Tag: James Nesta

Brent Venables feels Skip Johnson deserves the credit for ‘2 Sport U’

The Sooners uniquely signed two players who will also be playing baseball but how does that work?

The Oklahoma Sooners have had a history of players playing multiple sports. The most notable one, of course, is [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], who played football and baseball.

Murray became the first player drafted in the first round of both the [autotag]NFL[/autotag] and [autotag]MLB[/autotag] draft. He ultimately decided on a football career. In the [autotag]2024 recruiting class[/autotag], the Sooners have two more who are set to play both sports. [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] will play linebacker for the football team and will pitch for the baseball team. [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] will play running back and then, most likely, in the outfield.

But this wouldn’t work if it wasn’t for the plan in place that [autotag]Skip Johnson[/autotag] has. He’s been through it with Murray and knows how to make this work. It was his plan that both Nesta and Tatum have talked about as to why they chose Oklahoma.

Brent Venables talked about how this plan came to be. “I wouldn’t say it’s as much as me. Skip and the baseball team is willing to do it,” Venables said. “I think the attractiveness of how well our baseball program has done. The history, the tradition, certainly they did a great job of selling those things. I think that attracted them as much as anything. That combination of the excellence of Oklahoma football and what it’s represented and the excellence of baseball. I personally don’t think we would have gotten either one of them had the football been a powerhouse and excellent and had the history and tradition and then the baseball program stunk. I don’t think we would have gotten either one of those guys.”

It’s a testament to how good of a job Johnson has done since taking over. It’s also why Oklahoma has become “2 Sport U.”

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One of North Carolina’s best, James Nesta, signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma is getting not only a talented linebacker but Oklahoma’s baseball team is also getting a stud pitcher with James Nesta signing.

When the dust settles on the signing periods this cycle, Oklahoma will have not one but two athletes on its football team who also will play baseball. One  hails from North Carolina. [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] is a dynamic two-sport star who will make his home on the Oklahoma football team as a dynamic linebacker.

On the diamond, he’s a pitcher who could one day be drafted, but for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], he’ll join a loaded linebacker room led by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag]. Nesta stands 6 feet, 5 inches, and his Hough High School team possessed a fearsome defense partly due to his ability to play in space as a traditional linebacker and on the edge, rushing the passer.

With the depth in Oklahoma’s linebacker unit, Nesta will likely not see the field much in Year 1, but he should be able to learn and grow plenty.

Nesta is the first prospect from North Carolina Venables has signed since taking over the program. However, Nesta will not be the last due to how fruitful North Carolina was to Venables during his time at Clemson.

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

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Commitment dates on the horizon for Oklahoma 2024 targets

Over the next seven weeks, a number of the Oklahoma Sooners high-profile 2024 prospects will be making their commitments. Who are they?

The summer months have already been kind to the Oklahoma Sooners on the recruiting trail, and we still have a month and a half until most high school seasons kick off for the 2023 season.

More than half of the Sooners’ commitments have come since June 1. They’ve picked up pledges from [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag], [autotag]Dozie Ezukanma[/autotag], [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag], [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag], [autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. With 13 commitments in the class of 2024, the Sooners sit 26th in the 247Sports team rankings and No. 17 in the On3 team rankings.

And that’s with a number of highly regarded prospects still to make their pledge in the coming weeks and months.

Here’s a look at who’s slated to commit during the next couple of months. We’ll update the list as players release commitment dates.

Oklahoma Sooners land commitment of 2024 RB Xavier Robinson

The Oklahoma Sooners earned a commitment from 2024 running back and Carl Albert prospect Xavier Robinson.

Oklahoma’s summer recruiting is starting to pick up. Last week dual-sport athlete [autotag]James Nesta[/autotag] and wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma committed to the Sooners. Now, another 2024 prospect hopped in the boat with the Oklahoma Sooners.

On Tuesday, running back [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag] committed to Oklahoma. Robinson is a local, hailing from Midwest City, Oklahoma. Robinson plays his high school ball at Carl Albert.

Robinson is a three-star prospect and is considered the No. 6 player in the Sooner State. Last year he rushed for more than 2,500 rushing yards with 39 touchdowns. He was a driving force in Carl Albert’s Class 5A state championship, and he was named the 2022 Class 5A Offensive Player of the Year for Oklahoma. That season put him on the radar for quite a few college programs.

Robinson gives the Sooners the type of back they haven’t had on campus since Rhamondre Stevenson. At 6 feet, 2 inches and around 220 pounds, tackling Robinson will not be easy for defenders at the collegiate level.

After his junior season, Robinson received offers from Memphis, UNLV and Oklahoma Staten. On Jan. 27, the Sooners offered, and DeMarco Murray and Robinson immediately built a rapport. He also received offers from Iowa State, Notre Dame, Colorado, Kansas State, Kansas, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, Memphis, Tulsa and Vanderbilt.

Robinson made an unofficial visit on March 4 and visited again in early June.

Iowa State has been Oklahoma’s biggest nemesis throughout the process, and it sometimes felt as though Iowa State had the leg up. However, after the visits and the dust cleared, each of the three primary recruiting services, 247Sports, On3 and Rivals, believed the Oklahoma Sooners would land [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag]. And once the commitment date was announced, matters became crystal clear.

With Robinson on board, the Sooners have the first of possibly three running back commitments for the 2024 class.

A decision remains for four-star tailback [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], whose recruitment is likely down to LSU and Oklahoma. Four-star running back [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag], regarded as the No. 1 RB in the nation per 247Sports, is deciding between Oklahoma and USC.

Robinson’s commitment also helps the Sooners on the recruiting trail. The dynamic runner is close with several other prospects from Oklahoma that the Sooners are recruiting heavily. He is joined at Carl Albert by Oklahoma’s 2025 QB commit, [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag].

Sperry transferred to Carl Albert earlier this month to give Oklahoma’s reigning 5A champions an elite passer to go along with their dynamic rushing attack led by Robinson.

With Robinson and Sperry committed, both can help recruit some of the other highly talented players on Carl Albert’s roster that look to be Power Five talents: Trynae Washington (2025), Trystan Haynes (2025) and Marcus James (2025).

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Oklahoma Sooners 2024 commitment tracker

Which players are committed to the Oklahoma Sooners 2024 recruiting class and what do they bring to the football field?

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to follow a pair of top-10 recruiting classes in 2022 and 2023 with another in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Sooners’ 6-7 season didn’t affect the finish to the 2023 recruiting class, which finished No. 4 in the nation according to 247Sports.

Brent Venables and his staff are hoping to have a repeat of that success or better and have themselves well-positioned to be near the top of the rankings when it’s all said and done in 2024.

Much of the success of this class will be determined by how well the Oklahoma Sooners recruit the defensive line ahead of their move to the SEC in 2024. In a strong defensive line class, the Sooners are in a good spot with a number of highly-coveted prospects. They finally broke the ice on their defensive line recruiting with the addition of Wyatt Gilmore, the No. 2 player in the state of Minnesota and a four-star prospect.

All eyes turn to players like [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], [autotag]Jayshawn Ross[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag], and [autotag]Zina Umeozulu[/autotag].

They will not land all of their targets, but Venables, [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] have made a strong impression on an impressive group of defensive line prospects.

Still just over five months out from the early signing period, here’s a look at who is committed to the Oklahoma Sooners as of July 1, 2023.

Oklahoma Sooners land Wichita State transfer RHP Austin Henry

Oklahoma landed transfer right-handed pitcher Austin Henry from Wichita State today.

Oklahoma’s baseball team will have a bit of a Wichita State feel next season. Recently, the Sooners landed a commitment from Jace Miner to bolster their ranks. Now the Sooners added their second transfer from the Shockers on Thursday afternoon as right-handed pitcher Austin Henry committed to Oklahoma.

Henry hails from South Dakota but spent his first year at Wichita State. He was the No. 1 player in the state according to Perfect Game and Prep Baseball Report. Perfect Game had him tabbed as the No. 72  recruit nationally and the No. 20 right-handed pitcher in the country.

He stands 6-foot-5 and weighs over 215 pounds. In high school, he was South Dakota’s first-ever Perfect Game All-American and was selected for the 2021 Perfect Game All-American Classic. Perfect Game also listed him as the top recruit joining the American Athletic Conference in the fall of 2022.

Henry’s redshirt year comes after Tommy John’s surgery in 2022 and should have him ready to start for Oklahoma next spring. He entered the transfer portal after some coaching changes at Wichita State. There’s tremendous upside with this commitment, and paired with the pledge of James Nesta, it gives the Sooners two high-ceiling arms that could headline their rotation over the next few years. Both players have professional aspirations.

From a scouting perspective, Henry’s fastball was sitting comfortably in the low to mid 90’s. That velocity could see a notable uptick as he gets stronger and in a collegiate strength and conditioning program. His curveball may be his best pitch, with spin rates over 3,200 RPMs. Pairing the two together and finding another secondary pitch to keep hitters off balance should be next in his evolution as a pitcher.

Skip Johnson has been a busy man as he continues to make sure Oklahoma’s pitching woes from the 2023 season aren’t a problem he has to sweat next year.

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Oklahoma’s pitching staff gets boost with commitment of James Nesta

In addition to his prowess on the football field, the Oklahoma Sooners baseball team got a gem with the commitment of James Nesta.

Oklahoma found themselves a gem from the Tarheel State when they landed two-sport athlete James Nesta earlier this week.

It’s a win for Oklahoma on the gridiron as they landed their first linebacker of the 2024 class. Nesta has exceptional versatility where he can play in space as an off-ball linebacker or rush the passer off the edge. He stands 6-foot-4 and could be a candidate to play cheetah in Brent Venables’ system.

As a junior last fall, Nesta was credited with 41 tackles, including 13 for loss and nine sacks. He also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. The draw of learning from Brent Venables helped the talented four-star linebacker choose OU over UNC and Miami. It wasn’t his only reason for picking Oklahoma, though.

Nesta’s ability on the diamond is special in its own right. Nesta has played baseball virtually his whole life. For his high school and travel ball teams, he pitches and plays in the outfield. Nesta’s value to the Oklahoma baseball program over the next three years will be because of his right arm. Perfect Game named Nesta a preseason underclassman second-team All-American for the summer baseball circuit. The Oklahoma commit plans to battle with his South Charlotte Panthers squad this summer.

Nesta has a fastball that has been clocked as high as 94 MPH. That’s incredibly impressive for a high school pitcher heading into his senior year. It’s something that head baseball coach Skip Johnson and his staff will dream of all summer. His fastball’s velocity will improve with dedicated time in two different strength and conditioning programs, along with his body maturing with age.

Nesta also features promising offspeed offerings that will also continue to improve. Lowering his arm angle would help with his command, which he’s worked on diligently over the last year. Oklahoma’s pitching was a significant thorn in their side in 2023. Johnson has already added to his staff with the transfer commitment of Jace Miner from Wichita State, so adding Nesta feels like a cherry on top.

If Nesta blossoms and shines as a pitcher, Venables may have to have some tough conversations. An arm with the possibility to throw triple digits is a money maker in the MLB and something many scouts will be monitoring going forward as Oklahoma enters the SEC next season. Either way, you slice it, Oklahoma athletics is better after having landed James Nesta. Now we wait and see how and where he shines brightest.

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Sooners move into top 20 in On3’s team recruiting rankings after pair of commitments

After the commitments of James Nesta and Dozie Ezukanma, the Oklahoma Sooners moved into the top 20 of the On3 team recruiting rankings for 2024.

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up their first commitments in nearly two months with the pledges of linebacker James Nesta and wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma.

Oklahoma has eight players committed for the 2024 recruiting class, and five are considered blue-chip prospects. The recruiting industry defines a blue-chip recruit as a four- or five-star player. Nesta joins [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Jeremiah Newcombe[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] as blue-chip prospects.

As the Sooners look to close on several highly regarded prospects, expect to see Oklahoma continue to climb the team recruiting rankings over the next few months. As of Tuesday evening, however, Oklahoma moved into the top 20 in On3’s team recruiting rankings after the pair of commits. After back-to-back top-10 finishes in each of the last two cycles, there’s no reason to believe the Sooners will not be back in the top 10 at the end of the 2024 cycle.

Here’s a look at how the top 25 stack up and where each team ranks compared to their conference foes for the 2024 recruiting cycle after the commitments of James Nesta and Dozie Ezukanma.

Note: Oklahoma is ranked among SEC teams, and USC is ranked among Big Ten teams to reflect their conference home for the 2024 cycle. Noticeably missing from the top 25 is the Texas Longhorns.

Twitter reacts to pair of commitments for the Oklahoma Sooners

James Nesta and Dozie Ezukanma committed to the Oklahoma Sooners within minutes of each other Tuesday night and here’s how Twitter reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners gained a pair of commitments on Tuesday night from James Nesta and Dozie Ezukanma. Until they announced their pledges, Oklahoma hadn’t received a commitment (publicly) in nearly two months.

Then, in a five-minute span, the Sooners landed a pair of commitments, one on each side of the football.

Nesta represents the first linebacker commitment of the class. Ezukanma is the third wide receiver in the 2024 cycle Oklahoma has earned a pledge from. Both have the talent to be playmakers for the Sooners when they make their move to the SEC.

Now that a pair of dominos has toppled, we wait to see who’s next to commit to play for the Oklahoma Sooners. In the meantime, here’s how Twitter reacted to the commitments of [autotag]Nesta[/autotag] and [autotag]Ezukanma[/autotag].

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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