Tag: K.J. Daniels

Oklahoma Sooners earn commitment from 2025 four-star running back Tory Blaylock

Oklahoma adds another weapon to their 2025 recruiting class, earning a commitment from four-star running back Tory Blaylock.

The Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] is in a really good spot as the Sooners work through spring ball. It’s currently a top 10 group and just added another blue-chip prospect to the class, earning a commitment from four-star running back [autotag]Tory Blaylock[/autotag].

Blaylock is the first running back to commit to the Sooners in the 2025 cycle and brings OU’s total pledges back to 10.

He’s considered a four-star prospect by Rivals and ESPN and held offers from notable schools like Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, SMU, South Carolina, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UCF, and Wisconsin.

He chose the Sooners over the Buckeyes, Longhorns, Ducks, Crimson Tide, and Volunteers, who were in his top six back at the beginning of March.

Running backs coach DeMarco Murray and the Oklahoma Sooners have been pursuing Blaylock since their initial offer back in August of 2022.

Blaylock is an incredible athlete with great speed. And when we say great speed, not just football speed, but track speed. Blaylock and his Atascocita teammates just set the national 4×100 relay record at a track meet in Texas a week ago.

At that same meet, Blaylock ran a 10.62 100-meter dash.

On the football field, he displays that speed and twitchiness and combines it with good strength and great lateral agility. When he gets a lane, he’s hard to stop because of his burst.

Blaylock adds another big-time speed element to a Sooners offense that has been recruiting track speed over the last several years, earning commitments from guys like [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag], [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag], and [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag].

The commitment of Blaylock moves the Oklahoma Sooners from No. 8 back into the No. 5 spot in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings.

More: Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting commitment tracker

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Oklahoma Sooners enter spring with tons of depth at wide receiver

Emmett Jones and the Oklahoma Sooners have assembled an incredibly talented group of players at wide receiver for 2024.

In each of the last two seasons, the Oklahoma Sooners have lost their leading receiver.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag], who led the team in 2022, earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Denver Broncos in his rookie season in 2023. [autotag]Drake Stoops[/autotag] is hoping to hear his name called in the 2024 NFL draft after his breakout season in 2023.

And despite the turnover, the Sooners are still stacked at wide receiver.

[autotag]Nic Anderson[/autotag] is back after his breakout season in 2023. Anderson caught 38 balls for 798 yards and 10 touchdowns. He led the nation in yards per reception among qualified wide receivers. [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag], who also experienced a breakout year in a rotational role also returns looking to build off of a season in which he had 14 receptions for 375 yards and five touchdowns. Swiss Army knife wide receiver [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] returns to give the Sooners a veteran in the room. He had a solid year that was marred by ball insecurity that reared its head in the Alamo Bowl loss to Arizona. Farooq was second on the team in receptions and third in receiving yards last season.

[autotag]Andrel Anthony[/autotag] returns after suffering an ACL tear in the Red River Rivalry win over Texas. Prior to his injury, Anthony was leading the Sooners in receiving, winning at every level of the passing game.

Also back are speedsters [autotag]Brenen Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]. Though they saw limited playing time, their speed put defenses on notice last year. Thompson provided big play ability every time he stepped on the field and will look to earn a bigger role this offseason. Pettaway was getting his feet wet as a true freshman but could see an increased workload on offense and special teams.

And if that was the depth chart at wide receiver heading into 2024, you’d feel great about what Jackson Arnold will be throwing to. And yet, the talent that Emmett Jones has assembled at wide receiver looks like the heroes arriving at the culmination of Avengers: End Game for the battle with Thanos.

Jones also brought in talented playmaker [autotag]Deion Burks[/autotag] from Purdue. Burks could be a candidate to start for the Sooners in the slot, taking over for Stoops in 2024. And if that weren’t enough, the Sooners added a really good freshman class with [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag], and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag].

To say the Sooners are talent-rich at wide receiver heading into 2024 would be an understatement. From top to bottom, it’s easily the deepest position group on the roster. And with Jackson Arnold taking over at quarterback and transition along the offensive line, a lot will be expected of Emmett Jones’ wide receiver crew to provide big plays for the Sooners in 2024.

And with the talent that Jones and the Sooners have assembled, they’re about to have a huge season in their first in the SEC.

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Speedster out of Louisiana signs letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners

Dynamic Louisiana playmaker K.J. Daniels signs letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners have built a diverse and dynamic wide receiver room since the arrival of Emmett Jones. The latest addition during the early signing period is an impact player with dynamic speed, Kelly “KJ” Daniels.

Daniels signed his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners during the early signing period.

Considered a three-star prospect, Daniels is a big play waiting to happen. Whether in the passing game or the running game, he is a cheat code with his ability to accelerate and break away from defenders. He’ll be an impact player for the Sooners on the outside, but he could carve out a role in the slot as he continues to refine his game.

The three-star wide receiver out of Franklinton, Louisiana, was a priority recruitment for wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag], who recruited Daniels while with the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

In choosing the Sooners, Daniels joins a wide receiver room that could be the best in the SEC in 2024. That group includes returning players Nic Anderson, Jalil Farooq, Jayden Gibson, Andrel Anthony, Brenen Thompson and Gavin Freeman. As impressive as that group is, the six will be pushed by the 2024 signees at wide receiver: Daniels, [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] and [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag].

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

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3-star WR Dozie Ezukanma decommits from the Oklahoma Sooners

2024 three-star wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma decommits from the Oklahoma Sooners.

Anytime there is a coaching change, there’s bound to be some turbulence in that year’s recruiting class. Jeff Lebby leaving to be the head coach at Mississippi State was sure to create some disruption.

Big names like Michael Hawkins, Davon Mitchell, Zion Kearney, David Stone, and Daniel Akinkunmi have affirmed their commitment to Oklahoma following Lebby’s departure. However, the Sooners saw their first player decommit from the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Three-star wide receiver [autotag]Dozie Ezukanma[/autotag] announced via X that he’s reopening his recruitment.

“After careful consideration and reflection, I have made the decision to recommit from the University of Oklahoma,” Ezukanma said in a statement. “This choice is not made lightly. I’d like to thank OU and the coaching staff for the incredible opportunity given to me.”

Ezukanma has been committed to the Oklahoma Sooners since June 20. He holds offers from Missouri, Kansas, Oregon, Kansas State, Arizona, Arkansas, Houston, North Texas, Miami, TCU, Purdue, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech.

With the decommitment, the Sooners still have four wide receivers pledged to their 2024 recruiting class. That includes [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], the No. 103 player and No. 20 wide receiver in the cycle, [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] (No. 217, No. 31), [autotag]Zion Ragins[/autotag] (No. 223, No. 32), and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] (No. 70 WR). [autotag]Andy Bass[/autotag], the talented in-state athlete also figures to be a factor at wide receiver for the Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners likely have a deep group of returning players for the 2024 season at wide receiver as well. Andrel Anthony, who suffered a season-ending knee injury, is likely to return in 2024. Nic Anderson and Jayden Gibson saw their roles increase throughout the season and should be back. Jalil Farooq, who’s been a starter for the Sooners each of the last two seasons, could be a candidate to move to the slot to replace Drake Stoops. Brenen Thompson, Gavin Freeman, and Jaquaize Pettaway also return.

The Oklahoma Sooners are deep at the position heading into the offseason and with the transfer portal, could add a name or two to improve their depth.

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Oklahoma stays hot, lands 14th commit for 2024 in WR Zion Ragins

Oklahoma lands the commitment of consensus four-star wide receiver Zion Ragins over Georgia and Florida State.

There’s something to be said about Oklahoma’s ability to turn up the heat on the recruiting trail the way the Earth heats up from June to August.

Last year, July and August treated Oklahoma so well that it felt as if almost half of their recruiting class committed over those two months. The same summer recruiting explosion is becoming a staple for the Brent Venables era. Oklahoma landed its eighth commitment since June 20th when four-star wide receiver Zion Ragins committed on Tuesday afternoon.

Ragins is simply a blur once he gets going. Adding him to an offense that already likes to run at breakneck speed should give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares.

Ragins’ commitment marks a win for the Sooners in a state recruited so heavily by teams from the SEC and ACC.

The University of Georgia is an easy sell for any top athlete in the Peach State. Emmett Jones and the Sooners coaching staff deserve a lot credit for beating out UGA, Florida State, South Carolina, Miami, and Auburn, among others, for Ragins’ commitment.

The recruitment for Ragins took flight after Jones was hired to coach Oklahoma’s wide receivers after the season. An unofficial visit in January was followed by steady momentum in Oklahoma’s favor, which culminated in an official visit. Ragins would go on to take officials to UGA and Florida State after, but with no commitment to either, Oklahoma felt good about their chances.

Predictions from 247Sports and Rivals trickled in favoring OU and the rest is history.

Landing Ragins gives the Sooners another game-breaker with speed to add to a wide receiver corps that could resemble an SEC track squad.

Last season Ragins accumulated 46 receptions for 557 yards and three touchdowns while also carrying the ball 38 times for 161 yards and two more scores. His speed is elite, with verified times of 10.37, 10.53, 10.57, 10.58, 10.66, and 10.67 in the 100-meter dash. Many evaluators believe he’ll need to add some weight to his 5-foot-8, 165-pound frame to survive Saturdays in college. That didn’t slow down Marquise Brown, but Jerry Schmidt will get the first crack at that next year.

Ragins is the No. 215 prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings and is a consensus four-star prospect. He joins [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Dozie Ezukanma[/autotag], and [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] in a deep wide receiver recruiting class.

With his commitment, the Sooners move up from No. 26 in the 247Sports team rankings to No. 22 and are breathing down the necks of their Red River nemesis, the Texas Longhorns.

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Sooners target Ivan Carreon decommits from Texas Tech

Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver target Ivan Carreon decommits from the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Another prediction favors OU in his recruitment.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been picking up momentum on the recruiting trail, with four commitments in the last couple of weeks. The Sooners are still getting good news. Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] decommitted from Texas Tech on Thursday evening.

The Sooners welcomed Carreon to camp back in the early part of June and subsequently issued an offer to the blue-chip wide receiver. Oklahoma wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmett Jones[/autotag] had been recruiting Odessa, Texas prospect while he was in the same position at Texas Tech. Now with the Sooners, Oklahoma looks to be gaining significant ground in Carreon’s recruitment.

Carreon is an impressive athlete. Not only does he have incredible size at 6-foot-6, but he moves really well in the open field. He’s got really good agility to make defenders miss and displays great breakaway speed to run away with the defense.

He’s a smooth route runner that uses his frame to his advantage and catches the football away from his body.

Though there hasn’t been a 247Sports crystal ball issued in his recruitment, Carreon’s been predicted to the Sooners by SoonerScoop’s Josh McCuistion and On3’s Sam Spiegelman. OUInsider’s Parker Thune has also issued a prediction favoring the Sooners in his recruitment.

Carreon’s a consensus four-star prospect, a top 250 prospect overall, and is considered a top 42 wide receiver prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

The Oklahoma Sooners have already added wide receivers [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag], and [autotag]Dozie Ezukanma[/autotag] and look to be on the verge of adding Ivan Carreon to their ranks. Though listed as a wide receiver, there’s a chance the Sooners could put him to work as a tight end that splits out into the slot or out wide in the passing game.

Update:

Since Ivan Carreon’s decommitment, the Oklahoma Sooners have been predicted to land the four-star wide receiver by OUInsider’s Parker Thune and Texas Tech Insider’s Ben Golan and Jarrett Ramirez.

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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 earns commitment from 2024 3-Star WR Dozie Ezukanma

The Sooners land their second commitment of the day in 2024 3-Star WR Dozie Ezukanma

The ball is rolling for the Oklahoma Sooners on the recruiting trail after a couple weeks of camps and two big-time recruiting weekends. Not long after earning a commitment from linebacker James Nesta, the Sooners picked up a commitment from 2024 three-star wide wide receiver [autotag]Dozie Ezukanma[/autotag].

Ezukanma has been on the Sooners’ radar since the addition of Emmett Jones to Oklahoma’s coaching staff. Jones was recruiting the athletic safety during his time as the wide receivers coach at Texas Tech.

Dozie is the younger brother of former Texas Tech and now Miami Dolphins wide receiver Erik Ezukanma. Here’s what I had to say about Dozie after he was offered by the Sooners earlier this month.

Like his older brother, Dozie has the size and athleticism to be a dynamic playmaker at the collegiate level. He’s a three-star prospect with On3 and 247Sports and has notable offers from Arkansas, Miami, Oregon, Oklahoma, Missouri, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Wisconsin. – Williams, Sooners Wire

The Sooners offered Dozie Ezukanma on June 8 and less than two weeks later he’s the third wide receiver committed to the Sooners 2024 class.

Ezukanma joins four-star wide receiver [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and three-star wide receiver [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag] and is the eighth commitment in the 2024 recruiting class.

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ChampU BBQ Visitor List: Who’s coming to Norman this weekend?

A look at who’s coming to town for the ChampU BBQ this weekend.

Oklahoma’s future looks bright. Less than a day ago, they received news of their first slate of SEC opponents when they begin play in their new conference in 2024. It’s a compelling slate and something that gets the competitive energy flowing.

If they plan to make an impact when they get there, the class of 2024 will have a profound hand in that. This class will be the first class that hits the ground and is immediately thrown into the fire that is the SEC. They’ll spend their whole careers being molded by the best football conference in the country. For the Sooners to compete for the top, this 2024 class must be unique.

It’s only fitting that Oklahoma has its premier recruiting event, the ChampU BBQ this weekend, right after the SEC opponents were revealed.

The Sooners can use the SEC to their advantage, selling the appeal of playing in an elite conference to any athlete unafraid of competing against the best in the country.

Last year’s ChampU BBQ had attendees signing with the Sooners and are now on campus with the current roster. Here’s a running count:

  • OT [autotag]Cayden Green[/autotag]
  • LB [autotag]Phil Picciotti[/autotag]
  • ATH [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag]
  • RB [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag]
  • CB [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag]
  • WR [autotag]Jaquaize Pettaway[/autotag]
  • OT [autotag]Logan Howland[/autotag]
  • QB [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]

In short, a nice chunk of OU’s 2023 class came to the event. Arnold was already committed before the BBQ, but having him there helped Oklahoma recruit and, ultimately, the remaining players committed in the months after.

The visitor list for the event is long, with well over 20 official visitors already confirmed.

This weekend in Norman will be jam-packed with an extensive amount of talent. David Stone, a consensus top-10 recruit, is the headliner. He’s a hometown kid who grew up a Sooner fan. A commitment from him would be massive. He’s at the top of the Sooners’ recruiting board and a must-have in this cycle.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and [autotag]Taylor Tatum[/autotag] are two talented four-star running backs Oklahoma would be delighted to have.

Oklahoma has four 2024 commits in the building this weekend, and aside from them enjoying their officials, they can and will likely be used to recruit some of their uncommitted counterparts. [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Autry[/autotag], and [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag] are the four commits who will enjoy their officials as Oklahoma Sooners.

[autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] join David Stone as highly touted defensive linemen in Norman this weekend. Aside from landing Stone, can Oklahoma at least snag two of the remaining three? This weekend of visits could go a long way in determining that.

This weekend will have ripple effects for the 2024 cycle and help lay the foundation for Oklahoma’s future in the SEC. Last year’s event netted Oklahoma seven commits in the weeks and months after. The Sooners will be thrilled if the same happens this year.

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Texas Tech WR commit Ivan Carreon predicted to flip to Oklahoma by On3

Oklahoma expected to flip 2024 four-star WR Ivan Carreon from the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Flipmas, a season generally reserved for the latter part of the recruiting cycle, may be coming a little early for the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma is working to pull a talented four-star wide receiver away from the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Ivan Carreon[/autotag] attended a [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] football camp last week and earned an offer. On Monday, Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop.com at On3 predicted the Oklahoma Sooners to land the talented 2024 prospect.

Carreon stands 6 feet, 6 inches and weighs just under 200 pounds. He’s a player that knows how to use his size.

Here’s what Sooners Wire’s Bryant Crews had to say in Ivan Carreon’s recruiting profile.

Carreon finished his junior season with 51 catches for 1,168 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns on a 22.9-yard average per catch. He plays basketball and runs track, in which he was a Texas 5A regional qualifier as a sophomore in the 110-meter hurdles. – Crews, Sooners Wire

Carreon displays excellent body control for a player his size. He has great lateral agility and breakaway speed to run away from the defense after the catch.

Carreon is a top 300 player in the 2024 recruiting cycle and is ranked No. 11 overall by ESPN. Oklahoma has a pair of wide receivers committed: [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag]. The Sooners are in hot pursuit of five-star wide receiver Bryant Wesco. However, the Sooners like what they see in Carreon. If the prediction holds true, Carreon apparently likes what he sees in Oklahoma.

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