Tag: Oklahoma Sooners recruiting

Rising star Taylor Wein signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

2023 three-star edge Taylor Wein signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

Flying under the radar until a huge senior season, [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag] went underrecruited until November of this year. Wein’s first Power Five offers came on Nov. 9 from Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, and USC. He picked up five more Power Five offers before committing to the Sooners on Nov. 21.

A three-star prospect, Wein is the No. 56 EDGE in the country and the No. 22 player in Tennessee. However, given another year, he likely would have seen his profile gain more momentum on the recruiting trail.

Here’s what I had to say about Wein after Oklahoma received their first crystal ball prediction for the 2023 defensive end.

The first thing that jumps off the page about Wein is his first step. He’s quick off the snap, often allowing him to beat his blocker before they even come out of their stance. He displays good hand usage at the point of attack to defeat blockers. Wein shows off a strong set of pass rush moves, deploying a diverse set to keep blockers off balance. He can win inside and outside when rushing the passer. As a run defender, it’s clear his length causes problems for offensive linemen. Despite his height, he shows a strong ability to play with leverage and does a great job at setting the edge and playing with discipline in the run game. Taylor Wein’s a playmaker too. He’s adept at ripping the ball out of the ball carrier’s hands. -Williams, Sooners Wire

At 6-foot-5, Wein is a terror off the EDGE. He’s got the length to cause offensive tackles fits and plays with good leverage at the point of attack. He projects as a strong-side defensive end and will be a force in Brent Venables’ defense.

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4-Star DL Derrick LeBlanc signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Putting pen to paper, four-star defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

Another big pass rusher has officially signed with the Oklahoma Sooners. This time, another young man from the state of Florida put pen to paper. Four-star defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc from Kissimmee is joining the Sooners in 2023. LeBlanc has been committed to Oklahoma since late July.

He’ll need to add a bit of weight to his 6-foot-4, 270-pound frame, but he’s got the get-off to be an explosive interior defensive lineman for Brent Venables’ defense.

According to MaxPreps, LeBlanc had 11 sacks in 11 games during his senior season at Osceola High School. He had 28 sacks in 42 games in his high school career.

This is a big win for the Oklahoma Sooners. Todd Bates had some stiff competition during LeBlanc’s recruitment. He had offers from Florida, Penn State, and Alabama.

LeBlanc’s signing echoes a theme that is present throughout this recruiting class for the Sooners. OU went into SEC territory and went head-to-head for blue chip prospects. The entered recruiting battles with the big boys in the SEC and won their fair share.

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. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

4-safety Daeh McCullough signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Making his recent commitment official, four-star safety Daeh McCullough signed with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

After the season ended, the Sooners turned their attention to the transfer portal and the recruiting trail. In the McCullough brothers, the Sooners found two highly-regarded players. Dasan from the Indiana Hoosiers via the transfer portal and younger brother Daeh as a flip from the Cincinnati Bearcats.

With Luke Fickell taking the Wisconsin job, the door opened for the Sooners to add the athletic Daeh, a four-star safety in the 2023 cycle to their recruiting class.

Daeh McCullough committed to the Sooners just over a week ago and will be a force in the Sooners’ secondary of the future. McCullough is the No. 4 player in the state of Indiana and the No. 37 safety in the class. He held offers from across the country, including Cincinnati, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Penn State, and Oklahoma State.

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, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Linebacker Phil Picciotti signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Officially joining Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class, Phil Picciotti signs with the Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

The Sooners are adding to their linebacker corp in a big way in the 2023 class, and one of those additions is three-star linebacker Phil Picciotti who signed with Oklahoma during the early signing period.

Picciotti is the No. 46 linebacker in the country. Out of Perkaskie, Penn., he transferred to Bradenton, Fla. to play with IMG Academy for his senior year.

As a junior, Picciotti recorded 141 tackles. A pure off-ball linebacker, he does a great job getting off blocks and working through the mess in the run game to make plays on the ball carrier.

Picciotti joins a young linebacker crew that features Danny Stutsman, 2022 signees Jaren Kanak, Kobie McKinzie, and Kip Lewis, and fellow 2023 signees Samuel Omosigho and Lewis Carter.

The 2023 signee will likely line up in a traditional MIKE or WILL linebacker role for the Sooners. Oklahoma earned Picciotti’s signature over Auburn, Michigan, Nebraska, Miami, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, and Wisconsin.

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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. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Kade McIntyre signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Kade McIntyre, out of Fremont, Nebraska, signs with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

Next to submit his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners is [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag] out of Fremont, Neb. McIntyre, the No. 43 athlete in the nation, is projected to play tight end for the Oklahoma Sooners.

At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he has the natural size for the position and was incredible on the offensive side of the ball for the Knights. He recorded 11 rushing touchdowns and five touchdown receptions. He even threw a touchdown pass in 2022.

McIntyre was second on the team in rushing with 540 yards, averaging 7.5 yards per carry while leading the team in receiving yards with 413. He averaged 106.5 total yards per game.

He comes to Oklahoma as the only projected tight end in the 2023 recruiting class. Arriving in Norman, he’ll be behind [autotag]Austin Stogner[/autotag] and 2022 signees [autotag]Kaden Helms[/autotag] and [autotag]Jason Llewellyn[/autotag] on the depth chart. However, McIntyre’s dual-purpose ability could help him find opportunities on special teams or in Brayden Willis’ wildcat package if it reappears in 2023.

McIntyre is the No. 4 player in the state of Nebraska and has been committed to the Oklahoma Sooners since mid-June after his official visit on June 8. The Sooners earned McIntyre’s signature over Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas State, Minnesota, North Dakota State, Tennessee, and Wyoming.

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, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Ashton Sanders signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

During the early signing period, defensive tackle Ashton Sanders signed his national letter of intent for the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

After being committed to Cal and being courted heavily by Wisconsin, it’s the Oklahoma Sooners who landed three-star defensive lineman [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag].

Though Oklahoma didn’t offer him a scholarship until late in the cycle, they worked quick to secure the commitment of the uber-athletic Sanders.

Sanders experienced a breakout season of sorts for Cathedral, racking up 12 sacks, 6.7 tackles per game, and 60 quarterback hurries. He lived in opposing teams’ backfields due to his quick get-off and strength.

At 300 pounds, Sanders’ best spot will likely be the nose tackle or one-technique spot for Brent Venables. He does have the athleticism to play defensive end in three-man fronts. That versatility will be invaluable for the Sooners, who want to use multiple defensive fronts to keep offenses off balance.

 

Like fellow signees [autotag]Taylor Wein[/autotag], [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], and [autotag]Kade McIntyre[/autotag], Sanders has the tools to outperform his recruiting rating.

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, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Four-star prospect Jacobe Johnson signs with the Oklahoma Sooners

Mustang product Jacobe Johnson signs his national letter of intent with the Oklahoma Sooners.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

The No. 2 player from the state of Oklahoma won’t have to move very far from home. [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] is officially an Oklahoma Sooner after signing his national letter of intent.

The former Mustang Bronco is listed as an athlete but is expected to play corner for the Oklahoma Sooners. At 6-foot-3, Johnson will be a big body that can make plays on the football. His experience as a receiver has given him quite a nose for the ball.

The Sooners beat out Alabama, Michigan, Stanford, and Arkansas for Johnson’s signing. Johnson went on visits to all of those schools except for Arkansas.

Unlike many of his fellow OU signees, Johnson did not run track, but he did play basketball. Brent Venables and company seem to really like these multi-sport athletes.

Johnson is yet another 247Sports Composite top 100 prospect and is the fourth-ranked athlete in the 2023 class. The Sooners landed two of the top ten players from Oklahoma: Johnson and another athlete, [autotag]Eric McCarty[/autotag].

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. You can also follow Ben on Twitter @bendackiw.

Uber-athletic 4-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho signs with Oklahoma

Oklahoma earns signature of uber-athletic four-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho.

The early signing period is underway, and the Oklahoma Sooners are beginning to put pen to paper with their [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag].

If there’s a short list for the best athlete in Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class, four-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho is firmly on the list. The Oklahoma Sooners will be head over heels that they no longer have to worry about anyone coming to poach him away. Omosigho signed his national letter of during the early signing period.

Omosigho fits the mold as a modern-day hybrid linebacker of the future. At 6-foot-1 and 220 pounds, he can run well and is expected to be an asset in coverage.

Omosigho is the No. 67 overall player, the No. 10 player in Texas, and the No. 93 overall prospect in 247Sports’ composite rankings. Samuel Omosigho can do it all.

He could have played Power Five football at receiver, as he had multiple offers to do that as well. Instead, he chose to play for the Sooners over the Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers. Brandon Hall and Ted Roof led the way in his recruitment.

Omosigho has also been very vocal in his efforts to recruit other targets on Oklahoma’s radar to wear the crimson & cream.

He was selected as an All-American Bowl participant during his senior year and was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year in as a junior Texas District 8-5A. He also earned unanimous first-team all-district honors at outside linebacker.

With his signature, Omosigho is locked in and will turn his attention to next season where he may end up in a similar situation as current Sooner, Jaren Kanak. Kanak hasn’t quite settled into a position yet, but he saw time early due to depth issues at LB. Kanak’s natural talent helped him get on the field, and the same could be said about Omosigho, provided he adds some much-needed weight.

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. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Oklahoma commit Jackson Arnold wins MaxPreps Texas High School Player of the Year

Ahead of signing with the Oklahoma Sooners, Jackson Arnold wins Max Preps Texas High School Player of the Year Award.

Jackson Arnold has had a tremendous 2022 after making it to the Texas state championship game in 2021.

After winning the Elite 11 MVP, Jackson Arnold had a tremendous senior season for Denton Guyer. In Guyer’s semifinal run, the Oklahoma Sooners five-star commit had a tremendous season where he accounted for 57 total touchdowns and 4,400 yards.

Now he can add Max Preps Texas High School Player of the Year to his mantel after his incredibly productive 2022 season.

The No. 4 quarterback and No. 7 player in the 2023 recruiting class, Arnold earned his fifth star after his performance at the Elite 11 camp in the summer. An Under Armour All-American, Arnold is the No. 1 overall player in the state of Texas.

Arnold was initially recruited by Jeff Lebby while the Sooners’ offensive coordinator was still with Ole Miss. Lebby’s move to Oklahoma opened the door for Arnold to make the move north up I-35 to Norman.

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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. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

On3 tabs Oklahoma as a team ‘poised to finish strong’ in the 2023 recruiting cycle

As the early signing period approaches, On3 believes the Oklahoma Sooners will finish the 2023 recruiting cycle in a big way.

In just a year’s time with the Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables and his staff have pulled off a top-10 recruiting class (2022) and look to be on the verge of a top-five recruiting class in 2023.

They still have to get all their players signed during the early signing period, but the Sooners are on pace to have their best recruiting class in the modern recruiting era. That would be a truly remarkable feat coming on the heels of a 6-6 season.

With 23 commits in tow, the Sooners carry a top 10 recruiting ranking with Rivals, On3 and 247Sports. On3 believes the Sooners are a team heading for a strong finish in the 2023 recruiting cycle.

Brent Venables’ first full class already includes a pair of five-stars: Jackson Arnold and Adepoju Adebawore. But he’s looking for more, and five-star Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen would be the perfect cherry on top of this class. The Fighting Irish are working desperately to hold onto him, but the On3 RPM favors a flip as we stand today.

The other big name on the board for the Sooners is Akana, who has played his recruiting process slowly until the last few weeks, when he’s taken a handful of visits and hosted a few schools in-home. The Sooners are trending right now, but both Colorado and Louisville are looking to pull off a shocker. – Keegan Pope, On3

There shouldn’t be very many surprises that pull current Oklahoma commits away from the Sooners in the early signing period or before national signing day. There’s a good chance the Sooners sign nearly all of their class by the close of the early signing period.

Oklahoma has a couple targets they need to close on: Notre Dame commit [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and four-star prospect [autotag]Tausili Akana[/autotag]. Both players are projected to land with the Sooners from each of the major recruiting sites, all Brent Venables and the Sooners need to do is finish.

Don’t be surprised if the Sooners pull off some surprise additions at the tail end of the recruiting cycle as well. Like last year, when they flipped R Mason Thomas, Kevonte Henry, and Gracen Halton late, Brent Venables and his staff will have a few surprises.

Oklahoma sits with a top 10 class in the recruiting cycle with a chance to move into the top three by signing day.

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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. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.