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.

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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].

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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.

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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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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.

Where is Oklahoma in the 247Sports team rankings ahead of the early signing period?

Ahead of the opening of the early signing period, where do the Oklahoma Sooners rank in 247Sports team recruiting rankings?

Starting Wednesday Dec. 21, the Oklahoma Sooners will begin to officially welcome their 2023 recruiting class to the crimson and cream.

The next wave of Oklahoma Sooners will sign their national letters of intent. Many will finalize their commitments during the early signing period, which runs through Dec. 23, and a few will wait until February’s national signing day.

The Oklahoma Sooners are still looking to close strong on several recruitments. Though Peyton Bowen and Tausili Akana look like they’re trending to Oklahoma, nothing’s final until it’s final. Getting their signatures would be huge for Oklahoma’s future.

Then there’s David Hicks. The guy that many thought was heading to Norman until a surprise commitment to Texas A&M. The Sooners are still in pursuit of the five-star defensive tackle, but it’s more likely that Hicks signs with the Aggies.

Like the 2022 class did, the 2023 recruiting class will be huge toward building the foundation of Brent Venables’ Oklahoma Sooners. Let’s take a look at where things stand in the 2023 team recruiting rankings at 247Sports ahead of the opening of the early signing period.

Oklahoma Sooners receive predictions for several 2024 4-Star prospects

Over the last few days, the Oklahoma Sooners received predictions to land 2024 4-star prospects Eli Bowen, Caden Durham, and Aaron Flowers.

The 2023 recruiting cycle is nearing the early signing period, which opens on Wednesday. With [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]David Hicks[/autotag], and [autotag]Tausili Akana[/autotag] the names to watch over the next week and on national signing day in February, Oklahoma is busy trying to finish this class with a bang.

The Sooners are also making strides in the 2024 recruiting class. Over the weekend, Oklahoma earned recruiting predictions for a trio of 2024 four-star prospects, who happen to each be from the North Texas area.

Oklahoma received projections for cornerback Eli Bowen, running back Caden Durham, and safety Aaron Flowers.

Here’s a quick look at these prospects.

Texas receives projections to land DeAndre Moore and Jelani McDonald

Texas could be on its way to receiving two more Top 150 recruits in the next few days.

The Texas Longhorns are generating some buzz on the recruiting trail. Recruiting experts are taking notice. Continue reading “Texas receives projections to land DeAndre Moore and Jelani McDonald”

Texas Football: Reliving the Red River Shutout

Venables doesn’t push all the right buttons quite like Lincoln Riley did.

As 2022 comes to a close, one highlight comes to mind. This season, Steve Sarkisian and company produced the blowout nobody saw coming. Continue reading “Texas Football: Reliving the Red River Shutout”

Another crystal ball comes in predicting Peyton Bowen to the Oklahoma Sooners

247Sports Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong flipped his Peyton Bowen prediction from Notre Dame to the Oklahoma Sooners.

If the writing wasn’t already on the wall for the Oklahoma Sooners to flip five-star safety Peyton Bowen from Notre Dame, now you can print it in 40-inch headlines.

247Sports Director of Football Recruiting Steve Wiltfong flipped his crystal ball for Peyton Bowen.

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It’s the second prediction in favor of the Sooners from 247Sports in as many days. Now, Peyton Bowen to Oklahoma has been predicted by multiple analysts across each of the three major recruiting services. Rivals was first with their flip predictions a few weeks ago, and then On3 came through on Thursday. Brandon Drumm of OUInsider at 247Sports provided a crystal ball on Friday, and Wiltfong backed that up with a crystal ball of his own.

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Wiltfong’s prediction is one of the weightiest in the recruiting world. It even has a moniker. When a school lands a prediction from the recruiting expert, they’ve been “Fong’d.”

If Bowen does indeed flip and the Sooners do eventually sign Jackson Arnold and Adepoju Adebawore, it would mark the first time that the Sooners would have landed two five-star defensive prospects and only the second time in 247Sports database that they landed three five-star players in a recruiting class. The only other time came in 2019 with Spencer Rattler, Jadon Haselwood, and Theo Wease.

Ultimately, the Sooners still have to close and get Bowen’s national letter of intent, but things are looking very positive for Oklahoma as they look to close the 2023 recruiting class strong.

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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.