Tag: Jackson Arnold

Oklahoma Sooners 10th in ESPN’s latest 2023 team recruiting rankings

Early still in the 2023 recruiting cycle, the Oklahoma Sooners come in 10th in ESPN’s latest team recruiting rankings.

It’s early in the 2023 recruiting cycle, but the Oklahoma Sooners are in great shape as they look to build their recruiting class for next year’s signing day. While the departure of Lincoln Riley led to decommitments from several highly-rated players, Brent Venables and the Sooners rebounded nicely to land significant commitments over the last several months.

Currently, they only have four guys committed to the class in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], [autotag]Ashton Cozart[/autotag], [autotag]Joshua Bates[/autotag], and [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag]. Though there isn’t a five-star in the bunch, that could change over the next year.

Arnold’s 2022 season, in which he led Denton Guyer to a state championship appearance, was his first as the starting quarterback. A strong 2022 season could have him rising higher in the quarterback rankings. Joshua Bates and Erik McCarty are expected to rise in recruiting rankings this year as well.

Still 10 months away, the Oklahoma Sooners are in a good spot with their recruiting class and targets. In ESPN’s latest updated team recruiting rankings, the Oklahoma Sooners come in 10th.

The Sooners took a hit when five-star QB [autotag]Malachi Nelson[/autotag] decommitted and followed Lincoln Riley to USC. The new staff rebounded quite well, though, by landing [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], the No. 6-ranked QB in the class, who has a smooth, compact delivery, as well as good pocket mobility. The Sooners also have a promising target in the passing game on board in Ashton Cozart, who is a lengthy receiver with big-play speed. – Craig Haubert, ESPN

While just behind the USC Trojans, who come in at No. 9, the Sooners recruiting class is just starting to take shape. They look like the odds-on favorite to land Missouri offensive tackle [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag]. Green is No. 77 on the ESPN 300. The Sooners have received numerous projections for the top offensive tackle prospect, who is a consensus four-star player.

As the coaching staff continues their work to build the 2023 recruiting class, it’s likely they’ll move up in the rankings. Though Texas Tech (No. 6)  and Baylor (No. 8), who are both ahead in ESPN rankings, have had great starts to the recruiting cycle, it would be incredibly surprising if they stayed in front of the Oklahoma Sooners.

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A star studded recruiting weekend has recruits buzzing in favor of the Sooners once again

A major recruiting weekend took place in Norman, Oklahoma headlined by at least five five-star talents from the 2024 class.

March has been an excellent month for the Oklahoma Sooners. They’re making the most of their opportunity to showcase the program to the nation’s best recruits. Players, family members, and coaches are getting an idea of what the Oklahoma Sooners will look and feel like under [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

Nearly every weekend this month has been seen elite talent from the 2023 and 2024 classes descend upon Norman to take in everything that the University of Oklahoma has to offer.

This latest iteration may be the best version of it so far as the Sooners had a ridiculous collection of talent across the several recruiting classes including the 2025 cycle. All three classes got to visit while the Sooners put on their first padded practices.

As it stands right now, no new commitments manifested from this weekend’s activities. However, visits from 2023 guys like Derrick LeBlanc and Cayden Green showed that the Sooners are  in the race for their commitments. Both have now unofficially visited Oklahoma multiple times.

Below, we’ve listed the 2023 names that were in Norman this weekend:

Names like Caleb Otlewski, Devin Strange, and Jacobe Fowler won’t be too familiar to those who follow Sooners recruiting as none have offers from the Sooners. However, it’s smart for Oklahoma  to keep casting a wide net.

Kayden McDonald has a close relationship with 2023 commit Jackson Arnold and that could help the Sooners in their pursuit of the talented defensive lineman from Georgia.

On the 2024 side, the Sooners are becoming more and more active as they continue to lay their foundation with the rising juniors of high school football. Here are the names of some of the 2024 prospects in attendance this weekend:

The 2024 class was absolutely the standout group of the weekend if nothing else for the volume and the quality of players that were in attendance.

D.J. Lagway is one of the best quarterbacks in the state of Texas regardless of grade and getting him on campus is a big accomplishment. He already has offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, and Florida.

Brown-Shuler, Simmons, Cunningham and Umeozulu represent some insane five-star talent on the defensive line in attendance. All three will be household names by the time their recruiting processes come to an end.

Johnson-Rubell is another five star defensive talent with 21 offers already from some of the elite programs in the country. He plays at IMG Academy which has an incredible amount of talent, and features David Stone, a former Oklahoma prep star who transferred to IMG and a player the Sooners are also heavily recruiting.

All in all, the Sooners are trying to make connections with some of class’s most elite defensive talent in 2024 and this weekend was a perfect time to showcase that.

Lastly, there were a few 2025 prospects in attendance of note:

Knighten and Larry are in-state products and players the Sooners should have in-roads to as they are the in-state favorites. However, both running backs are young and have a significant amount of time before their recruitments gain any heavy movement. But in the case of Oklahoma, it’s never too early to get involved,  especially if Knighten and Larry become national names.

The foundation they build now will go a long way over the next few years.

Now that the weekend has come to an end, the next few days will allow recruits the opportunity to sit and think about the time they spent while in Norman. Some of the early returns and reactions have been overwhelmingly positive and we’ve chronicled those right here.

Expect for the Sooners to keep this level of momentum on the recruiting trail as they push through the spring on their way to their first spring game under Brent Venables. Oklahoma will be welcoming a number of prospects on campus for the April 23 spring game in Norman.

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Oklahoma Sooners 7th in ESPN’s updated quarterback future rankings

Oklahoma Sooners slip to seventh in ESPN’s updated future power rankings at the quarterback position.

Heading into the 2021 season, the Oklahoma Sooners were considered by many to have the best quarterback situation in all of college football. Spencer Rattler was entering the season as a Heisman favorite. His backup, Caleb Williams, was considered a future Heisman contender. The future looked incredibly bright with Malachi Nelson, the No. 2 quarterback in the 2023 class committed to Oklahoma.

Malachi Nelson quickly decommitted and the Sooners starting quarterbacks from the 2021 season found new homes on opposite coasts.

In the immediate aftermath of Caleb Williams’ decision to enter the portal, Jeff Lebby was able to get a commitment from his former quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

Each offseason at ESPN, Adam Rittenberg takes a look at the future of the quarterback position and attempts to rank them considering their outlook for the next three years.

What all does he take into account?

For the quarterback rankings, a returning starter matters but a returning starter with multiple years of eligibility might be even more valuable. Depth is also significant, although often fleeting at quarterback. The lists are primarily based on personnel, but coaching is a factor, especially after a winter where Riley and other gifted quarterback mentors changed addresses. – Rittenberg

The Oklahoma Sooners come in at seventh in Rittenberg’s power rankings. Considering the losses of former five-star quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Spencer Rattler through the transfer portal and the decommitment of Malachi Nelson, it’s not surprising to see the Sooners go from No. 1 in the 2022 version of these rankings to No. 7.

Here’s what Rittenberg had to say:

A drop from the top was inevitable after Oklahoma lost Williams, Rattler and Riley, but the outlook at quarterback still looks solid in Norman. New coach Brent Venables hired a dynamic offensive playcaller in coordinator Jeff Lebby, who helped attract UCF transfer quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Lebby worked with Gabriel at UCF in 2019, when the freshman averaged 15.5 yards per completion (fourth nationally) and led an offense that ranked second nationally in yards (540.5 ypg) and fifth in scoring (43.4 ppg). Gabriel was one of the nation’s most productive quarterbacks in his first two seasons, piling up nearly identical totals for passing yards (3,653 and 3,570) and passing touchdowns (29 and 32). He should thrive under Lebby, and could lead OU through the 2023 season. – Rittenberg, ESPN

The addition of Gabriel was huge for Oklahoma. They got an experienced player who’s played for the new offensive coordinator and has multiple years of eligibility left in college. His experience and leadership will help the Sooners acclimate to their new offensive system and has Oklahoma as the favorites to win the Big 12.

The Oklahoma Sooners aggressively pursued Nick Evers on the recruiting trail once Jeff Lebby arrived in Norman. After Billy Napier replaced Dan Mullen in Gainesville, the one-time Florida commitment became an option.

If Gabriel is only a short-term solution, Oklahoma will look to the future with Nick Evers, ESPN’s No. 7 pocket passer and No. 165 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class. Evers’ development under Lebby this fall will be critical for 2023 and 2024. Oklahoma has a commitment from Jackson Arnold, ESPN’s No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 41 overall junior recruit. The school also will remain an appealing option for quarterback transfers.

The addition of Jackson Arnold was significant for the Sooners. Arnold made a big move in 247Sports recent rankings updates for the 2023 class. He saw an 11 spot jump to No. 35 in the recent rankings and has a chance to climb even higher and add another star to his profile if he can improve upon his stellar junior season. Arnold helped Denton Guyer reach the class-6A state championship game.

The Sooners took a hit from a “stars” perspective. But the present and future are still bright. Gabriel, Evers, and Jackson may not come with the same fanfare, but they look like an excellent fit for Oklahoma’s new coaching staff and what they want to do on the field.

Jeff Lebby’s said it’s his job to keep Oklahoma a quarterback destination. He doesn’t have the Heisman trophy winners to put on display like Riley, but Lebby’s considered one of the best offensive minds in college football in his own right. His work at UCF and Ole Miss helped those programs win a lot of games over the last few seasons. With Ole Miss, he helped turn Matt Corral into a legitimate first-round pick possibility in the 2022 NFL draft. At times a quarterback is only as good as his playcaller, and based on the numbers, the Sooners got a great one in Jeff Lebby.

There may have been upheaval on the quarterback depth chart since the end of the 2021 season, but Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby responded to the uncertainty with a plan and executed it to perfection.

The future is still bright in Norman.

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Where do prominent Sooners 2023 targets land in the updated Top247 from 247Sports?

Taking a look at several Sooners targets who saw movement in the updated Top247 Rankings from 247Sports.

With the completion of the 2021 season and 2022 recruiting concluded, aside from a few high-profile names, most recruiting services have moved their focus toward the class of 2023. Recently, On3 Recruiting released their updated On300 rankings to reflect how they view prospects from the class of 2023 as camps, showcases, and 7-on-7’s move to the forefront. The current juniors have one final summer before making that leap to their senior year.

Oklahoma has prospects littered up and down the 247Sports rankings, and many saw moves up the list while a few experienced declines in their rankings, and some held steady at their previous spots. Parker Thune of OUInsider provides a complete look at every Oklahoma target and where they now rank in 247Sports updated Top247.

Here’s a look at 11 Oklahoma targets and how they moved in the 2023 rankings.

Oklahoma Sooners deemed ‘losers’ of the 2022 quarterback carousel by 247Sports

With the losses of former top quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams, 247Sports named Oklahoma ‘losers’ of the 2022 QB carousel despite the addition of Dillon Gabriel.

While many within the Oklahoma community view the Sooners’ quarterback situation as a win, others around the college football world don’t share that same opinion. In a recent look at the offseason quarterback carousel, the Oklahoma Sooners were named losers by 247Sports.

The additions of Jeff Lebby led to the commitments of Dillon Gabriel and Nick Evers and with Lebby’s success with Matt Corral at Ole Miss, the Sooners are still in really good shape at quarterback even if the last few months have represented a net loss at the quarterback position. But as 2021 showed us, having the better quarterback doesn’t always lead to wins.

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2023 Alabama defensive back Avery Stuart earns Oklahoma offer

Avery Stuart, out of Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery, Ala., earned an Oklahoma offer recently.

As Oklahoma looks to build its 2023 class heading into the spring and beyond, it’s time to start stacking defensive talent among that group. In its 2023 class, OU has commitments from four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold, four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart, three-star offensive lineman Joshua Bates and athlete Erik McCarty.

Oklahoma extended an offer to class of 2023 four-star defensive back Avery Stuart on Feb. 14. Stuart is from Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery, Ala. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back holds offers from 18 schools according to 247Sports.

That list includes SEC programs Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. From the ACC, Stuart has earned offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina State. Big Ten schools Michigan State, Nebraska, and Penn State have also offered Stuart. In addition to those schools, Stuart holds offers from Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, Memphis, Toledo, and UCF.

Out of the recruiting services, On3 ranks Stuart the highest. According to On3’s rankings, Stuart is the No. 132 player overall, the No. 15 cornerback, and the 13th-best prospect from the state of Alabama in the 2023 class. Rivals rates Stuart as the No. 178 player nationally, the No. 27 cornerback, and the No. 18 player from Alabama.

247Sports lists Stuart as a three-star safety. According to 247Sports, Stuart is the No. 29 safety in the 2023 class and the 19th-best player from Alabama. In the On3 consensus rankings, Stuart checks in as the No. 175 player nationally, the No. 20 corner, and the No. 15 player from Alabama. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Stuart is the No. 252 player overall, the No. 25 safety, and the 17th highest-rated recruit from Alabama.

With that type of size and the way that Stuart runs, it’s easy to see him playing at Oklahoma for coach Jay Valai at corner or coach Brandon Hall at safety. Stuart has played a lot of wide receiver in high school, too.

Avery Stuart’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN N/A N/A N/A N/A
Rivals 4 178 18 27
247Sports 3 N/A 19 29
247 Composite 4 252 17 25
On3 Recruiting 4 132 13 15
On3 Composite 4 175 15 20

Vitals

Hometown Montgomery, Ala.
Projected Position DB
Height 6-2
Weight 185

Recruitment

  • Offered on Feb. 14

Film

Here’s some of Stuart’s Hudl tape.

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Oklahoma continues trend, offers 6’5″ wide receiver Kyler Kasper out of Arizona

Oklahoma offered four-star wide receiver Kyler Kasper out of Williams Field High School in Gilbert, Ariz. Here’s more on Kasper.

Oklahoma offered one of the top wide receivers in the 2023 class in consensus four-star recruit Kyler Kasper. The 6-foot-5, 195 pound prospect is out of Williams Field High School in Gilbert, Ariz.

According to Rivals, Kasper is the No. 74 player nationally, the No. 11 wide receiver and the second-best player from Arizona. 247Sports rates Kasper as the nation’s No. 165 recruit overall, the No. 20 wide receiver and the fourth-best Arizona prospect.

Meanwhile, ESPN ranks Kasper as the No. 201 player nationally, the No. 27 wide receiver and the fifth highest-rated player from Arizona. Lastly, On3 lists Kasper as the No. 208 player overall, the No. 33 wide receiver and the No. 4 player out of Arizona.

In the 247Sports composite rankings, Kasper checks in as the No. 125 player nationally, the 19th-best wide receiver and the No. 3 player from Arizona. On3’s consensus rankings has Kasper as the No. 146 player overall, the No. 24 wide receiver and the No. 4 Arizona prospect.

Kasper’s dad, Kevin Kasper, played wide receiver at Iowa during the 1997-00 seasons. Kasper also holds offers from Pac-12 schools Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC and Utah.

Of course, given the legacy connection, Iowa is definitely in the running here and the Hawkeyes were one of Kasper’s first offers. Fellow Big Ten schools Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State and Penn State have offered Kasper. Georgia, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have offered out of the SEC and Kasper has offers from ACC schools Duke and Miami. Iowa State and Notre Dame have offered Kasper as well.

With Kasper’s height and long frame, he certainly fits the mold for the type of wide receiver it seems Oklahoma offensive coordinator and OU wide receivers coach Cale Gundy have been targeting of late.

Kyler Kasper’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 4 201 5 27
Rivals 4 74 2 11
247Sports 4 165 4 20
247 Composite 4 125 3 19
On3 Recruiting 4 208 4 33
On3 Composite 4 146 4 24

Vitals

Hometown Gilbert, Ariz.
Projected Position WR
Height 6-5
Weight 195

Recruitment

  • Offered on Feb. 17

Film

Here’s what Kasper’s Hudl tape looks like.

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Oklahoma receives Rivals FutureCast for 4-star OT Cayden Green

SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuistion entered a Rivals FutureCast for four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green to land at Oklahoma.

SoonerScoop co-publisher and recruiting editor Josh McCuistion put in a Rivals FutureCast projecting class of 2023 four-star offensive tackle Cayden Green to Oklahoma.

Green is a 6-foot-5, 310 pound offensive tackle from Lee’s Summit North High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo. According to Rivals, Green is the No. 25 player overall, the No. 3 offensive tackle and the top player from the state of Missouri in the 2023 cycle.

ESPN lists Green as the No. 91 prospect in the 2023 class, the No. 9 offensive tackle and the second-best player from Missouri. On3 ranks Green as the 131st recruit nationally, the No. 8 offensive tackle and the No. 3 player from the state of Missouri. 247Sports rates Green as the No. 135 player nationally, the No. 14 offensive tackle and the third-best Missouri prospect.

In the On3 consensus rankings, Green is the No. 64 player nationally, the No. 3 offensive tackle and the No. 2 recruit from Missouri. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Green ranks as the No. 67 player overall, the No. 7 offensive tackle and the No. 2 prospect from Missouri.

No pun intended, this would be a huge commit if the Sooners could earn it. Green would join four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold, four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart, three-star offensive lineman Joshua Bates and athlete Erik McCarty.

Oklahoma originally offered Green on March 1, 2021. OUInsider‘s Parker Thune has also had a 247Sports crystal ball projection in for Green to Oklahoma since May 15, 2021.

In addition to OU, Green’s offers list includes schools such as Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri and Michigan.

Green was one of Oklahoma’s visitors last summer for its “Champ U BBQ.”

Cayden Green’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 4 91 2 9
Rivals 4 25 1 3
247Sports 4 135 3 14
247 Composite 4 67 2 7
On3 Recruiting 4 131 3 8
On3 Composite 4 64 2 3

Vitals

Hometown Lee’s Summit, Mo.
Projected Position OT
Height 6-5
Weight 310

Recruitment

  • Offered on March 1, 2021

Crystal Ball

Film

Here’s Green in action on some of his Hudl tape.

Twitter

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Oklahoma earns commitment from 2023 four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart

Oklahoma picked up its fourth commitment in the 2023 class from four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart out of Flower Mound, Texas.

Fresh off a late national signing day flurry, Oklahoma got a jumpstart on its 2023 recruiting class Friday evening.

Four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart out of Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, announced his commitment to the Sooners.

With recent predictions swinging in the Sooners’ direction, it appeared that Cozart was trending toward committing to Oklahoma. Now, it’s official.

Cozart becomes Oklahoma’s fourth pledge in the 2023 class alongside four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold out of Denton, Texas, three-star offensive lineman Joshua Bates from Durango, Colo. and athlete Erik McCarty out of McAlester, Okla.

On3 ranks Cozart as the nation’s No. 62 player overall, the No. 8 wide receiver and the ninth-best player from the state of Texas in the 2023 class. ESPN rates Cozart as the No. 97 prospect nationally, the No. 19 wide receiver and the 19th-ranked player from Texas.

247Sports lists Cozart as the No. 119 player nationally, the No. 13 wide receiver and the 25th-best player from Texas. Rivals has Cozart as a three-star pledge and the No. 48 wide receiver.

In the On3 consensus rankings, Cozart is the No. 116 player nationally, the No. 19 wide receiver and the No. 21 player from Texas. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Cozart is ranked as the No. 166 player overall, the No. 24 wide receiver and the No. 31 player from Texas.

OU earned the commitment from the 6-foot-3, 170 pound wide receiver over schools such as Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State,Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.

The commitment ends a week that began for the Sooners with the decommitment from another four-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr.

Ashton Cozart’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 4 97 19 19
Rivals 3 N/A 71 48
247Sports 4 119 25 13
247 Composite 4 166 31 24
On3 Recruiting 4 62 9 8
On3 Composite 4 116 21 19

Vitals

Hometown Flower Mound, Texas
Projected Position WR
Height 6-3
Weight 190

Recruitment

  • Offered on June 23, 2021

Film

Here’s a look at Cozart’s Hudl tape from his junior season.

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Per ESPN, former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams joining Lincoln Riley at USC

The long-awaited decision from former Oklahoma Sooners Caleb Williams comes to pass as he’ll be joining Lincoln Riley at USC.

The long-awaited decision from former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams has come to fruition. In a story from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Williams has announced that he’s joining Lincoln Riley at USC to continue his college career.

Though it took nearly a month since he entered the transfer portal and reports popped up of supposed interest in LSU and Wisconsin, this seemed to be the move all along. He traveled to visit USC several weeks ago and though other schools creeped into the discussion a chance to reconnect with the coach that recruited him to Oklahoma appears to have been too good to pass up.

In the story from ESPN, Williams tells Thamel:

I wanted to go somewhere I thought would provide me with the best development both on and off the field. Getting to know Coach Riley and gaining familiarity with his offense definitely played a part in my selection, as well as already knowing some the guys on the team. – Williams to ESPN’s Pete Thamel

The Williams contingent had made it clear along the way that their goal was to be put in the best position to be selected high in the NFL draft when his time comes to declare. While Riley’s offenses struggled the last two years to put up the same efficiency and scoring numbers that they did during the Heisman run of his tenure at OU, Riley can point to Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts as evidence of his ability to put players into the NFL.

Whether the next couple of seasons for Caleb Williams at USC puts him in a position to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft comes to fruition remains to be seen. Former Sooners quarterback Spencer Rattler was supposed to be the next big thing as well and Riley had to replace him with Williams. Now Rattler has transferred to South Carolina to recover his draft stock that took a hit in the 2021 season.

Caleb Williams certainly makes things interesting in the Pac-12, but doesn’t necessarily make USC the favorites. They’ve got some rebuilding to do after going 4-8 in 2021.

The Oklahoma Sooners moved on quickly after Williams announcement to enter the transfer portal by bringing in former Jeff Lebby quarterback from UCF, Dillon Gabriel. Gabriel, who has started three seasons in college football has averaged more than 300 passing yards per game in his career and should be the Sooners starting quarterback in 2022.

Oklahoma has also landed four-star quarterbacks in the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes in Nick Evers and Jackson Arnold.

Despite Williams’s transfer to USC, the Sooners remain in a strong position to put a great offensive product on the field after Lebby helped turn Ole Miss and Matt Corral around the last two seasons, turning Corral into a first round pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Caleb Williams joins former Sooners Mario Williams and Latrell McCutchin with the Trojans as they seek to rebuild USC.

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