Priority 2024 WR target Bryant Wesco earns 5-Star status per 247Sports

Oklahoma’s No. 1 target at receiver for the 2024 recruiting cycle, Bryant Wesco, earns five-star status in new Top247 rankings.

Oklahoma’s number one recruiting target at the receiver position for the class of 2024 is Bryant Wesco, a 6-foot-2 receiver out of Midlothian, Texas. Wesco camped with Oklahoma in the summer of 2022 and earned an offer. He’s seen his stock rise in the recruiting world from being lightly recruited to being rated as a top 100 player in the nation. He’s gone from a regional recruit to a national recruit that any school in America would want.

Wesco’s stock has never been higher as a high school prospect as 247Sports updated their site rankings and has Wesco as the 9th ranked prospect in the entire class of 2024. Previously, he was the No. 66 prospect according to 247Sports and leaped 57 spots to earn his fifth star and top 10 ranking.

Oklahoma has positioned itself to win the race for Wesco largely due to the addition of new wide receivers coach Emmett Jones. He’s profoundly impacted the recruiting trail, especially in Texas. Oklahoma has done a significant bit of heavy lifting in the recruitment for Wesco and is all but assured of an official visit from the explosive pass catcher.

The Sooners’ biggest competition for [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag] now seems to be Big 12 foe TCU, who has hosted him for unofficial visits and has recruited him since last year. The Horned Frogs’ receivers coach is former Sooner Malcolm Kelly. This is setting up an interesting battle as a Sooner recruits against his alma mater for a highly coveted prospect.

Currently, Oklahoma seems to have the top spot if the recruiting predictions mean anything to those following the recruitment. All three of the 247Sports  crystal balls favor Wesco becoming a Sooner, while a Rivals FutureCast also sees him becoming a Sooner before all is said and done.

If the Sooners were to land Wesco, he’d be the first five-star receiver at Oklahoma since 2019, when the Sooners signed two in Jadon Haselwood and Theo Wease.

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Sooners receive third projection to land 2024 4-Star WR Bryant Wesco

Oklahoma continues to set the pace for 2024 four-star wide receiver Bryant Wesco, picking up a Crystal Ball from OUInsider’s Brandon Drumm.

Oklahoma has yet to break the ice on the 2024 class with its first commitment of the cycle. However, as of the last month or so, they’ve been trending in the right direction with multiple prospects. One of those players is 2024 four-star wide receiver prospect Bryant Wesco.

Wesco is a talented receiver and has had Oklahoma in his sights after he camped with the Sooners last summer. Since earning his offer, his recruitment has taken off. The Sooners have worked to build their relationship with Wesco, and it appears it’s paying off.

Oklahoma now has their third projection in favor of landing the consensus four-star playmaker as OUInsider’s Brandon Drumm issued a crystal ball projecting Wesco to be a Sooner. This comes after OUInsider’s Parker Thune [autotag]OUInsider’s Parker Thune[/autotag] and Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop.com issued predictions for the Sooners.

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With Wesco trending this hard in Oklahoma’s direction, it raises the question of when Wesco would pull the trigger on a decision.

While the Sooners are favorites on 247Sports and Rivals, On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine still favors TCU. Which means there’s at least a competition between the Big 12 foes. Wesco has visited TCU twice this year alone. Once in January, his most recent visit came on Wednesday as he and a few other Oklahoma targets saw TCU for their second Junior Day. By all accounts, former Sooner turned TCU wide receivers coach Malcolm Kelly also prioritizes Wesco as their top target.

This battle could come down to who Wesco fits more with and would likely serve as new Oklahoma wide receiver coach Emmett Jones’ first substantial recruiting battle. The Sooners have positioned themselves for success in this recruitment but will need to seal the deal.

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Oklahoma football all-time roster: Offensive starters and backups

See which legends made the cut in our all-time Oklahoma Sooners football roster, starting with the offensive starters and backups.

When you have as illustrious a history as the Oklahoma Sooners with their seven national championships, the longest winning streak in college football history, seven Heisman Trophy winners, and 50 conference championships, picking an all-time team can be a difficult task.

Oklahoma has some legendary figures in the world of college football. It’s a program that’s had incredible success dating back to Bennie Owen in the program’s early days. For more than 100 years, the Oklahoma Sooners have created a program that’s synonymous with winning.

Here’s our crack at Oklahoma’s All-Time offense.

For more coverage on the Oklahoma Sooners, visit Sooners Wire.

Washington’s recent history of 2nd-round picks is not very encouraging

Washington has struggled with 2nd-round selections in the last decade. Hopefully, Sam Cosmi was the start of a more successful trend.

We are all certainly hoping tonight that with the 47th overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft, Washington will get it right by finding a productive contributor.

It can’t be ignored, that Washington has experienced many a nightmare when it comes to second-round selections in the last decade. Hopefully last year’s pick, Sam Cosmi, was the start of a more successful trend.

Who are the last 10 players Washington has selected in the second round?

Samuel Cosmi (2021), Derrius Guice (2018), Ryan Anderson (2017), Su’a Cravens (2016), Preston Smith (2015), Trent Murphy (2014), David Amerson (2013), Jarvis Jenkins (2011), Devin Thomas, Fred Davis, Malcom Kelly (2008).

Ok, that was 11, not 10. But how can I talk about Washington’s second-round picks while excluding the horrible memory of the 2008 draft? All three players were receivers (Davis a USC tight end), and endured very disappointing careers. Thomas never flashed, was just a guy. Davis started well, but character issues resulted in a crash and burn sadly for him.

Kelly? Why was he ever drafted in Round 2 when at the time, there were injury concerns? Even worse was when it leaked out some of the football staff actually voiced they wanted to draft Jamaal Charles but were overruled. For younger readers, Charles (Texas) was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, rushed for 7,563 yards, 44 rushing touchdowns and averaged an impressive 5.4 yards per carry.

Jenkins (Clemson DE) was largely ineffective his entire three years in Washington, even getting suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances.

Amerson (NC State CB) played on three teams in his six NFL seasons, even later admitting that while with Washington, he had spent many nights playing video games instead of studying opponents and getting enough sleep.

Murphy (Stanford DE) was drafted when Washington traded back with Dallas, who drafted DeMarcus Lawrence. Murphy had some moments but faded, and he too was suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

Cravens (USC LB) very early revealed himself to have emotional issues and was traded after only one season, only lasting one season in Denver as well.

Anderson (Alabama LB) didn’t start a game his first two seasons, forced five fumbles in season three, but struggled in his fourth and final season.

Guice (LSU RB) was such a train wreck, he was arrested on domestic violence charges, tore an ACL, only played in five games and even LSU erased his stats from their record books because of inappropriate behavior.

Only Preston Smith and Samuel Cosmi look to have been good second-round selections for Washington. Smith in four seasons accumulated 59 QB hits and 24.5 sacks, but he was not resigned and Green Bay wasted no time signing him. Cosmi (Texas OT) only played in nine games in 2021 (started all nine), but performed quite well, and looks to have a promising future as a Commander in the NFL.

Recent wide receiver offers by the Oklahoma Sooners signal a shift in philosophy

The Sooners recent WR offers reveal a shift in philosophy on the recruiting trail.

Oklahoma has had its fair share of talented wide receivers over the years. CeeDee Lamb, Sterling Shephard, Ryan Broyles, Mark Clayton, Malcolm Kelly, Dede Westbrook, and Tommy McDonald were all stars for the Crimson & Cream. They came in different shapes and sizes, but one thing remained true: They produced year after year. They showed up and showed out for the Sooners and earned the right to be considered one of the best wide receivers in Sooners history.

The Sooners have never really had a mold for what makes a wide receiver great, which is unique.

CeeDee Lamb was a skinny rail-thin kid from Foster, Texas, that was explosive and would catch almost anything in his radius. He’d go up and get jump balls but also take a drag route to the house after 65 yards. Broyles was highly effective in the intermediate areas as a first-down conversion machine, while Dede Westbrook could take the top off any defense with his speed. Malcolm Kelly made acrobatic catch after acrobatic catch.

As we look at this current group of Sooners, we see many different types of receivers. Those are all receivers brought in and recruited by Lincoln Riley, who had no set type of build he liked at receiver. Riley was reasonably simple in evaluating his receivers. He wanted guys who could simply play. It’s hard to fault him considering what his offenses did in his time at Oklahoma, but things have changed, and he’s left the prairies for the fast life of L.A., where he coaches the Trojans of USC.

Jeff Lebby, a Sooner alum and an up-and-coming offensive coordinator in his own right, has now assumed the offensive duties of the Crimson and Cream. With him, he brings an entirely new outlook on offense and personnel.

His offense doesn’t mirror Riley’s, but the biggest contrast comes with how Lebby has attacked personnel so far.

Upon his arrival as the Sooners’ new OC, Lebby offered wide receiver, Jayden Gibson. Gibson was at the time a Florida commit, and eventually, he’d flip from Florida to Oklahoma. Gibson stands at 6-foot-4. He’s enrolled and working out as an early enrollee.

That started a significant and noticeable trend of offers being shipped out to other wide receivers of the 2023 and 2024 classes. Lebby primarily likes his receivers big with long frames.

Here’s where we can draw this conclusion: Jaden Greathouse (6-foot-2), Jalen Hale (6-foot-2), and Aidan Mizell (6-foot-3) have taken precedent over guys like DeAndre Moore Jr, who recently decommitted from the Sooners.

There’s speculation that they weren’t impressed with Moore’s junior year tape and a knee injury also played a part. While both things could be true, Moore is a top 50 talent, and they still could’ve had him in the class if they wanted due to his relationship with DeMarco Murray.

The recruitment isn’t over but casting Moore while pursuing guys like Greathouse, Ashton Cozart, and Hale signals they are content moving in a different direction.

2023 Top100 recruit Jacobe Johnson from Mustang, Okla. has also been targeted by the Sooners. Johnson stands 6-foot-3.

Lebby wants big athletes out wide and will likely get those with the pool of talent he can recruit from while at Oklahoma.

The Sooners will still recruit smaller receivers, and Lebby will use them. Just look at former Ole Miss star turned early second-rounder for the New York Jets, Elijah Moore. He was a monster for them and was no bigger than Drake Stoops. Under Lebby, Moore posted 86 catches for 1,193 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. The reception yards were the most by an SEC player through the first eight games of a season.

However, it remains painfully apparent that Lebby will recruit outside receivers with length, long speed, and big frames and fill the slot with smaller, shiftier guys.

In a way, the Sooners could resemble the Clemson teams that Venables was a part of. Lately, on offense, they had big receivers like Tee Higgins, Justyn Ross and had smaller guys like Hunter Renfrow and Armani Rodgers in the slot.

It’s a fascinating change from seeing receivers of all sizes playing all over the field for the Sooners. Still, if the recent offers are any indication, the Sooners are heading toward a “big” shift at wide receiver.

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Oklahoma Sooners’ top 12 moments in football from the Big 12 era

With migration to the SEC on the horizon, take a stroll down memory lane with the top 12 moments from the Oklahoma Sooners time in the Big 12.

One of the best things about sports, and college football, in particular, are the memories it creates for the fan that last a lifetime. In the Oklahoma Sooner’s dominance of the Big 12 since its inception, they’ve created quite a few memories.

With migration to the Southeastern Conference on the horizon, the Sooners’ reign at the top of the Big 12 will be concluding. Collecting 14 Big 12 Championships, the Oklahoma Sooners have created quite a few memorable moments along the way.

And as their future is headed to the SEC, let’s take a look back at the top 12 moments from the Oklahoma Sooners time in the Big 12 Conference.