Tag: Nigel Smith

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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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

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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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

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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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

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.

Oklahoma receives pair of crystal ball predictions for 2024 4-star DL Nigel Smith

The Oklahoma Sooners starting to gain some 2024 recruiting momentum earning crystal ball predictions for 4-star DL Nigel Smith. From @john9williams

Oklahoma’s been firing on all cylinders on the recruiting trail since Brent Venables’ arrival. After landing in Norman last December, the Sooners 2022 recruiting class landed inside the top 10 after he and his staff were able to pull that class together by signing day. The 2023 class has the potential to finish inside the top five as they head down the stretch.

After their win over Oklahoma State, when they hosted a number of players across the next few recruiting cycles, the Sooners continue to build positive recruiting momentum.

After receiving commitments and projections for players in the 2023 class from Bedlam weekend, the Sooners are moving in the right direction for 2024 as well.

One player that seems to be trending in Oklahoma’s direction is 2024 four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith. The Sooners received crystal ball predictions from OUInsiders’ Parker Thune and Brandon Drumm in the last few days.

Nigel Smith, from Melissa, Texas, is one of the top players in the Lone Star State, ranking inside the top 10 with ESPN, Rivals, the On3 Consensus, and the 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s the No. 6 defensive lineman in the 247Sports Composite for 2024.

Smith has had a fantastic 2021 season for Melissa, racking up 66 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 10 sacks. Melissa’s 10-2 on the season and in the midst of a playoff run in the Texas 5A division 2 state championships. They’ve got a regional matchup with Terrell on top for this week and, with a win, would move on to face the winner of Midlothian and South Oak Cliff in the other regional on their side of the bracket.

Nigel Smith’s size jumps off the screen. He plays big and moves well for a player of his stature. He does a good job shedding blocks and getting into the backfield. He’s a versatile defensive lineman who can play as a defensive end in a three-man front or as a three-technique defensive tackle in a four-man front. Smith displays strong hand usage, which he uses to quickly defeat blocks both on the edge or along the interior. He’s a physical player looking to punish the ball carrier.

Smith is among a group of defensive linemen the Sooners have targeted in the top 10 at the position for 2024, along with David Stone T.A. Cunningham, Williams Nwaneri, and Kamarion Franklin.

Nigel Smith’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • No Rivals Futurecasts predicted at this time.
  • On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Ohio State Buckeyes as the favorite for Smith.
  • Oklahoma has received a pair of crystal ball predictions for Nigel Smith since Saturday.

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OU, Bedlam to play host to big names with a number of prospects descending on Norman

Oklahoma takes on in-state rival Oklahoma State for Bedlam and will be doing so with a massive group of recruits in attendance. From @thatmanbryant

There’s a fairly significant amount of importance surrounding Bedlam this year. The amount of games left between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State has been reduced significantly with Oklahoma’s impending move to the SEC on the horizon.

We may have 2023 and 2024, but the rivalry will cease as we know it in the next few years. Every game has always mattered but these last few, like the one on Saturday night, will mean a lot more.

Additionally, Oklahoma is fighting for bowl eligibility. They need one more win to participate in 2022’s bowl season.

Lastly and arguably most importantly, Oklahoma has its biggest recruiting weekend of the football season with Oklahoma State coming to town. We’ll revisit 2022 Bedlam several years from now and look back and remember it as a pivotal moment in Oklahoma’s last five to ten years.

There are some big-time names across multiple recruiting classes that will be in attendance for Oklahoma including five-star DT and Texas A&M commit David Hicks and recently dubbed 2024 five-star DT David Stone. More than 20 recruits have already committed to being in Norman, some via social media and others per OUInsider.com.

2024 top-5 DL Nigel Smith III talks about Alabama

Top 5 DL in the 2024 class speaks on expectations from Alabama

Nigel Smith III, a top 50 player in the 2024 class, is in the midst of his recruiting trail and is taking college visits throughout the course of this summer. He’s in the middle of a tour that features Rutgers, Pittsburgh, and Ohio State.

Smith comes out of Melissa High School in Texas and is the No. 4 defensive lineman and the No. 41 prospect overall in his class. He is highly sought after with the likes of Alabama and Texas taking notice.

His tour of the northeast began with Rutgers and was very complimentary of the Scarlet Knights program and had an outstanding visit as he expressed with Kristian Dyer of Rutgerswire.

Dyer also asked Smith where things stand with Alabama and Smith said, “Obviously I had a call with [head] coach [Nick] Saban; he offered me a while back. He sent the [defensive coordinator] to come check out my high school, check me out to see how I am in person. I got to be with him, had a couple of talks about what I like, what I don’t like and what that visit will be like when I go there. We’ll see, it will be my first time checking out Alabama.”

When Smith was asked what he expected from the Tide, he responded candidly saying, “Really I just expect to see them be real, be genuine. Don’t B.S. – keep it real. I don’t want a whole bunch of extra stuff. I just want to find out about that program to see if I fit. I mean, Bama is Bama. They are a really good program, a big defensive program. Definitely going to enjoy myself down there.”

The Tide may not be taking immediate action on the star defensive lineman, but he is on their radar and they’ll certainly be in the running if they continue to pursue him.

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