Tag: Kalib Hicks

Running back Kalib Hicks signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Making his commitment official running back Kalib Hicks signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

The Sooners kept the ball rolling to finish the cycle strong as [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] signed his national letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners. Hicks committed to the Sooners back on June 15 as a part of Oklahoma’s massive summer on the recruiting trail.

Hicks, a three-star prospect, hails from Denton, Texas where he played for Ryan High School. Over the course of three seasons on varsity, Hicks amassed 3,228 rushing yards and 33 touchdowns. He averaged 7 yards per carry on 455 rushing attempts in high school.

Out of the backfield, he added 28 receptions for 292 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 10.4 yards per reception.

He was a dynamic player in high school, and DeMarco Murray is banking on that big-play ability finding its way to Norman. Hicks runs with ease and displays good vision. He’s a patient runner, allowing for the blocking in front of him to get going before hitting the hole.

With Eric Gray heading to the NFL Jovantae Barnes and Marcus Major are the only guys on the running back depth chart with significant experience. Gavin Sawchuck is expected to make a splash in 2023, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility to see Kalib Hicks make an impact.

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Updated Oklahoma Sooners 2023 commitment tracker

Which players have committed to the Oklahoma Sooners for the 2023 recruiting cycle?

The 2023 class is about a month away from early signing day and less than three months away from national signing day.

Since Brent Venables’ arrival in Norman, the Sooners have been one of the top recruiting schools in the country over the last two cycles. After finishing eighth in 247Sports team recruiting rankings for 2022, the Sooners sit at No. 7 and have a great chance to move into the top five by national signing day.

With the recent additions of Ashton Sanders and Taylor Wein, Oklahoma has 22 players committed to the 2023 class. Recent projections favor the Sooners to add more talent if the Rivals Futurecasts come to fruition. Oklahoma received a pair of projections from Rivals analysts to land five-star safety and Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen after he spent time in Norman for Bedlam.

Brent Venables, his coaching staff, and the recruiting support staff have done an excellent job over the last year building out their 2023 recruiting class and they don’t appear close to being done.

The final tally will come on national signing day, but the Oklahoma Sooners look well-positioned to have one of the country’s best group of signees.

Let’s take a look at the updated commitment tracker.

Oklahoma 2023 commits shine under the Friday Night Lights

Friday night is for high school football, and several Oklahoma 2023 commits stood out under the lights!

The Oklahoma Sooners No. 5 ranked 2023 recruiting class has provided a glimpse of what’s coming to Norman next year. In the early going, they’ve provided some fantastic moments for their squads and helped feed the excitement surrounding the Sooners class.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] has been must-see television whenever you can find him as he’s had a productive start to the season to help Denton Guyer get off to a 4-0 start. But he’s not the only one having a fantastic senior season thus far. OUDNA is showing up and showing out across the country, and on Friday night, several prospects turned in highlight-reel performances.

Kalib Hicks turned in a fantastic outing for Denton Ryan, and Samuel Omosigho showed off his athleticism.

Oklahoma Sooners 2023 recruiting class commitment tracker

Oklahoma Sooners 2023 commitment tracker

The Oklahoma Sooners 2023 recruiting class is coming together quite nicely after a strong June, July, and start to August.

Since June 1, the Sooners have added 15 commitments. They added nine commitments in July, with eight rated as four-star players. Also, in July, quarterback Jackson Arnold saw his stock rise after winning the Elite 11 MVP award, earning five-star status.

Their 2023 recruiting class is currently ranked No. 6 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings and No. 9 according to the On3 Consensus.

Oklahoma is still awaiting decisions from five-star defensive lineman [autotag]David Hicks[/autotag], four-star cornerback [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag], four-star athlete [autotag]Malachi Coleman[/autotag], and four-star wide receiver [autotag]Anthony Evans[/autotag]. With those dominoes still to fall, the Sooners could see their class push into the top three by national signing day.

While we await the next commitment to the 2023 recruiting class, here’s a look at who’s locked in and where they rank in the 247Sports composite and the On3 consensus rankings.

Sooners continue building recruiting board for 2024, offer RB Caden Durham

Oklahoma continues to cast a wide net at running back with an offer to 2024 prospect Caden Durham out of Duncanville.

[autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] has had no issues acclimating himself as a college football coach. He has been a calm and steady coach and is blossoming into a highly capable recruiter.

His 2022 haul included [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], two backs we will see this fall. His 2023 class has two backs committed: four-star [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag].

With presumably the 2023 class locked up, Murray is back on the hunt for his 2024 guys. While [autotag]Stacy Gage[/autotag] and [autotag]Tovani Mizell[/autotag] stand out early, the Sooners cannot get caught with their hands in only two jars. They continued casting a wide net and sent an offer to talented running back Caden Durham of Duncanville, one of Texas’ premier high school football programs.

Durham also has massive connections to Oklahoma, Durham’s mother is an Oklahoma alumnus, and he played his freshman season at South Moore High School before moving to Texas.

Durham is a smaller back, standing at 5-foot-9 and clocking at a reported 180 pounds. He has a knack for breaking the initial tackle attempt and continuing to plant and go, which, in Jeff Lebby’s power zone scheme, would serve him well. He runs track, and his top end shows when he’s able to get to the second and third levels of the defense.

Durham looks like a quality option to fit in the new Sooners run scheme, and he has the shake necessary to be a productive college running back. He’s not rated by 247Sports, Rivals or On3, but ESPN has him in its top 300, so he’s certainly a player to keep an eye on.

Caden Durham’s Recruiting Profile

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Sooners RB coach DeMarco Murray’s recruiting efforts noticed by ESPN

Retaining DeMarco Murray was a very good move by Brent Venables. The recruits Murray is getting are among the best in the country.

Since joining the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff under Lincoln Riley in 2020, running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] has been an invaluable asset on both the recruiting trail and on Saturdays.

The former NFL All-Pro was, of course, one of the coaches Brent Venables decided to hang on to when he came from Clemson.

It wasn’t all that long ago Oklahoma was known for its running backs instead of its quarterbacks. Jeff Lebby’s offense, which favors establishing the run, is yet another reason for young running backs to choose Oklahoma.

For the 2023 recruiting class, Murray has obtained commitments from No. 12 RB Daylon Smothers and No. 26 RB Kalib Hicks.

ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren has noticed Murray’s efforts to restock the Sooners’ running back room and believes the Sooners are among the best in the country recruiting running backs.

Brent Venables and the new staff came in with a tough task of replacing quite a few players who transferred out with the coaching change. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams and [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] both impacted the passing and run game, combining for nine rushing touchdowns. Leading rusher [autotag]Kennedy Brooks[/autotag] is off to the NFL, but the staff is returning [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag] and adding in [autotag]Bentavious Thompson[/autotag] as well as quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag].

The coaches signed ESPN 300 running backs [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] in 2022, and now have commitments from ESPN 300 back [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag]. – VanHaaren, ESPN

Murray seems to have a type. All four RB commits from the last two seasons are 5-foot-11 or 6 feet. All four are around the same weight. Murray weighed 220 pounds during his NFL days.

After landing Derrick LeBlanc, the Sooners have the No. 6 recruiting class in the nation for 2023.

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Running wild: Oklahoma keeps up their recruiting momentum landing 4-star running back Daylan Smothers

After releasing his top four featuring Oklahoma, Alabama, NC State, and Florida State, four-star RB Daylan Smothers picks OU.

The Sooners have broken into a full-out sprint on the recruiting trail in the month of July after getting their legs under them in June. Their recruiting exploits have taken them to the Pacific Northwest through the midwest and to the northeast.

These aren’t places a team like Oklahoma typically ventures into to find talent.

Another part of the country that is relatively untapped for Oklahoma is the state of North Carolina. The Oklahoma Sooners have had a bit more of a presence here in the last few years, with former Sooners like [autotag]Austin Kendall[/autotag], [autotag]Ryan Jones[/autotag], and most recently, [autotag]Jeremiah Hall[/autotag] all hailing from the N.C. Adding to that list is another Sooner, as the North Carolina High School Player of the Year by the Charlotte Observer and News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] committed to Oklahoma on Thursday afternoon.

Smothers, a do-it-all four-star running back hoping to play his final year of high school ball at West Charlotte High School, received an offer from Oklahoma in March when he shined the brightest at the Rivals camp held in Charlotte, NC. Standing front and center was the trio of DeMarco Murray, Brent Venables, and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. They extended the offer and then proceeded to put the full court press on Smothers, who was considering Alabama, Florida State, and in-state school N.C. State. Smothers is the 15th commitment for the Sooners.

 

Projections came in fast and furious in favor of Oklahoma for the running back when he dropped his top four a few weeks ago, and that was the precursor to letting the recruiting world know who was the overwhelming favorite with a commitment imminent.

His combination of speed, power, and vision made him a coveted prospect by many teams on the east coast, and he’s now a Sooner. He pairs with Kalib Hicks, another four-star running back, to round out the Sooners’ recruiting efforts in the backfield. With Hicks and Smothers, the Sooners get dynamic playmakers with track backgrounds. Both have some legitimate acceleration and top-end speed and will only add to the running back room when they team with guys like Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk upon arriving on campus next year.

With recruiting all but done for 2023, DeMarco Murray can now look forward to 2024 as he seeks to build on this year’s work. Names to watch early on include four-stars Stacy Gage and Tovani Mizell.

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On3 National Recruiting Analyst predicts Oklahoma will land 4-star RB Daylan Smothers

Just a couple of days out from his commitment, On3 National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman predicts the Sooners to land Daylan Smothers.

The Oklahoma Sooners look like they’re about to have another domino fall in the 2023 recruiting class. Already putting together an incredibly strong July with five commitments, Oklahoma received another prediction to receive a commitment from 2023 four-star running back [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag].

At the end of June and beginning of July, the Oklahoma Sooners received several predictions from OU and Florida State insiders to land Smothers. Now, with the North Carolina product’s commitment right around the corner, On3’s National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman missed a prediction that Daylan Smothers is headed to Norman.

The Sooners have been battling it out with the Florida State Seminoles, Alabama Crimson Tide, and NC State Wolfpack, who were in his top four on June 27.

All signs point to Smothers becoming the second commitment at the running back position for the Sooners, who also have a pledge from [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] out of Denton, Texas. Landing Smothers would mean [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] would have successfully landed two four-star runners in back-to-back recruiting classes.

Daylan Smothers is set to announce his commitment on July 14.

Daylon Smothers’ Recruiting Profile

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Each Quarterback and Running Back the Oklahoma Sooners have offered in the 2024 recruiting class

With the focus on 2023 this summer, let’s take a look at the quarterbacks and running backs the Oklahoma Sooners have offered in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Oklahoma’s had a lot of success recruiting the quarterback and running back positions since in the school’s history. Though the style of player has changed from the dynastic eras of the Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer days, Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma Sooners were able to attract some of the best skill players the country has had to offer.

Since the turn of the century, Oklahoma’s had some of the best offensive players the game has seen, as evidenced by their four Heisman trophies, several finalists, and highly productive rushing attacks.

And now with Jeff Lebby running the show, Oklahoma’s going to continue that run of highly skilled offensive players at the Palace on the Prairie.

The Sooners have a nice group of quarterbacks to work with over the next couple of years with [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Evers[/autotag], [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag], and [autotag]General Booty[/autotag] on the 2022 roster and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] coming in 2023.

At running back, Oklahoma is also looking really good with [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]. [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], and [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] on the depth chart for 2022 with four-start running back [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] to come in 2023.

While the Sooners continue their push for the 2023 recruiting class, let’s take a look ahead to see who they’re targeting in 2024.

Multiple predictions favor Oklahoma to land four-star NC running back Daylan Smothers

With a number of recruiting predictions coming in, it looks like the Oklahoma Sooners are closing in on a commitment from 2023 4-star RB Daylan Smothers.

If you blinked, you might’ve missed it. In a whirlwind of events that started the day before, the Oklahoma Sooners look to be closing in on their second running back commit for the class of 2023. While four-star Kalib Hicks is already committed, the Sooners and specifically running backs coach DeMarco Murray aren’t done yet. Four-star running back Daylan Smothers recently dropped a top four featuring Oklahoma, Florida State, NC State, and Alabama.

A little over 24 hours later a slew of crystal ball predictions came in across a span of an hour that swung the momentum heavily in favor of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Smothers’ received four crystal balls and a Rivals forecast from three Oklahoma insiders and two FSU insiders. Parker Thune and Brandon Drumm of OUInsider and Zach Blostein and Brendan Sonnone of Noles247 each issued crystal ball predictions with a confidence level of six or better. Josh McCuistion of SoonersScoop put in a Rivals Futurecast in favor of Oklahoma as well.

24 hours from the time his top 4 was released Smothers looks like he could be on commitment watch at any time now with the overwhelming momentum favoring the guys in Crimson & Cream.

Smothers is an explosive all-purpose back out of West Charlotte High School and dominates with his physical running but has another gear to separate in and out of traffic as well. Smothers originally played for Chambers High School which most recently produced Jeremiah Hall. After seeing him at a Rivals camp in North Carolina in early March, the Sooners offered Smothers and the race was on.

It looks like that race may be coming to an end shortly and a commitment to Oklahoma would all but solidify the Sooners’ running back recruitment efforts for the 2023 class.

Daylon Smothers’ Recruiting Profile

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