Tag: Miguel Chavis

For the second weekend in a row, the Sooners will host a number of prospects for official visits

Another weekend in Norman sees another wave of official visitors from Florida, Nebraska and Texas.

The University of Oklahoma has had an outstanding month of June. The football team is hosting prospects for their official visits, and the softball team just won another national title to go back-to-back.

Oklahoma football would love to hoist a national championship trophy of its own sooner rather than later.

For that to happen, the Sooners must continue to recruit well, which is why this weekend is important: a new wave of potential Sooners descends upon Norman for official visits.

While last week takes the cake in terms of the sheer number of prospects on campus, this week offers a very valuable opportunity for the Sooners to connect and move forward with 2023 prospects who hold the Sooners in very high regard.

The ChampU BBQ drew more than 20 visitors to campus. While the number this weekend will not match that, some major names are worth watching as the weekend starts. We’ve taken the liberty of listing every official visitor heading to Norman this weekend.

Oklahoma Sooners make the top 5 for 2023 EDGE Colton Vasek out of Austin

In the throws of the ChampU Family BBQ, the Oklahoma Sooners landed inside the top 5 for 2023 4-star EDGE Colton Vasek

Kicking off the summer recruiting scene with their ChampU Family BBQ, the Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to make a lasting impression on the 2023 class ahead of their senior year of high school.

While not every kid will want to make a commitment this summer, many will want to get it out of the way before they play their final year of high school ball so it’s not lingering over their head. They’ve spent this week hosting Brent Venables first football camp as the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners and now they’re in the midst of hosting a number of players in Norman for the ChampU event.

Though he won’t be making his trip to Norman until next weekend, 2023 EDGE Colton Vasek dropped some positive news on the Oklahoma Sooners, who landed in his top five. Vasek will make an official visit on June 10.

Currently favored to land with the Texas Longhorns, the Austin native likes what Oklahoma offers with Brent Venables and defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis.

“Coach Venables is a defensive-minded guy who has had experience winning national championships,” Vasek told Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports. “I really like the style of defense they run, and have great relationships with pretty much the entire staff– Coach Chavis and Coach Venables especially. I also like the aspect of how they are gonna develop you not only as a player but as a person too.”

While Venables and the Oklahoma coaching staff have made a strong impression, Texas may have this one in the bag.

“Obviously having the option to stay home is huge, I grew up a Texas fan and really enjoyed seeing the way the program has changed throughout the years,” Vasek told Fawcett. “I have great relationships with Coach Kwiatkowski and Coach Milwee. Texas has also developed many players over the years which is something that definitely sticks out.”

The opportunity to stay home and play for his favorite team might be too much to overcome, but don’t ever count Brent Venables and Miguel Chavis out of a recruiting battle. It only took them a couple of months to woo Kevonte Henry from Michigan and R Mason Thomas from Iowa State. They may not have the same ties to those schools that Vasek has to Austin, but Venables has the defensive chops, the developmental success, and the attitude to land a longshot.

Along with Oklahoma and Texas, Clemson, Oregon, and Texas Tech were included in Vasek’s top five.

Colton Vasek’s Recruiting Profile

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Oklahoma Sooners summer recruiting primer for the 2023 recruiting cycle

With the summer on the horizon, we took a look at the names to know as the Sooners look to make a push on the recruiting front for 2023.

Brent Venables and Co. are weeks removed from their first spring as a staff together. It was a successful one with no notable injuries and some standout performances across the board. All told, things went as well as they could’ve hoped considering the positive reviews from the media and recruits in attendance.

The spring game served as an eye-opener for recruits and gave the Oklahoma Sooners some significant momentum to ride as they head into the most crucial time of the year for recruiting. With spring ball done and the team going home to recharge before fall camp, the staff will be all in on recruiting. With that in mind, it’s time to map out the targets to watch as the 2023 class begins to materialize this summer.

2023 four-star EDGE Jaybron Harvey out of North Carolina earns Oklahoma offer

With their noted success in the southeast, Brent Venables and his staff sent an offer out to 2023 defensive end Jaybron Harvey out of NC.

Miguel Chavis has been a busy, busy man since taking his first major coaching position as the Oklahoma Sooners’ defensive ends coach. He hit the ground running and landed a few late 2022 targets in R Mason Thomas and Kevonte Henry.

In his continued pursuit of defensive ends for the 2023 class Chavis finds himself targeting Jaybron Harvey, a four-star edge rusher out of North Carolina. Harvey plays in Durham at Southern High School.

Harvey’s a true edge player in terms of build and explosiveness and can play standing up or with his hand on the ground. His junior year saw him finish with 28 sacks and over 100 tackles. His scouting report on 247 Sports reads as such:

Verified size with length. Has frame and skill set for edge rusher. Will be able to play at 230 pounds. Incredibly productive player with 28 sacks, 129 tackles as junior. Plays both sides of ball in various roles at Southern. High-level athlete with excellent burst at snap. Twitchy prospect gets off quickly and stay lows while eating up space in first few steps. Plays standing up and with hand on ground. Has motor and works to fight through double teams. Changes direction well and chases down plays on back side. Timing and anticipation of snap are excellent. Shows closing speed and body control. Uses a swim move at times, especially when feigning outside and moving inside. Has to continue to develop in the weight room. Relies heavily on physical talent but must refine technique. At times loops to the backfield rather than dipping shoulder and exploding toward ball carrier. – Brian Dohn, 247Sports National recruiting analyst

While the Sooners are in pretty good spots for the likes of Bai Jobe and Adepoju Adebawore, taking a long hard look at Harvey makes a lot of sense, especially with Jobe’s recruitment still growing and things far from being locked up with any prospects.

Chavis also was part of the same defensive staff led by Venables at Clemson that has had some significant success recruiting defensive linemen in the state of North Carolina over the years. Their success and connections on the recruiting trail amongst North Carolina high schools could pay dividends as they look to position themselves in the race for Harvey.

Jaybron Harvey’s Recruiting Profile

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Brent Venables, Dillon Gabriel steal the show in front of record-breaking crowd for Oklahoma’s Spring Game

In front of more than 75,000 fans, the Oklahoma Sooners put on a strong performance in the first Spring Game of the Brent Venables era.

After a mountain of hype, the Oklahoma Spring Game delivered on many fronts for the Oklahoma Sooners. The loyal fans of the Crimson & Cream packed out The Palace on the Prairie with just over 75,000 fans for the start of the Brent Venables era.

The game showcased what the new regime in Norman has been cooking up as they prepare the Sooners for the 2022 season. While there were many familiar faces from the past few years, the Sooners had new faces donning Oklahoma jerseys for the first time. The roster was split into two teams led by defensive ends coach [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] for the white squad while running backs coach [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] led the red team.

New quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] did exactly what you want your veteran quarterback to do. He looked calm and poised under duress and stepped up and made some nice throws to a plethora of receivers. The tempo of the offense was indeed as fast as advertised and gave Sooners fans a glimpse of what the offense can look like under offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby.

Gabriel was 19 of 28 for 250 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He looked sharp in his first appearance for the Sooners.

The anticipation of seeing running back [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag] did not disappoint. Barnes carried the ball 17 times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. He looked explosive, physical and decisive.

Presumptive starter [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]’s biggest highlight came when he broke out for a huge run for the white team that is certain to have people salivating about his upcoming season. Gray carried the ball four times for 53 yards, including the 50-yard run.

[autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag] didn’t participate but [autotag]Tawee Walker[/autotag] ran the ball well in his absence. Walker has turned heads in practice and capped off an eye-opening spring with a solid performance in the spring game.

The offensive line play was solid, considering the likely starters were split between the two sides. They opened up some lanes for the backs and gave time for the quarterbacks to throw the ball.

The only notable player missing was [autotag]Andrew Raym[/autotag] who didn’t participate. [autotag]McKade Mettauer[/autotag], one of the transfer offensive linemen the Sooners landed looked pretty comfortable at guard as he made a key block that sprung Gray loose for his big gain.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] and true freshman [autotag]Jayden Gibson[/autotag] scored touchdowns out wide for the receiver group. [autotag]Theo Wease[/autotag], who returned from an injury-filled 2021 also made a nice grab for a 48-yard gain that led to a touchdown early in the game. [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag] saw his number called quite a few times and has a chance to be a major contributor on the heels of his electric performance to end the season in 2021. Farooq would finish with two receptions for 17 yards.

Jayden Gibson’s 95-yard touchdown helped him lead the way at receiver on the afternoon. He finished with 113 yards on three receptions and a touchdown. Marvin Mims picked up right where he left off the 2021 season with two receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, guys like defensive end [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] and defensive back Kendall Dennis stood out as both forced turnovers during the game. Downs would punch out a fumble and Dennis intercepted a pass in the second half of the game. There wasn’t too much to be made of the Sooners’ new defensive system as [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] kept things largely vanilla for good reason.

However, guys like [autotag]Jeffery Johnson[/autotag] and Jordan Kelley made plays from the defensive interior while [autotag]DaShaun White[/autotag] roamed at the second level making their impact felt. On the back end, Woodi Washington, Joshua Eaton made some plays on the ball. Eaton recovered the Downs forced fumble and broke up a possible touchdown in the end zone too. In the end, the red team led by DeMarco Murray got the win as they won 21-17.

Though they weren’t taking quarterbacks to the ground, Ethan Downs and [autotag]Marcus Stripling[/autotag] were credited with two sacks apiece and [autotag]Jalen Redmond[/autotag] added a sack for the red team. Johnson, Kelley, White, Jonah La’ulu, and [autotag]Reggie Grimes[/autotag] combined for five sacks for the white team.

While the football was the main focus, it was incredible to see the alumni turnout as the Sooners did everything in their power to get every Sooner to Norman that they could. Big names like [autotag]Adrian Peterson[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag], [autotag]Mark Clayton[/autotag], and [autotag]Jamelle Holieway[/autotag] were all in the building. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag]’s Heisman statue ceremony took place at halftime with the unveiling in Heisman Park.

The pageantry, emotion and the excitement of the day delivered in spades and with no significant injuries to report, the first spring game of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era can be considered a huge success.

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Oklahoma Sooners make top 4 for 2023 defensive line prospect Peter Woods

Elite defensive line prospect Peter Woods lists Oklahoma Sooners in his top four.

With the spring and summer on the horizon for the 2023 class, it’s only natural to expect some of the 2023 prospects to begin winding their recruitments down. A lot of players don’t like the idea of having their recruitment looming over their heads as they prepare for their final year of high school football.

2023 defensive line prospect Peter Woods is one of those guys as he announced his final four list of schools still in the running.

The Oklahoma Sooners were joined by the Florida Gators, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the Clemson Tigers as the four remaining teams with the best shot to land Woods’ services.

Woods hails from Alabama, so of course the Tide with their gaudy reputation for winning, and sending defenders to the NFL would always be a factor.

The Sooners are in this race on the backs of Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis. Both have been extremely diligent in making Woods feels like a priority but also showing him what he could become as a member of the Oklahoma Sooners.

Woods told 247Sports that the next step in his process will be taking official visits.

“I want to take my officials as early as April and June and try and make my decision before the season,” he explained when asked about what’s next after having trimmed down his list to just four schools.

Woods had this to say about Oklahoma and why they made it into his top four:

Whenever Coach Bates, Coach Chavis and Coach Venables went over there, those were the main relationships I had at Clemson and why I was so high on them. I look forward to seeing what the program has to offer and take off. I want to visit up there as soon as possible and as far as relationships they’re second to none. Woods to 247Sports

Woods isn’t particularly locked into a singular position along the defensive line but as he continues to develop physically more clarity should come. In the present, he’s a bit of a tweener that looks like a strong side edge defender. His film shows the versatility to play in multiple defensive schemes across the defensive line and he has the strength to play inside.

In 2021, he helped lead his 7A high school Thompson to its third consecutive state title, in which he tallied 11 sacks and 26 tackles for loss as a junior.

Peter Woods’ Recruiting Profile

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Sooners Wire breaks down his full profile.

Elite ’22 DL recruit Lebbeus Overton plans to announce decision Friday

Top 20 player and Sooners legacy Lebbeus Overton announces decision date and time.

One of the two major recruiting dominos left for the class of 2022 is about to fall as defensive line prospect Lebbeus Overton has decided to announce his decision on Friday, April 1st. Overton, who hails from Alpharetta, Georgia plans to announce his college decision on ESPN2 around 3 pm EST during halftime of the Geico National High School Basketball Tournament.

Overton was one of the top five recruits in the country for the Class of 2023 but in a crazy twist of events that concluded national signing day in February, Overton announced he would be reclassifying to the class of 2022.

At one point he was the No. 1 overall prospect in the Top247 for the 2023 class. As part of the 2022 class, Overton is the No. 17 player in the country per 247Sports.

Five schools were named the destinations of choice: Texas A&M, Georgia, Oregon, Ohio State, and the Oklahoma Sooners.

As the days wind down to his commitment, news of his sudden decision to commit has cleared up the picture considerably.

Overton took official visits in March to Oregon, Georgia, and Texas A&M while he planned to visit Ohio State and Oklahoma in April.

Those last two schools will no longer get an official visit. Couple that with the crystal ball prediction to Texas A&M from 247Sports’ recruiting wizard Steve Wiltfong and three other analysts and the story becomes as clear as watching a movie in 4K UHD.

A commitment to Texas A&M would only add to their already unprecedented defensive line haul. The Sooners hoped that the last-minute visit could shake some things up. Overton has ties to Oklahoma as his father started on the offensive line for OU in the 90s.

Overton was no stranger to Norman, taking unofficial visits multiple times. The Sooners also offered his brother Micaiah since the two brothers shared a desire to play together. The oldest Overton entered the transfer portal shortly after his brother announced plans to reclassify.

While the Sooners are down, they aren’t officially out, However, a commitment looks unlikely. While they might have missed on one of the top defensive line targets in 2022, signees Gracen Halton, Alton Tarber, and Cedric Roberts provide the Sooners with intriguing defensive line prospects. Looking ahead to 2023, the Sooners are well-positioned for multiple high-level defensive line prospects thanks to Todd Bates, Miguel Chavis, and [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ efforts on the recruiting trail.

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Oklahoma Sooners receive 5 new Crystal Ball predictions from OUInsider Parker Thune

The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off a massive recruiting weekend and that work is already paying dividends.

While the most recent recruiting weekend looks like it was a resounding success, prospects from previous recruiting weekends with the Oklahoma Sooners have taken time to digest their time in Norman. For some, the time spent analyzing where the Sooners fall in their recruitment has led some of college football’s biggest recruiting insiders to believe there’s significant momentum for Oklahoma in regards to some of these prospects.

The momentum is so real that recruiting analyst Parker Thune of OUInsider at 247Sports was confident enough to issue Crystal Ball predictions for several Oklahoma Sooners’ targets. We’ve taken the liberty of chronicling those below for your viewing pleasure:

Oklahoma offers Florida 2023 DE Isaiah Nixon

Oklahoma’s latest offer went out to Saint Petersburg, Fla., product Isaiah Nixon.

As Oklahoma gears up for the start of spring practices on March 22, the OU staff is keeping busy on the recruiting trail. The Sooners’ latest offer went out to class of 2023 defensive end and edge rusher Isaiah Nixon out of Lakewood High School in Saint Petersburg, Fla.

In addition to Oklahoma, the 6-foot-4, 225 pound edge rusher holds offers from an impressive list of schools. According to 247Sports, Nixon’s offers list includes Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Penn State, UCF, South Florida, Utah and West Virginia.

On3 rates Nixon as a four-star edge rusher and as the country’s No. 158 player in the 2023 class, the No. 19 edge and the No. 35 player out of the state of Florida. On3’s consensus rankings place Nixon as the nation’s No. 151 player overall, the No. 16 edge and Florida’s 29th highest-rated prospect.

In the 247Sports composite rankings, Nixon is rated as a four-star edge rusher. The recruiting service ranks Nixon as the nation’s 340th player overall, the No. 30 edge and the 67th-best player from Florida. Rivals also lists Nixon as a four-star weak side defensive end.

According to MaxPreps, Nixon finished the 2021 season at Lakewood High School with 75 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and eight quarterback hurries.

Nixon’s recruitment has really picked up since mid-January. On Jan. 18, Pittsburgh offered Nixon. He added an offer from Michigan State the following day and finished the month of January with offers from Appalachian State, FIU, Ole Miss, West Virginia and Florida State.

In February, Nixon grabbed seven more offers. Miami offered first on Feb. 2 before Florida, Alabama, LSU, Georgia and Auburn extended offers. Then, Florida Atlantic offered on March 4 before Oklahoma offered on March 12.

Here’s a look at Nixon’s Hudl tape from this past season.

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Oklahoma sends out offer to one of nation’s best defensive players in the 2024 class

Oklahoma Sooners offer 2024 EDGE rusher, Colin Simmons, out of Duncanville, Texas.

Despite their recruiting efforts for the 2023 class hitting full swing, the Oklahoma Sooners have their sites set on the 2024 class as well. The Sooners’ latest 2024 offer goes out to Colin Simmons, arguably the top player in the country.

Simmons, out of Duncanville High School in Texas received an offer from the Oklahoma Sooners yesterday. Simmons is rated as the number one overall player per Rivals and is a Top 50 recruit on 247Sports. Still nearly two years out from the 2024 national signing day, Simmons recruitment will be one to watch with every major Power Five school in the country vying for his services.

Currently a linebacker at high school it’s likely his natural home may be at defensive end. Simmons already stands at 6-foot-3 and has an athletic frame with incredible speed off the edge. He led class 6A with 12 sacks in 2021 for Duncanville while winning a newcomer of the year.

Baylor, Texas, Arkansas, and Texas A&M join the Sooners early in pursuit of the talented edge prospect. With Simmons likely an edge rusher, look for Miguel Chavis to be a major player in this recruitment along with Todd Bates providing support as well. This recruitment is just getting started and with Simmons a rising star, the Oklahoma Sooners will be in for a fight if they want to land one of the best defensive players in the 2024 cycle.

Colin Simmons’ Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN — — — —
Rivals 4 1 — —
247Sports 4 45 5 4
247 Composite — — — —
On3 Recruiting 4 — — —
On3 Composite 4 7 3 2

Vitals

Hometown Duncanville, TX
Projected Position Linebacker
Height 6-2
Weight 215 lbs

Recruitment

  • Offered on March 8, 2022

Notable Offers

  • Oklahoma
  • Texas
  • Texas A&M
  • Arkansas
  • Oklahoma State
  • Nebraska
  • Michigan State
  • Baylor

Film

via Hudl

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