan White, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and defensive end Zach Carter also made it. With Elam sitting out for three weeks, it makes sense to leave him off the list.

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5 Big Ten men’s basketball teams earn AP Top 25 preseason ranking

Which Big Ten teams are ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll?

The dawning of a new era of Penn State basketball is nearly upon us as the Nittany Lions begin building a new identity this season under Micah Shrewsberry. On Monday, we got our first look at the kind of company Shreewsberry hopes Penn State will be a part of soon enough as the Associated Press released its preseason AP Top 25 for the upcoming men’s basketball season.

Last year’s preseason No. 1 team is once again sitting on top at the start of the season. The Gonzaga Bulldogs, after ending last season as the national runner-up to Baylor, received 55 out of 63 first-place votes to take the top spot in the AP Top 25 preseason poll, which was released on Monday morning. UCLA, whom Gonzaga defeated in the Final Four last season, received the remaining eight first-place votes to help secure the nation’s No. 2 ranking.

Five Big Ten teams appear in the preseason AP Top 25, starting with the Michigan Wolverines at No. 6. Michigan finished in first place in the Big Ten’s regular season last year and is once again a favorite to win the conference this season. But Purdue, who is ranked No. 7 in the preseason poll, is just behind the Wolverines to start the season.

Illinois, last season’s Big Ten conference tournament champion, is ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP Top 25. Ohio State (No. 17) and Maryland (No. 21) also appear in the preseason AP poll.

Other Big Ten teams receiving votes in the preseason poll include Michigan State, Indiana, and Rutgers.

NEXT: The full preseason AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll

Here is how the AP Top 25 men’s basketball preseason poll looks ahead of the 2021-2022 season.

  1. Gonzaga (55 first-place votes)
  2. UCLA (8)
  3. Kansas
  4. Villanova
  5. Texas
  6. Michigan
  7. Purdue
  8. Baylor
  9. Duke
  10. Kentukcy
  11. Illinois
  12. Memphis
  13. Oregon
  14. Alabama
  15. Houston
  16. Arkansas
  17. Ohio State
  18. Tennessee
  19. North Carolina
  20. Florida State
  21. Maryland
  22. Auburn
  23. St. Bonaventure
  24. UConn
  25. Virginia

Others receiving votes:
Michigan State 87, Indiana 41, USC 30, Arizona 26, Virginia Tech 25, Oklahoma State 25, Xavier 22, Texas Tech 17, Richmond 13, Rutgers 11, Colorado State 11, LSU 7, Belmont 7, San Diego State 5, St. John’s 5, Mississippi State 5, Syracuse 5, Drake 4, Colorado 4, BYU 3, Notre Dame 3, Louisville 3

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Chargers CB Asante Samuel Jr. playing well beyond his years

Chargers CB Asante Samuel Jr. is playing just like his dad.

The reality is that cornerback is one of the most challenging positions to play in the NFL.

But for Asante Samuel Jr., he has sped through the learning curve, and his play early on in his professional career has drawn parallels to his dad, four-time Pro Bowler Asante Samuel.

The uber-confident ballhawk quickly established himself as one of the team’s top defensive playmakers with his performances against the premier passing attacks of the Cowboys and Chiefs.

For his efforts, Samuel was selected as the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for September. Through three games, he leads all rookies in interceptions (two) and passes defended (four).

Coming out of Florida State, many tabbed Samuel as an exclusive slot defender due to his lack of size and physicality. However, he has defied the odds, thriving as the starting outside corner opposite Michael Davis.

Samuel has shown the ability to thrive in both man and zone coverage and has played the position like a wide receiver with his ball skills and route recognition. In addition, he hasn’t hesitated as a run defender and has played tougher than he looks.

Samuel has played 103 coverage snaps, the most by a rookie with zero touchdowns allowed. On top of that, in 46 man coverage snaps, Samuel has only allowed a catch for -2 yards.

It’s still early, but it looks like the Chargers might have a shutdown corner with Pro Bowl potential on their hands in Samuel.