Tag: Miguel Chavis

Miguel Chavis’ love of relationship-building is a win for the Oklahoma Sooners

New defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis genuinely loves getting to know his players and that helped Oklahoma close in the 2022 signing class.

There’s one common thread that unites all of the new additions to Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables’ first staff. They all seem to genuinely dig the process of getting to know and building relationships with their players.

That trait manifested itself as Oklahoma finished strong with a series of late flips in the 2022 recruiting class. Gracen Halton, Kevonte Henry, Alton Tarber, and R Mason Thomas were all committed elsewhere but ended up signing with Oklahoma on national signing day.

As a result, new Oklahoma defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis was named as one of On3’s top 10 recruiters for the 2022 class. That’s just it, though. Chavis really enjoys recruiting.

“Yeah, amazing. Yeah, awesome. Like, I felt like I was cheating in life. Like, even right now, man, being up here, like this is unbelievable, and just because it doesn’t feel like work. It’s what I love doing. I think recruiting, when it comes down to it, is really about relationship building and connecting. I think it’s about authenticity. And I think you have to do a good job of it if you want to do it this way, the way that I’m talking about, that you have to be okay with not getting a guy that you don’t fit or that he doesn’t fit your institution or your program.

“But fundamentally, I think recruiting is connecting. And so, man, I’ve just been very, very blessed to have people in my life to show me and teach me how to connect with people. And I care about people. I love people. So yeah, I got here and got all cleared by compliance and all the rest, and they threw me an OU shirt on and some Jordan’s and I went on the road. And I think I’ve texted my wife and took pictures of everything. But it was amazing. We were able to get Alton Tarber—I can’t wait to get him from Deerfield Beach—R Mason Thomas. And Ahmad Moten, we almost got him from Cardinal Gibbons. Great program Coach [Matt] DuBuc is running there at Cardinal Gibbons. And so it was awesome. I love it,” Chavis said.

Building relationships beyond the game of football is something that Chavis believes in. It’s why he did pastoral ministry for three years after his stint in the NFL came to a close.

“The best CEOs of companies, the best pastors, the best leaders of family, the best men and women I’ve ever been around are those people who can connect and love the people that they serve. Period. And so my first week here, within the first week or so, just like taking my guys out to dinner and like not talking football. And listen, I coach for Brent Venables. We’re going to have more than enough time to talk football. All right? Our guys are going to know what the heck they have to do. But just investing in them, man, making phone calls. That’s one thing we did. Calling them all personally, asking them about their mom, their dad, little Suzie. They’ve been dating for two weeks and now they’re Facebook official for two weeks. Okay? We ask about another one here soon. But just what are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your fears? What are your aspirations? I think all of these things are super, super important,” Chavis said.

Chavis likens the best coaches to part-time psychologists. Knowing each of his player’s individual goals and aspirations is part and parcel with seeing the best versions of his players.

“They need to know that you care, they need you to know their identity and they want to know that you love them. And if you love your players, you can coach them as hard as you want to. But just being very, very connected with them. I send them encouraging messages almost every morning, whether it’s things from scripture, things that are motivational or encouraging to me, and then just being able to take the time out to not talk ball all the time, and thinking and understanding and learning the different types of personalities. There are so many different personality tests.

“And I think, man, it’s like psychology. I’m serious. I think a great football coach is like 50 percent a great psychologist and understanding that just like parenting, you can’t treat all kids the same. And so different coaching techniques, and they all learn differently, but I think being intentional with your words, I think getting to know parents, getting to know players, their likes and dislikes, their fears and aspirations, makes them a lot more likely to trust you and to be endeared to you and to play hard for you. The guys that I’ve seen that played the hardest for their coaches are the guys that would literally die and lay their life on the line for the coaches because they know their coach loves them and would do the same,” Chavis said.

It doesn’t feel like lip service when Venables talks about serving his players’ hearts and not their talents. It certainly doesn’t with Chavis either.

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Miguel Chavis ready to unleash the lion at prestigious Oklahoma

Miguel Chavis waited his turn to be a full-time position coach. Now, he has that opportunity as the defensive ends coach at Oklahoma.

Miguel Chavis is ready for this opportunity at Oklahoma. After serving in an off-the-field defensive player development role for the past five years at Clemson, Chavis now gets his first crack as a full-time assistant coach.

“Just excitement more than anything. I don’t think anybody has more pressure. I don’t feel anybody’s pressure [other] than my own pressure that I put on myself. But just excitement. I’ve been preparing for this opportunity for a long time,” Chavis said.

Like new co-defensive coordinators Ted Roof and Todd Bates, Chavis brings familiarity with Venables’ defensive system with him to Norman.

“You know, played football under Coach [Dabo] Swinney at Clemson and was in the NFL with the Steelers and the Chiefs long enough to have a cup of coffee, and for the past five years I’ve been in the Brent Venables school of defense, and was coached by a couple of legends in Chris Rumph and Dan Brooks and got to work very closely with Todd Bates. And my first year I had to learn what the heck Coach V was just saying as a support staff person, and then by year three I had a pretty good grasp of the defense. By year four, I felt like a lion in a cage. I was ready to go,” Chavis said.

He turned down other chances to be a full-time position coach before saying yes when Brent Venables offered him the OU defensive ends assistant coaching job. Now, it’s the Sooners that get to see the lion unleashed.

“So, I turned down some job opportunities and was patient, and I just had great counsel, and from Coach Swinney and other people in my life that said, ‘Man, that’s not the one. Just wait. That’s not the one. Just wait.’ And it was God’s perfect timing. And so when Coach V said, ‘Will you go with me?’ It didn’t take me long to say yes,” Chavis said.

All Chavis knew about Oklahoma beyond what Coach Venables said was that the Sooners are accustomed to winning.

“I’m a fan of college football. Right? And yeah, I’m a coach, yeah, I played, but I’m a fan, man. I love the game, and it’s a developmental game. And I appreciate and enjoy and respect what they do in the NFL, man, but I think something is just very, very unique about 18- to 22-year-olds and being able to use the game to invest and mold them. And so with that being said, I watched and understood the landscape of college football, and when I thought about the top of college football and kind of that first tier, I couldn’t think about it without thinking about Oklahoma.

“I mean, you’re talking about one of five teams that have won 100-plus games in the past 10 years, one of four teams that have been to four CFP’s or more since the inception of the College Football Playoff. And so regardless of what anybody thought or my ignorance of maybe the location or the place, like we’re literally in the middle of everywhere. Like, everybody is a national recruit for us, like everybody. You know what I mean? But I knew that, man, you had the Clemson’s, the Alabama’s, the Oklahoma’s and the Ohio State’s. OK? And Georgia’s really, really good, too. And so that’s what I knew about it. And the brand, they were Jordan. I knew that as well. Super dope,” Chavis said.

Again, Chavis felt he was ready for this opportunity, but that didn’t mean the moment when the job was actually offered was any less fulfilling.

“Yeah, I don’t know if my mind was racing, but once again, it was something that Coach V, you get to spend any time around Coach V, you’ll realize how unique of a person he is. And so it was very humbling that the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma would ask me to come be a position coach for him. And so I would just say humbling, the moment more surreal than anything else. But, you know, it’s very humbling, and I’m so thankful,” Chavis said.

It also means the real work has just begun.

“But man, I’ve got a lot of work to do, and so the job and the expectations and the standard, I’ve known it for five years. Just because I’ll be wearing Crimson and Cream doesn’t mean that the standard is any higher or lower. Working for Coach V is very, very demanding, but man, it is so fulfilling. He just makes everybody around him so much better,” Chavis said.

In the meantime, Chavis said he and his family have been settling in nicely to Oklahoma.

“And so the transition has been great. We love Norman. I have a wife of, it’ll be 10 years June 29. We have four kids, six and under, so please pray for us. But man, we’ve been really pleasantly surprised. The only thing I knew about Oklahoma was that they’d won a lot of games and everything Coach V. said about them. So, we came out here just with excitement, ready to get going. But it’s been great so far,” Chavis said.

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‘He has every imaginable option’: Sooners target Bai Jobe can go to any college he wants to

After arriving as an exchange student from Senegal, class of 2023 OU target Bai Jobe now holds endless possibilities in football.

When Bai Jobe first arrived in Oklahoma as an eighth-grade exchange student from Senegal in November of 2018, he had never seen a football game. His dream was to play college basketball.

That’s what brought Jobe to his host family in Norman, Okla. James Jackson of The Oklahoman wrote a great piece ahead of this past high school football season detailing how Jobe came to live with James and Sue Bond and their family here.

Dr. James Bond is an orthopedic surgeon with an affinity for basketball but with plenty of experience working on football sidelines as a sports-injury doctor. It was during one of Bond’s shifts at a September football game between Norman and Mustang in the fall of 2020 where Jobe tagged along and first really entertained the idea of playing football. After Dr. Bond called Community Christian School head football coach Mat McIntosh and asked if it was too late in the season for Jobe to come out for football, the rest as they say is history.

Of course, McIntosh said it wasn’t too late and, after some early frustrations adjusting to the game, Jobe quickly showcased why he was a natural talent on the gridiron. It was in Jobe’s fourth game as a sophomore when he was named The Oklahoman’s staff pick for Player of the Week after registering nine tackles, three tackles for loss, a 40-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 24-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown in CCS’ 27-7 win over Bethel.

The recruiting interest started in earnest in March of 2021 when Pittsburgh was the first to offer Jobe. That’s when the reality began to sink in that major college football might be in his future.

“Going back a year really right at this time is probably when Bai really believed that he was a football player and that his future ultimately was going to be connected to football way more than it was going to be connected to basketball. Just in visiting with him and talking to him that began to really click with him,” McIntosh said.

By the start of this past football season, Jobe already had nine Division I scholarship offers. For McIntosh, it validated everything he and his staff had felt about Jobe’s potential from the first moment they met him.

“We told him as soon as he came out that we really believed he was a Division I football player. Just his natural gifting and talents really lended it to that. We knew he was going to have opportunities,” McIntosh said.

Jobe is still gravitating to the game, but the 6-foot-4, 215 pound EDGE always possessed a unique length and explosiveness. It’s Jobe’s willingness to learn and be coached the game of football that strikes McIntosh the most.

“He’s still very much just learning the game, but every day in practice and then as we went throughout the season in games, you could just see him grasping more and more stuff. Obviously, with us, he’s been nothing but great at trying to learn and develop. And so after we got through this year and coaches could really put on some tape and see him come off the edge, see how explosive he was off the ball, see how his closing speed to run down a play from the backside…as soon as coaches began to see that, we knew the sky was going to be the limit,” McIntosh said.

Now, after a junior season in which Jobe recorded 16.5 sacks, Jobe holds 28 Division I scholarship offers according to 247Sports. Evidenced by his latest bump up in the class of 2023 On3 player rankings to No. 25 nationally, Jobe is one of the fastest risers in his class. In the month of February, Jobe picked up 10 Division I scholarship offers. That list includes the two programs that played for a national championship seven weeks ago in Alabama and Georgia.

“We told him not long ago that at the end of the day in this, he was going to have the opportunity to go really anywhere that he wanted to go. Even this past week with Nick Saban calling on Tuesday to talk to him and then during the phone call Saban himself being the one making the offer to him. I told him when we got off of that phone conversation that what that means is this: He needs to look at schools that he really wants to go to and there’s no school that’s off the table,” McIntosh said.

“Because I even told him on Tuesday that even if Georgia hadn’t offered him yet, that if we called Georgia and said, ‘Hey, Bai wants to come to Georgia. They’re going to open up their arms and say welcome.’ What’s funny is within the hour of me making that statement to him, Georgia had offered him. That’s the thing with him is just seeing the reality that he has every imaginable option that a high school kid can have and he’s fully aware of that at this point for sure.”

During his first season playing as a sophomore, the message from the coaching staff was simple. Go find the ball carrier.

“When he first came out, you know, all along when we were trying to get him to come out to play football, with just his length and explosiveness, he has the potential to be an NFL rush end. We’ve always just thought that. Defensively where we’ve always thought is his high end, you know, when he came out and he didn’t know anything, we just lined him up at that defensive end spot and really gave him this instruction, ‘Hey, find the ball and chase it. Whatever you think.’ Really that last part of his sophomore year when he came out, that’s all he did,” McIntosh said.

Now, Jobe’s role within CCS’ defense continues to expand.

“This past year we gave him more responsibility. Worked more on his technique, worked more on having multiple gap responsibilities on occasion, different blitz assignments that he would have to do and he picked all that up well. Then, as we got through last year, we began to tell him that at our level of football, there’s no one that can block him, but people can hold him if they get their hands on him. Really began to start working with him about fighting with his hands and keeping people’s hands off of him and that’s a thing that we’ve continued to work with him. He did a great job with that,” McIntosh said.

In so many ways, that growth process has still only just begun.

“Going forward next year, we’re going to move him around some more. For our program to have someone his caliber and his natural instincts, we’re going to stand him up a lot more next year at an outside linebacker spot. Give him again some more responsibility and range of stuff to do, and we’re excited because we have no doubt he’ll thrive in that,” McIntosh said.

Jobe has also worked as a wide receiver and kick returner for CCS where he had multiple touchdown returns. As is the case with everything in Jobe’s football world, he’s still so raw and a work in progress in the best of ways. The untapped potential has college programs from coast to coast salivating. It’s in part illustrated by Jobe’s recorded 40-yard dash time.

“You know, a lot of guys who you’ll see be 4.4 kids, they’ve worked on running a 40-yard dash and spent a lot of time trying to do that. Bai’s really spent no time doing that. Now, last summer at A&M, they clocked him in a 4.6 40. And so I would just say this, a 4.6 is probably about as slow of a time as you would get out of him. If he spends some time working on being a sprinter, I have no doubt he’s lower than that,” McIntosh said.

Oklahoma offered Jobe on Dec. 30, 2021, and it’s beginning to look more and more foolish that the previous staff didn’t extend an offer sooner. With the attention surrounding Jobe’s recruitment growing by the day, McIntosh is quick to share the message that he’s passed along to every college coach that would listen.

“One of the things that I tell all of the coaches that I’ve talked to, the truth is Bai is a great young man. His measurables obviously, his length, his height, his explosiveness is why he’s getting all this attention, but, at the end of the day, just his story of where he came from and where he is are way more impressive than his measurables are,” McIntosh said.

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Pair of Sooners recruiting targets see rise in latest On300 2023 rankings

Two in-state Sooner recruiting targets get a bump in the latest set of On300 rankings.

Recruiting doesn’t have an offseason. It’s the life of college coaches and recruiting analysts across the country. As OU continues its push for the 2023 recruiting class, a pair of in-state products are on the rise as Oklahoma closes in.

The recruiting team at On3 has done an excellent job of covering recruiting since bursting onto the scene and the lead recruiting aficionados have formulated their rankings of 2023. The On300 features 300 of the country’s best high school players.

As high school football moves to private camp and 7-on-7 season, On3’s updated their latest recruiting rankings. 

The Oklahoma Sooners have a few targets they are in very hot pursuit of who saw massive rises in the On300.

2023 four-star EDGE Bai Jobe

Jobe is one of the most improved players in the cycle on junior video, making the move from 191 to No. 25. Jobe has greatly improved his initial movement skills, pad level, bend and ability to turn the corner without wasted motion. And Jobe’s offer list has exploded as well with 30 offers, including 10 Power Five programs in February. The list includes Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Texas and Ole Miss. Jobe’s is a must get recruit for the Sooners in the 2023 cycle. – Gerry Hamilton, On3 Recruiting

Bai Jobe is a local product from Norman Community Christian. The Sooners are the perceived leaders but with each passing day, Jobe seems to get better and the spotlight gets brighter, leading to more competition.

The Sooners have done the work and are in a good spot. However, with Jobe teetering on five-star status across the board, the race could get interesting soon. Look for Miguel Chavis, in his first year to try and land the biggest recruiting win of his young career with Jobe.

2023 four-star athlete Jacobe Johnson

Another big mover in the state of Oklahoma is Johnson. The 6-foot-3 two-spot star with mid-major interest in basketball jumps from No. 101 to 38. The junior video was that of a fluid athlete at his size with exceptional hip flexibility, acceleration and ability to make defenders miss in numbers. A must-get recruit for new Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables, the Sooners are fighting to hold off Alabama, Miami and others. – Hamilton, On3 Recruiting

Like Jobe, Jacobe Johnson is an in-state product. Out of Mustang, OK, Johnson is as much of a must-have as anyone on their board and his rising star only further cements that.

He’s a long, rangy athlete who could play on either side of the ball but with his speed, it seems almost a crime not to keep him with the offense. He’ll be a major get and one of the most important offensive recruits for this cycle if Jeff Lebby and his offensive assistants can seal the deal.

Two in-state products are becoming full-fledged national stars right in front of the OU’s coaching staff. Neither recruit is one Oklahoma can afford to let leave the state. Look for the Sooners to apply more pressure to keep both in Oklahoma over the coming months.

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Key Lawrence tweets that OU ‘needs’ Georgia Tech transfer Wesley Walker

Oklahoma defensive back Key Lawrence voiced his support for OU to add Georgia Tech defensive back Wesley Walker out of the transfer portal.

Oklahoma has already bolstered its defensive backfield with three transfer portal additions in the form of Wyoming transfer C.J. Coldon, North Carolina transfer Trey Morrison and Louisville transfer Kani Walker.

If the Sooners coaching staff is listening to one of its star defensive backs, then Oklahoma shouldn’t be done adding out of the transfer portal. Oklahoma defensive back Key Lawrence tweeted his support for OU to pursue Georgia Tech defensive back transfer Wesley Walker.

Walker is a 6-foot-1, 204 pound defensive back out of Ensworth High School in Nashville, Tenn, where he was teammates with Lawrence. If Walker does in fact wind up at Oklahoma, it would add another Tennessee native to a roster that’s already highlighted by plenty of Volunteer State flair.

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Running back Eric Gray is from Memphis, defensive end Reggie Grimes is from Antioch, Tenn., and cornerback Woodi Washington is from Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Over the last two seasons at Georgia Tech, Walker recorded 93 tackles, two tackles for loss, a pair of forced fumbles and six passes defensed in 20 games. In Georgia Tech’s 31-27 win last season at Duke, Walker registered 10 tackles.

Coming out of high school, ESPN ranked Walker as a four-star signee, the nation’s No. 38 cornerback and the 14th highest-rated player out of Tennessee. Rivals and 247Sports both listed Walker as a three-star signee.

According to Rivals, Walker was the country’s No. 58 cornerback and Tennessee’s 18th-best player. 247Sports rated Walker as the nation’s No. 83 cornerback and the No. 30 player out of Tennessee. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Walker was No. 588 nationally, the No. 58 cornerback and the 19th-best player from Tennessee.

Again, Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables has already added depth in the defensive backfield via the transfer portal, but the addition of another proven power-five playmaker and Walker’s relationship with Lawrence could be an attractive option and the perfect fit.

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2023 Alabama defensive back Avery Stuart earns Oklahoma offer

Avery Stuart, out of Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery, Ala., earned an Oklahoma offer recently.

As Oklahoma looks to build its 2023 class heading into the spring and beyond, it’s time to start stacking defensive talent among that group. In its 2023 class, OU has commitments from four-star quarterback Jackson Arnold, four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart, three-star offensive lineman Joshua Bates and athlete Erik McCarty.

Oklahoma extended an offer to class of 2023 four-star defensive back Avery Stuart on Feb. 14. Stuart is from Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery, Ala. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound defensive back holds offers from 18 schools according to 247Sports.

That list includes SEC programs Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. From the ACC, Stuart has earned offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, and North Carolina State. Big Ten schools Michigan State, Nebraska, and Penn State have also offered Stuart. In addition to those schools, Stuart holds offers from Colorado, Eastern Kentucky, Memphis, Toledo, and UCF.

Out of the recruiting services, On3 ranks Stuart the highest. According to On3’s rankings, Stuart is the No. 132 player overall, the No. 15 cornerback, and the 13th-best prospect from the state of Alabama in the 2023 class. Rivals rates Stuart as the No. 178 player nationally, the No. 27 cornerback, and the No. 18 player from Alabama.

247Sports lists Stuart as a three-star safety. According to 247Sports, Stuart is the No. 29 safety in the 2023 class and the 19th-best player from Alabama. In the On3 consensus rankings, Stuart checks in as the No. 175 player nationally, the No. 20 corner, and the No. 15 player from Alabama. In the 247Sports composite rankings, Stuart is the No. 252 player overall, the No. 25 safety, and the 17th highest-rated recruit from Alabama.

With that type of size and the way that Stuart runs, it’s easy to see him playing at Oklahoma for coach Jay Valai at corner or coach Brandon Hall at safety. Stuart has played a lot of wide receiver in high school, too.

Avery Stuart’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN N/A N/A N/A N/A
Rivals 4 178 18 27
247Sports 3 N/A 19 29
247 Composite 4 252 17 25
On3 Recruiting 4 132 13 15
On3 Composite 4 175 15 20

Vitals

Hometown Montgomery, Ala.
Projected Position DB
Height 6-2
Weight 185

Recruitment

  • Offered on Feb. 14

Film

Here’s some of Stuart’s Hudl tape.

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Oklahoma lands second On3 prediction for 2023 five-star defensive lineman David Hicks

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons issues prediction for the Oklahoma Sooners to land 2023 five-star defensive lineman David Hicks.

Brent Venables’ hiring of Todd Bates has already yielded positive results for the Oklahoma Sooners. Bates has been an excellent interior defensive line recruiter and coach for years. He’s a draw for prospective defensive tackles. The Clemson Tigers regularly landed recruiting victories for top defensive line targets with Venables and Bates leading the charge.

His efforts, along with defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis, helped the Sooners land seven defensive linemen in their 2022 recruiting class and the transfer portal, and they should reap huge rewards for the 2023 recruiting class.

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons issued a prediction for five-star defensive lineman David Hicks for the Oklahoma Sooners. This is the second prediction that On3 Recruiting has issued in the Sooners’ favor. Back on Jan. 21, Gerry Hamilton predicted Hicks to land with the Oklahoma Sooners.

With a year until 2023’s national signing day and Texas A&M also in the mix, it seems significant that the Sooners are out in front on this recruitment. In August, Steve Wiltfong last issued a 247Sports crystal ball projection that had Texas A&M out in front of the battle for David Hicks. It appears that the tide is turning in favor of the Sooners and relationships with the coaching staff might be the difference.

Here’s what On3’s Jeremy Crabtree had to say about Hicks’ recruitment:

Hicks talks a lot about how relationships and family will be important to him in his decision-making process. That’s why Oklahoma and Texas A&M have gotten out to the early lead in this recruiting battle. David Hicks was on campus at both schools in late January, and the Sooners have done an outstanding job building a bond with him. That bond is really strong with co-defensive coordinator/defensive tackles coach Todd Bates. He was recruiting Hicks heavily when he was at Clemson. – Crabtree, On3

According to a story from Chad Simmons (On3+), Hicks doesn’t plan to decide until January when he plays in the Under Armor All-American game. He plans to take several recruiting visits out west and in Big Ten country. They mentioned visiting USC, setting up a potential battle between the Sooners and former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.

Simmons spoke with Hicks’ father, David Hicks Sr., who indicated the Sooners have a strong relationship with the five-star defensive lineman. He told Simmons, “That coaching staff is out of this world. They are really good people, very positive, and Venables is bringing the same principles from Clemson to Oklahoma. The new staff at Oklahoma helped them tremendously. The relationships are strong.”

Bates, Venables, Chavis, and even Jay Valai from his time at Alabama, have strong relationships with David Hicks Jr. that could serve the Sooners well over the next 11 months as the recruiting battle for the talented junior will heat up.

Early in the recruiting cycle, anything can happen and the Oklahoma Sooners will be up against the top schools in the nation for the top five 2023 prospect. However, the Sooners look to be in a solid position to bolster their defensive line with a consensus top-10 talent in the 2023 class.

David Hick’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 5 10 2 2
Rivals 5 2 1 1
247Sports 5 6 1 1
247 Composite 5 4 1 1
On3 Recruiting 5 7 1 2
On3 Composite 5 4 1 1

Vitals

Hometown Allen, TX
Projected Position DL
Height 6-4
Weight 250 lbs

Recruitment

  • Offered on Jan. 18, 2021
  • Unofficial visit Jan. 22, 2022

Notable Offers

  • Oklahoma
  • Texas A&M
  • Alabama
  • Clemson
  • LSU
  • Texas
  • Oregon

Film

Highlights available via Hudl

Twitter

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Positional breakdown of additions made by the Oklahoma Sooners in 2022

A positional breakdown of the players the Oklahoma Sooners added through the transfer portal and the 2022 recruiting class.

The Oklahoma Sooners suffered losses to the NFL draft and the transfer portal. The talent that walked out the door is difficult to replace. However, holes in the lineup mean new opportunities for younger players to step up and the depth chart to do its job.

Brent Venables and his staff did a tremendous job addressing needs through the transfer portal, and they attacked the 2022 recruiting cycle looking to the future of the program.

Through it all, they’ve added some nice pieces that can contribute right away and a bright future that might be able to make an impact in year one with the Sooners.

Here’s a positional breakdown of each player the Oklahoma Sooners added this offseason.

Miguel Chavis among On3’s top-10 recruiters for 2022 class

Oklahoma closed with a flurry on national signing day. Miguel Chavis, OU’s new defensive ends coach, was a big part of that.

After inking five on national signing day, Oklahoma is squarely inside the top 10 team recruiting rankings. In fact, OU’s 2022 signing class is ranked No. 8 nationally in each of the team rankings provided by 247Sports, Rivals and On3.

New defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis helped the Sooners surge by adding three national signing day flips. On3’s Jeremy Crabtree listed Chavis as one of his top 10 recruiters for the 2022 class.

Many were writing off Oklahoma’s 2022 class as doomed after Lincoln Riley took off for USC. But thanks to Miguel Chavis’ efforts, the Sooners were one of the big winners on Signing Day.

On Signing Day, OU and Chavis landed a flurry that included four-star defensive linemen Gracen Halton and R Mason Thomas and four-star EDGE Kevonte Henry.

What was even more impressive about the signings is that all three were committed to other schools, and Chavis had to convince them that Norman was the better place.

Those wins — along with adding players at positions of need — cement his spot on this rundown of the top recruiters. – Jeremy Crabtree, On3.

Halton had been committed to Oregon, Thomas to Iowa State and Henry to Michigan. According to On3’s consensus rankings, Halton is the nation’s No. 253 player nationally and the No. 29 defensive lineman. On3 rates Thomas as the country’s No. 140 player overall and the No. 17 EDGE, while Henry is listed by On3 as the No. 176 player nationally and the No. 19 EDGE.

“Jay and Miguel both, boy, they’re both so unique. Tons of energy. Lots of life. They’re wise beyond their years. They bring so much to the table when it comes from relationships to football acumen, just really advanced when it comes to the ability to teach and also to be able to articulate football 101, to be able to more than hold their own in the staff room. And then, their ability to connect with players is really, really special,” Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables said on national signing day of Chavis and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai.

Chavis spent five years with Venables at Clemson. During that time, it became clear to Venables that Chavis was prepared to step into a role like this at Oklahoma.

“We hit it off immediately. He’s a former player and I sat in the staff room with him every day. He coached a camp with us. He had some opportunities to coach because of COVID and some things like that as well over the last few years. Just you know when you know. You know it when you see it and you know it when you don’t,” Venables said.

The Sooners are already reaping the national signing day rewards of giving Chavis his first full-time on-field assistant coaching role.

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Brent Venables secured ‘first-rounders’ in Miguel Chavis, Jay Valai

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables detailed why he targeted defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai.

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On a day designed to address the Sooners’ 2022 signing class, Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables broached that subject and many more in a make-up Zoom availability with the local media that spanned just north of an hour and a half.

One of the topics was two of the additions to his inaugural staff, defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis and cornerbacks and nickelbacks coach Jay Valai.

Chavis was announced as an addition to the staff on Dec. 17 after spending five years at Clemson with Venables where he served in a defensive player development role.

OU fans had to wait until after the national championship game went final to pry Valai away from Alabama. Valai’s hiring was officially announced on Jan. 11.

“Jay and Miguel both, boy, they’re both so unique. Tons of energy. Lots of life. They’re wise beyond their years. They bring so much to the table when it comes from relationships to football acumen. Just really advanced when it comes to the ability to teach and also to be able to articulate football 101, to be able to more than hold their own in the staff room. And then, their ability to connect with players is really, really special,” Venables said about the pair.

He mentioned how Chavis and Valai were two of his first targets and that each jumped at the opportunity to join Oklahoma’s staff.

“We hit the home run with those guys. They’re just scratching the surface on their young careers, but, man, I didn’t flinch. Like, those were my first rounders and we were able to get them right away. Both of them, the very first conversation when I reached out to them, both having great opportunities where they were at, neither one of them flinched. They were like, ‘Yeah, when do you need me to be there?’ So, for me, that was really cool. Even in the short amount of time that they’ve been here, it’s just been validated over and over,” Venables said.

As Oklahoma and college football fans think about the hiring of Chavis, it’s important to look back into Venables’ past alongside former Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder.

When asked how long he’s thought about putting a staff together, Venables touched on something he took away from his time with the Wildcats.

“One of the best things that Bill Snyder did was he coached coaches, so, man, I was always taking notes of that. I’ve had opportunity even as a coordinator to coach coaches, too. You coach your players, but you also coach your staff that you’re empowered to lead. So, I’ve been leading and coaching coaches and, in my mind, developing coaches in my role for a very, very long time,” Venables said.

This dynamic of developing coaches helps explain why Venables was comfortable hiring someone in Chavis who is yet to officially serve in an on-field coaching capacity.

“We hit it off immediately. He’s a former player and I sat in the staff room with him every day. He coached a camp with us. He had some opportunities to coach because of COVID and some things like that as well over the last few years. Just you know when you know. You know it when you see it and you know it when you don’t,” Venables said of Chavis.

Venables met Valai back when Valai was still a player on the recruiting trail. To hear Venables describe it, there was something about Valai’s character traits that immediately caught Venables’ attention.

“Man, I was just instantly, magnetically attracted to this guy as far as who he was as a person, his energy, his values, his football acumen, his simplicity, his humility. All those things, I was very attracted to and I knew he was a great recruiter and things of that nature, too, but so much more,” Venables said of Valai.

Again, Venables had both Chavis and Valai in mind as potential hires if and when the opportunity presented itself.

“Here in the last five, six, seven years, I knew that those were two guys that, man, those were definitely guys I was going to try to hire that would make me better. You’ve got to have, you’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. I was fortunate,” Venables said.

It’s also not lost on Venables the commitment required from the administrative leadership at Oklahoma to make the coaching staff hires possible.

“Finding the right people has been a critical, critical thing and then also having the support from Joe and Zac and Larry to be able to hire the right people, too. We’ve had to navigate that. I didn’t take any of that for granted either. They’re all at great places and come with a price tag. Create a vision and opportunity for them to make it all fit together organically, so that’s been a lot of fun for me, but one again I’ve been preparing for for a long time,” Venables said.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

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