Tag: Nigel Smith

4-star DE Nigel Smith names top schools

Four-star defensive end Nigel Smith II is considering a few different top schools right now

Four-star class of 2024 defensive end recruit Nigel Smith II has named his top schools. Smith II plays high school football for Melissa High School in Melissa, Texas.

The four-star pass rusher’s top eight schools are Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio State, Rutgers, Penn State, Arkansas, and Texas A&M.

The 6-foot-5, 260-pound defensive end is currently projected to commit to the Oklahoma Sooners, per 247Sports. The Melissa standout has recently visited Oklahoma, Penn State, and Texas A&M.

Nigel Smith II is ranked as the No. 73 recruit in the junior class. He’s rated as the No. 10 defensive linemen and the No. 14 player in Texas. The talented defensive end also plays basketball.

Smith II is a powerful pass rusher. He is stout against the run and has an excellent bull rush. Smith II frequently overwhelms opposing offensive linemen with his strength.

The four-star has some impressive junior season highlights via Hudl:

Smith II would fit in as a 3-4 defensive end in Georgia’s defensive scheme. His run stopping ability could help him see the field early in college.

Nigel Smith II announced his stop schools via social media:

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Oklahoma lands in top 5 for 2024 DL Jayden Jackson

Oklahoma makes the top 5 for IMG Academy’s Jayden Jackson, alongside Florida, Miami, Texas, and Ohio State.

Oklahoma’s pursuit of defensive linemen in the 2024 class has been extremely admirable. It has been impressive to see the lengths this defensive staff has gone to ensure it upgrades the talent base across the defensive line as the Sooners head into the SEC in 2024.

Oklahoma leads or is in a prime position to land at least four top-100 defensive linemen: [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag] and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag]. If they land commitments from each of those blue-chip defensive linemen, it would be an unprecedented recruiting coup for Oklahoma, given its defensive reputation spanning the last decade.

Oklahoma’s net has been cast much broader than just those four, however. One of the other names in the mix is three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag].

Jackson, a student-athlete at IMG Academy, dropped his top five schools, which included the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma made the cut along with Ohio State, Miami, Florida and Texas. The two Florida schools have the home-state advantage, but Ohio State is pushing for Jackson.

Jackson played in a defensive line rotation with priority target David Stone for IMG, and Stone is recruiting Jackson to play alongside him in college as well.

Oklahoma is already looking at an historic class along the defensive line if the dominoes fall the way they intend. The possibility of taking five or six defensive linemen is very real and would allow Jackson to join the fold as well.

It remains to be seen how this shakes out, but the fact Oklahoma has made the top five for talented interior defender Jayden Jackson means the Sooners have a real shot.

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Oklahoma Sooners make top 12 for 2024 DL Jayden Jackson

The Oklahoma Sooners were included in the top 12 for 2024 three-star defensive tackle Jayden Jackson.

Oklahoma is leaving no stone unturned in its pursuit of talent in the 2024 recruiting cycle. At the end of March, the Sooners offered a three-star defensive lineman from the IMG Academy, [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. The Sooners were included in Jackson’s top 12 released Monday morning.

His top 12 included Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame, Miami, Auburn, Florida, Texas A&M, Ohio State, Tennessee, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wisconsin.

Jackson is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle that is the definition of a people mover. He is quick off the line of scrimmage and displays really good play strength. Jackson can dart through the line to get into the backfield or utilize his strength to defeat double teams at the point of attack.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been heavily invested in stockpiling talent along their defensive line. In 2022, they brought in blue-chip talents like [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] and [autotag]Derrick LeBlanc[/autotag]. They also added intriguing three-star prospects [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag], and [autotag]Markus Strong[/autotag].

As they continue their pursuit of blue-chip defensive linemen [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], the Sooners are also looking to add Jackson, who holds offers from the top recruiting schools in the country. Jackson played with Stone in 2022 at IMG Academy, and it looks like the two wouldn’t mind playing together at the college level.

Jayden Jackson’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Hudl

PHOTOS: Texas A&M Football welcomes Class of 2024 and 2025 recruits over the weekend

It was a big weekend for Aggies football as they welcomed a number of recruits from the 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes to College Station.

It may have been April Fool’s weekend for most of us, but it was no joke for Texas A&M as the Maroon and White were hard at work hosting a number of talented football recruits at College Station over the last few days.

A number of players from the Class of 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes descended upon Aggieland over the weekend with the hopes of getting a feel for the football program after already receiving offers from A&M. For a handful of players it marked a return visit, while others were able to don the Maroon and White for the first time as a potential preview.

From the looks of it, they all enjoyed their time at Aggieland as the players took to social media to share their experiences. Check out the photos below, and here’s to hoping we see some of them don the Maroon and White permanently in the future!

Three priority 2024 recruits are visiting Texas A&M this weekend

This weekend, Texas A&M is hosting three priority recruits in the 2024 cycle, including 5-star EDGE Colin Simmons

No, this is not an April Fool’s joke, because joking about recruiting on any day is just plain wrong! Texas A&M is nearing the end of its second full week of spring football this weekend, and while most of the 2023 roster continues to prepare for the Maroon and White spring game on April 15th, head coach Jimbo Fisher is also hosting three of the program’s priority recruits in the 2024 class.

As one of the most sought-after players in the class, five-star EDGE Colin Simmons, whose Aprils 1st visit has been known for quite some time now made his visit to College Station known to the public this afternoon, soaking in everything A&M has to offer in what is hopefully a very productive visit during his recruiting battle.

Next up, four-star linebacker and current LSU commit Xavier Atkins is still taking visits, including one to College Station to check out A&M’s Saturday scrimmage, marking this third campus visit, and a good sign that the Aggies are still in play for a potential commitment flip if the all the star align.

Last but not least, the four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith, who remains uncommitted but is a favorite land with Oklahoma in accordance with 247Sports’ Crystal ball, Texas A&M offered the talented defender back in May of last year, where he returned in June and July for multiple campus visits, making this his third A&M visit overall. The Aggies remain one of Smith’s top remaining programs, and I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one more visit takes place this summer.

Even though Simmons, Atkins, and Smith aren’t the only recruits visiting this weekend, landing either one of these three rising stars would be a huge step towards building for the future at key positions. As always, Gig ‘Em, and BTHO the off-season.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes, and opinions. Follow Cameron on Twitter: @CameronOhnysty

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Updated look at each crystal ball issued for the Sooners in the 2024 cycle

The Sooners are picking up some serious momentum for the 2024 cycle, but which players have they received crystal ball predictions for?

The Oklahoma Sooners finally broke the ice on their 2024 recruiting class over the weekend with a commitment from four-star cornerback Jeremiah Newcombe.

Newcombe’s commitment came in the wake of a number of crystal ball predictions being issued after visits to Norman.

The Oklahoma Sooners are on commitment watch with several targets in the cycle. Aaron Flowers and Michael Hawkins plan to announce their decisions on April 7 and 8, respectively. But with the number of predictions favoring the Sooners, we’re at the time of the cycle where decisions could come at any time.

As we near the end of March, here’s a look at each of the 2024 prospects to receive a crystal ball from 247Sports recruiting analysts and an updated look at where their recruitment stand.

Latest 247Sports rankings highlights prospects Oklahoma is pushing for

A number of 2024 targets of the Oklahoma Sooners were featured in the latest Top247 update from 247Sports.

For the first time since the end of November, 247Sports updated its 2024 rankings ahead of a busy spring and summer for the next crop of prospects.

Oklahoma is looking to assemble another top-five recruiting class to follow up on their 2023 one that finished as a fourth-ranked class in the 247Sports composite. In looking at these new 247Sports Top247 rankings, there are quite a few targets of the Sooners featured throughout the top 247 prospects in the country.

Among the 32 prospects 247Sports has given five-star rankings, names like [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag], [autotag]Sammy Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Kobe Black[/autotag], and [autotag]Eddrick Houston[/autotag] have visited or have been linked to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Nwaneri and Stone are priority prospects for Oklahoma, and if the Sooners landed just one, let alone both, you could already pencil them in as the jewels of the class. Nwaneri is third best prospect in the Top247, while Stone comes in at No. 7 in the update. Bryant Wesco, Oklahoma’s top wide receiver target, moved up to No. 9.

Black and Houston have visited Oklahoma since the start of 2023 and came out of the visits with good things to say about the Sooners’ coaching staff. Sammy Brown, an elite linebacker from the state of Georgia, has Oklahoma on his radar for a visit. He’ll likely be in Norman in April. A good impression there could give Oklahoma their window to sneak in and grab an official visit from Bown.

Plenty of Sooner targets showed up elsewhere in the rankings. Wide receiver [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] slotted in at No. 89, and offensive tackle [autotag]Bennett Warren[/autotag] is ranked No. 82. Safety prospect [autotag]Aaron Flowers[/autotag] is at No. 109, while DL [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] is right behind him at 110. Oklahoma leads in the race for Flowers and Smith.

One shocking drop is Sooners’ priority quarterback prospect Michael Hawkins is no longer rated a four-star by 247Sports. He’s now a three-star and sits as the No. 26 QB in the nation. Hawkins transferred to Frisco Emerson high school in December but has been showing out in the 7-on-7 circuit this spring.

Two prospects that Oklahoma currently leads for, RB [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and LB [autotag]Payton Pierce[/autotag], remain the No. 160 and 164 prospects, respectively.

This spring and summer will allow these prospects to improve their rankings by participating in camps, 7 v 7 tournaments, and other recruiting events. For Oklahoma, the race to earn commitments from these talented young players is a long one. Where they are now in these rankings doesn’t reflect where they will end up when their high school careers conclude in December.

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Sooners pick up another prediction for 2024 5-Star DL Williams Nwaneri

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up their second prediction for 2024 five-star DL Williams Nwaneri since his visit to Norman.

Oklahoma’s most recent recruiting weekend has proven to be a fruitful one for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

In the wake of hosting a number of players in the 2024 class, the Sooners have picked up recruiting predictions for several players, including a crystal ball from OUInsider and 247Sports’ Parker Thune for Williams Nwaneri.

Well, it appears Oklahoma is indeed heading in the right direction for the five-star defensive lineman and top-10 overall prospect. The Sooners received a Rivals FutureCast from VolsReport and Rivals’ Shayne Pickering.

Tennessee is one of the teams that’s been in serious consideration for Nwaneri, along with Oklahoma, Oregon, Colorado, and Missouri.

Nwaneri is a top 10 player in the 247Sports composite ranking and is considered the No. 1 defensive lineman in the class at this point in the cycle.

From our profile here at Sooners Wire:

Nwaneri is a mismatch as an interior rusher. His quickness, agility, and speed make him incredibly difficult to block. On the rare occasion when the offensive line does stymie his initial rush, he continues to work to the ball to make the play. – Williams, Sooners Wire

The Oklahoma Sooners are in a strong position with nine months to go until the early signing period for Nwaneri as well as other top defensive linemen in the 2024 cycle, like [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], and [autotag]Xadavien Sims[/autotag].

Todd Bates, Miguel Chavis, and Brent Venables have a shot to bring in the best defensive line class in the 2024 cycle if they can finish strong.

After bringing in Adepoju Adebawore and Derrick LeBlanc, the Sooners have brought in the star power in their recent class to lay the foundation for the future upfront.

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New recruiting projection for four-star Nigel Smith lands in Oklahoma’s favor

Oklahoma looks like the favorite to land four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith as another recruiting projection points to OU.

Oklahoma has yet to pop a commitment for the 2024 class, but names are starting to pick up steam, and that steam has led to some projections on where some of the 2024 class may end up when all is said and done.

Oklahoma starts their week with a projection in their favor for them to land four-star defensive line prospect Nigel Smith.

Oklahoma’s been relentlessly pursuing Nigel Smith since the Venables era began. The Sooners offered Smith on January 27th, 2022. Since then, Oklahoma has had Smith and his family on campus six times. The most recent, January 28th of this year. The Sooners’ relationship and persistence have paid off as Texas Insider Geoff Ketchum logged a Rivals FutureCast in Oklahoma’s favor.

Oklahoma has a pair of 247 Crystal Ball predictions for Nigel Smith. With all three projections, it seems a safe bet to acknowledge that Oklahoma is leading the race for the top 75 defensive linemen from Melissa, Texas. Aside from Oklahoma, Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, Texas, and other major programs are in pursuit.

A commitment from Smith would solidify a new shift for Oklahoma in terms of recruiting prowess and speak volumes about the capacity of the defensive coaching staff to routinely reel in back to classes with a top 75 defensive lineman. That feat seemed impossible consistently under the previous regime and reflected in the defensive results.

Smith would be a massive defensive pillar for the Sooners 2024 class and would not take them out of the running for the heavyweight five-stars in David Stone and Williams Nwaneri. With the connection player and coaching staff have with one another, it seems a foregone conclusion that Oklahoma will eventually get an official visit from Smith as well. If he hasn’t already committed by then, that could seal the deal for the Sooners whenever that day comes.

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Recruits react to weekend spent in Norman with the Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma hosted an important recruiting weekend for the 2024 class, and here’s how they reacted on social media.

A rough first season on the gridiron for Brent Venables, and his staff didn’t slow them down one bit on the recruiting trail for 2023. And it’s unlikely to hinder anything they do in the 2024 cycle as well.

A month removed from a strong performance in the Cheez-It Bowl, the Oklahoma coaching and recruiting staff have been grinding in preparation for this past weekend’s “Junior Day” on campus at the University of Oklahoma.

The Sooners hosted a number of top prospects in the 2024 recruiting class, including four-star quarterback [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag], four-star running back [autotag]Jeremy Payne[/autotag], four-star OL [autotag]Casey Poe[/autotag], and four-star safety [autotag]Aaron Flowers[/autotag]. Each has been trending in the Oklahoma Sooners’ favor.

Venables and his staff also hosted four-star in-state product [autotag]Xadavien Sims[/autotag], a defensive lineman out of Durant, Oklahoma. Michigan State is heavily pursuing Sims in addition to David Stone, who will be coming to Norman in a couple of months. These will be two crucial recruiting battles for the Sooners, especially after losing Norman’s Bai Jobe to the Spartans.

The Sooners’ staff has shown that they can recruit in the little more than a year they’ve spent in Norman. This weekend was a big opportunity to make some headway in some notable recruitments.

Here’s how a number of those prospects reacted to their time in Norman.