Tag: Miguel Chavis

Sooners land commitment from in-state 2024 four-star EDGE Danny Okoye

Oklahoma is back on the board with another commitment. The Sooners landed four-star EDGE rusher Danny Okoye on Wednesday evening.

Oklahoma has put together a great recruiting class for 2024, and it just got better along the defensive line. Four-star EDGE [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag] committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on Wednesday.

Oklahoma was the choice over Tennessee, Texas, Alabama, and a number of other Power Five schools.

Oklahoma’s pursuit of Okoye started in the summer of 2022 when the Sooners offered in July. Since then, Miguel Chavis has spearheaded that recruitment, keeping Oklahoma in the thick of it.

Okoye cut down his options and posted a top-six featuring the Sooners, Crimson Tide, the Volunteers, Colorado, LSU, and the Texas Longhorns in August.

When speaking to Brett Greenberg of 247Sports back in August (Subscription required), Okoye said this about Oklahoma:

”OU has always been showing the love for me since the beginning. One of the reasons they are in the top six is just after their last season, the amount of work that they’ve put in and the amount of progress they’ve made as a team and program, it’s definitely worth being noticed. The coaching staff is a national championship coaching staff, and I can definitely see OU winning the national championship in the future.”

Oklahoma hosted Okoye for an official visit for the first game of the season when they blew away the Arkansas State Red Wolves. Momentum began to build for Okoye to the Sooners. The Sooners rode the wave and have secured his commitment.

When looking at the 247Sports composite, which takes into account rankings from each of the primary recruiting services, Okoye is pegged as the No. 152 overall recruit in the 2024 class. The four-star also rates as a top-10 edge rusher in the nation and the top player in Oklahoma. He also looks like an EDGE, standing six-foot-four and hovering around 240 pounds. He’s explosive, and during his junior season in 2022, he tallied 43 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, six sacks, one interception, and forced a fumble.

With Okoye’s commitment, Oklahoma now has 24 pledges in the 2024 recruiting. Oklahoma has also moved in front of Josh Heupel’s Tennessee Volunteers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the No. 7 spot in the 247Sports team rankings.

The Sooners’ pursuit of a top-five recruiting class continues with decisions from three-star OL [autotag]Daniel Akinkunmi[/autotag], four-star OT [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag], three-star CB [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag], and four-star LB/S [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] still to come.

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Report Card: Saturday against Tulsa was about passing final nonconference test with flying colors

Oklahoma dominated Tulsa from beginning to end. Take a look as we go position by position and hand out grades for the performance.

Saturday’s dismantling of Tulsa was a much-needed conclusion for the Sooners to their nonconference schedule. The Sooners needed to erase any doubts, bouncing back and disposing of teams handily after a grind-it-out win against SMU.

The concerns about the conservative nature of the offense against SMU were put to rest as Oklahoma slung the ball all over the field for 476 yards.

Defensively, the Sooners grounded the Tulsa passing attack, allowing less than 250 yards through the air.

It was a convincing win and a pleasant, feel-good tuneup before they turn their heads to Cincinnati. Big 12 play is upon them, but before we turn the page, let’s pass out grades for this weekend’s performances.

Oklahoma Sooners receive multiple predictions for 4-star in-state product

Just a few months ago Oklahoma seemed to be out of the Danny Okoye sweepstakes, no they are the perceived leader.

Saturday was a good day for the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] football program. Not only did it open the season with the largest margin of victory for a season opener in more than 100 years, but it also was a recruiting weekend.

One prospect on campus was in-state four-star edge [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag]. Okoye is a top 100 prospect according to On3 and is listed at 6 feet, 4 inches and 241 pounds.

In his two seasons of high school football, Okoye tallied 121 tackles, 37 tackles for loss, 16.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. He was seemingly out on Oklahoma just a few months ago, and the Tennessee Volunteers were the perceived leader.

Then [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] went to work. Chavis slowly started to build a strong relationship with Okoye and ultimately persuaded him to visit campus for an official visit.

Since that visit, predictions have flooded in for the Sooners. Whether it’s national recruiting analysts Sam Spiegelman of On3 Sports, Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports and Cole Patterson of Rivals, or local recruiting experts such as Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop.

This would be a huge get for Oklahoma. Okoye has impressive speed off the edge and would be an elite pass rusher for the Sooners. He would add to the already impressive defensive line class the Sooners are putting together.

Okoye said he plans to commit in October but said on social media, he might not wait that long. That would bode well for the Sooners.

As of right now, he has official visits to the LSU Tigers on Sept. 22, 2023, and Tennessee on Sept. 30, 2023. There has been some buzz those visits could be in jeopardy with him possibly committing before those take place.

What once seemed like a long shot is now looking like a real possibility. This is another reason you never count this staff out until the pen hits paper.

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Can the Oklahoma Sooners land another top five class in 2024?

The Sooners’ staff are working to get another top five class under their belt but can it be done?

[autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] fans woke up Sunday morning with big smiles on their faces. The team closed on a five-star defensive lineman.

Now, people forget the staff signed Adeboju Adebawore last year, but if you ask Sooner fans, you’d think they can’t land anyone, and the coaches aren’t doing a good job.

People only remember the misses such as [autotag]David Hicks[/autotag] and [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag] (TBD). They forget the Sooners wouldn’t even be in those battles if it wasn’t for [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag], [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag], and, of course, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag].

On Saturday night, they received the great news that five-star [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], the No. 6 player in the nation, is coming back home.

With the commitment of Stone, the Sooners vaulted to No. 10 in Rivals‘ team rankings, No. 13 in 247Sports‘ rankings and No. 14 in On3‘s team rankings. Can the Sooners land another top-five class two years in a row?

The answer isn’t one people will be satisfied with, but it is possible. A lot of things would have to go their way. Some notable commitments Sooner fans are waiting for are [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith II[/autotag], [autotag]Brayden Platt[/autotag], [autotag]Grant Brix[/autotag] and [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag].

Oklahoma is a finalist for McKinley and Platt, but neither appear heading the Sooners’ way. Now, Oklahoma has shocked people come decision day as recently as Jayden Jackson this summer.

If Oklahoma lands Smith II, Brix and Okoye without any other schools getting commitments, the Sooners would pass the Alabama Crimson Tide for fourth in 247Sports team rankings. That would solidify a top-five class. However, assuming Alabama or other schools in the top 10 don’t add players is unlikely with four months remaining until the early signing period.

The rankings will change throughout the fall. But Oklahoma has to close on those three to give it a chance at a top-five class.

Smith II plans to announce on Sept. 8 and is deciding between Oklahoma and the Texas A&M Aggies.

Brix hasn’t set a date, but it could happen any day. Oklahoma, the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Kansas State Wildcats are the final three.

Okoye hasn’t set a date yet either. Many think Oklahoma has a good chance of landing him. If I had to bet right now, I’d bet Oklahoma lands in that 7-9 range, which is still a really good class.

It’s no secret since coming to Norman, Brent Venables and his staff have shown you can recruit at a high level on both sides of the ball. No matter what a previous coach made you believe.

They now have to work to close a class that will be the first to play their entire career in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

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Reggie Grimes hopes to regain that magic from early last season

Reggie Grimes has become the forgotten man on Oklahoma’s defensive line, but he still wants to make an impact in 2023.

There may not have been an Oklahoma Sooners get off to a hotter start than [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] a season ago. Grimes had four sacks and five tackles for loss in the first two games.

The only problem is he finished the season with 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. Grimes told reporters the new depth is going to help not only him but the position as a whole this upcoming season.

“There’s not a guy who is going to go out there and play 80 plays because we don’t have any depth,” Grimes said. “We have depth now. Everyone can get a bigger piece of the pie.”

Grimes is someone who’s been lost in the shuffle when you talk about the key contributors at the defensive end position. The additions of Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford, the development of R Mason Thomas, and the signing of five-star prospect Adepoju Adebawore have added what the coaches have termed, “competitive depth.”

Last season, there was no depth, and that might be why he fizzled out as the season went on.

He said while this is the closest the defense line has been since he arrived in Norman, it still means a ton to him to be the starter.

“On one end, you are competing against the guy, but on the other, you just love these guys so much,” Grimes said. “I know they’ll have my back if I need anything, and I’ll have their back if they need anything. You want to be the starter, you want to be the dude, but the main thing, you can’t let your brother’s success mean it’s a failure to you. They’re your brothers, so you have to celebrate that and respond with something.”

The question now is how big of a role Grimes will play. Could he be a starter for Oklahoma’s defensive line? Is he someone who can be a rotational player who plays well if you keep him fresh? I think he can and add more depth to a defensive line that was missing it a year ago.

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‘They’re still recruiting me’: Oklahoma isn’t finished pursuing 5-Star DE Williams Nwaneri

Speaking to media members after his Lee’s Summit North squad scrimmaged with Union, Williams Nwaneri shared that Oklahoma is still in pursuit.

In a high-profile defensive recruitment that’s become more and more commonplace for Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners, OU lost out to (former) Big 8 foe Missouri in the battle for five-star defensive end [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag].

But as Lee Corso might say, “Not so fast, my friend,” Nwaneri’s recruitment could be ramping up all over again.

Let’s be reasonable before we get into what Nwaneri said after his Lee’s Summit North team took part in a scrimmage with Union in Tulsa Thursday night. It’s difficult to flip a commitment.

Oklahoma did so with [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] in the 2023 recruiting class when he opted for the Sooners after committing to Notre Dame and then Oregon before ultimately signing with the Sooners.

That’s the exception, not the rule.

But Nwaneri’s comments Thursday evening seemed to open the door a smidge for the Sooners to pull off another late-cycle recruiting flip.

Speaking to media members after the game, Nwaneri said, “Oh yeah. They’re still recruiting me and all that. But I’m gonna let everything play out. I’ll let the whole season play out. I don’t know. I’m committed to Mizzou, though. Just having fun with it. Showing love. All that.”

Nwaneri still has an affinity for the Sooners, in particular co-defensive coordinator and defensive tackles coach Todd Bates and defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis.

“I probably had one of my best relationships with them,” Nwaneri said of his relationships with Oklahoma’s staff. “It was always love with the coaching staff. And I like the scheme there and all that.”

Earlier in the interview, Nwaneri shared that his comfort level with Missouri and his coaching staff played a big part in his decision to commit to the Tigers.

“Really, I felt like I was just most comfortable with that coaching staff and it’s close to home and all that,” Nwaneri said. “So I felt like it was just the right decision for me at the time.”

Williams Nwaneri is committed to Missouri. And that may not change. Though there’s always the possibility, it’s not something you’d want to bet on.

It’s easy to read into the words of a high school kid. Perhaps the door is open for Oklahoma. Perhaps it’s not. This simply could be a kid having fun ahead of his final year of high school ball. However, in all of this, the key is that Oklahoma hasn’t let off the gas in their pursuit of On3’s No. 1 player in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

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Adepoju Adebawore among top freshmen in best position for a key role in 2023

Oklahoma’s Adepoju Adebawore included among freshmen best positioned for key roles in 2023.

Last season the [autotag]Oklahoma Sooners[/autotag] had several weak spots along the defense. Among the most noticeable is the area where you need to be your strongest; the defensive line.

The Sooners coaching staff attacked that weakness this offseason, bringing in transfer additions like Rondell Bothroyd and Trace Ford to help. They also made a splash in the signing of five-star EDGE [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag]. Adebawore is someone who has shown flashes throughout camp and just looks the part.

Bleacher Report included Adebawore among top freshmen in the best position for a key role in 2023.

[autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag] is a transfer expected to do big things, [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] should at least begin the season with the first team, and [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag] has the most potential of any returning Sooner pass-rusher. But Adebawore is on a different athletic plain, and none of the aforementioned guys really have established themselves as can’t-miss starters. Adebawore is a relentless pursuer of quarterbacks, and while there’s going to be a learning curve, the 6-foot-4, 240-pound former 5-star who was the No. 11-ranked overall player will have a chance to prove himself right away. Look for him to be starting by the middle of the season. Venables has a reputation of developing elite edge-rushers, and Adebawore looks like the first crown jewel for the coach at his new place of employment. – Brad Shepard, Bleacher Report

Adebawore has a great chance of being a first round when it’s all said and done. He has the size and athleticism that NFL defensive coordinators covet off the edge. He’s yet to take a snap at the collegiate level, so there’s a lot of growing that has to take place. However, the early returns have been promising. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Adebawore carve out a significant role along the Sooners’ defensive line.

Adebawore is one of several new additions that have fans excited for the future. It’s now up to Adebawore and defensive ends coach [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] to bring out the best in the five-star EDGE addition so he can live up to those expectations.

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Oklahoma comes up short against Missouri for the commitment of five-star Williams Nwaneri

Oklahoma just misses out as five-star EDGE Williams Nwaneri committed to Missouri over Oklahoma, Georgia, and Tennessee on Monday afternoon.

In what can only be described as game-changing, Oklahoma missed on its most significant recruiting prospect in a long time as five-star defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri committed to Missouri on Monday afternoon.

Chronicling the nature of this recruitment is likely a story for another day. Still, Oklahoma entered the final rounds for one of the nation’s most elite defenders. Ultimately, the Sooners couldn’t overcome Missouri’s hometown advantage. Nwaneri picked Missouri over Oklahoma, Georgia and Tennessee.

Missouri’s pitch to Nwaneri was simple. They are the in-state school with the added proximity bonus and NIL opportunities that Nwaneri could capitalize on before stepping foot on campus. He would be revered as a hero forever for being a high-profile prospect who decided to stay home and play for the Missouri Tigers.

Oklahoma’s advantages or connection with Nwaneri stem from his relationship with the coaching staff. There is a strong bond between Nwaneri and defensive coaches Miguel Chavis and Todd Bates.

Oklahoma has been building a pipeline to Lee’s Summit North (Nwaneri’s high school). Lee’s Summit North produced true freshman offensive tackle Cayden Green and 2025 nose tackle Ka’Mori Moore commit, both teammates of Nwaneri’s. The Sooners are also pursuing current teammate and 2025 four-star receiver Isaiah Mozee. Mozee is an Oklahoma legacy by way of his father and the head coach at Lee’s Summit North, Jamar Mozee. The elder Mozee played at OU when Brent Venables was at Oklahoma as a defensive coordinator.

It’s been tough for Oklahoma to land five-star defensive linemen consistently. While last year saw them land Adepoju Adebawore, the hit rate for Oklahoma in these five-star defensive line recruitments is hardly something to be proud of.

Even with the commitment to Missouri, Oklahoma will continue to pursue Nwaneri until the No. 1 player in the On3 rankings officially signs his national letter of intent. So the potential for his recruitment turning in Oklahoma’s favor remains until signing day. We saw last year how that worked out for Oklahoma for former five-star safety Peyton Bowen.

In the immediate future, Oklahoma turns its attention to the decisions of five-star defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] (Aug. 26), five-star defensive lineman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] (Sept. 1) and four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] (Sept. 8). Oklahoma has more than a puncher’s chance to land at least two out of the three. If Oklahoma can land at least two, it still would be one of the better defensive line hauls in recent Sooners history.

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Offseason Stock Up, Stock Down for the Oklahoma Sooners

Taking stock of certain aspects of Oklahoma’s football team after a long offseason. Who is trending up and down?

The offseason is coming to a close, and the 2023 football season is right around the corner. When the pads go on, teams take the intensity up a notch as they dig deeper to prepare for the season.

Oklahoma’s offseason has been pretty quiet, all things considered. Conference realignment isn’t dominating headlines for Oklahoma. Its focus is on being the best Oklahoma team it can be in its final Big 12 season.

Each week during the season, we take stock of where the Sooners are as a team and which way individuals within the program are trending. Here’s an offseason look at the stock report.

Five-star priority target Williams Nwaneri announces commitment date

Elite defender Williams Nwaneri announces his decision date via social media.

The date is set. [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag]’s recruitment is coming to a head. The talented five-star edge from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, announced via social media that he plans to announce his collegiate decision on Aug. 14.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Nwaneri plans to choose between five finalists: Oklahoma, Missouri, Oregon, Georgia and Tennessee. The talented five-star took official visits to Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Missouri in June and traveled to Oregon on an unofficial visit last week.

Nwaneri has visited Oklahoma’s campus multiple times this year, and his connections to the Sooners are plentiful.

He plays at the same high school true freshman offensive lineman Cayden Green played at. The two went up against each other in practice before Green graduated and moved to Norman. His current teammate, 2025 nose tackle Ka’Mori Moore, committed to Oklahoma in late July. Another current teammate and close friend, Isaiah Mozee, is an Oklahoma lean. And if that isn’t enough to highlight it, his head coach, Mozee’s father, is a former Sooner.

There are a number of reasons Nwaneri might choose the Sooners. When asked about Oklahoma, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett: “I have a great relationship with coach (Miguel) Chavis and (Todd) Bates. It’s always great vibes in Norman.”

No one knows where he may go, but Oklahoma has put its best efforts into landing a transformative defensive talent. With recent rumblings, Oklahoma and Missouri seem like the two schools duking it out as this race comes around the final turn.

With a decision less than two weeks away, Oklahoma will continue applying the pressure as much as possible. Aug. 1 started the dead period for NCAA recruiting, meaning there can only be digital and non-face-to-face contact. So, no visits in any capacity are allowed.

August is a massive month for Oklahoma recruiting; decisions from not one but two five-star defenders are incoming. Nwaneri’s decision will get things started before [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] makes his announcement on Aug. 26.

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