Tag: Oklahoma Sooners recruiting

Sooners 2023 commit Jackson Arnold among top performers at Elite 11 Finals

Competing against the top quarterbacks from across the country, Jackson Arnold was among the top performers at the Elite 11 finals per On3.

When Brent Venables and Jeff Lebby arrived, they hit the ground running on the recruiting trail, shoring up the 2022 recruiting class and getting started on 2023. The big get for the 2023 class was Jackson Arnold, who was the first new commit in the class of the Brent Venables era.

Arnold joined Joshua Bates, who had committed under Lincoln Riley, with the Sooners as they looked to rebuild the 2023 recruiting class. Though they may not have made as much of a splash as Texas lately, the dominos are steadily falling with commitments from Keyon Brown and Kalib Hicks on the offensive side of the ball in recent weeks.

Jackson Arnold, who helped Denton Guyer reach the Texas state championship game in his first season as a starter, has seen his status among 2023 quarterbacks grow over the last several months, recently earning his fifth star in the 247Sports composite rankings. And that status is being backed up this week at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles where Arnold was considered one of the top performers of day one according to On3’s Charles Power.

Arnold was ranked second behind Iowa State commit J.J. Kohl, but here’s what Power had to say about Jackson Arnold’s day.

[autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]‘s quick release and zip on the football was certainly among the best we saw on Tuesday evening. The ball jumps out of the Oklahoma commit’s hand. Arnold was a standout at a station that required the quarterbacks to roll out of the pocket and throw out-breaking routes across their body on the goal line. He also excelled in driving the ball to the boundary on high-difficulty throws. – Power, On3 Sports

Power continued:

The Denton (Texas) Guyer standout has a strong base that he uses to generate force on his passes. His power and quick throwing motion allow for a second life on some of his passes, with the ball continuing to pick up speed as it approaches the receiver. – Power, On3 Sports

Arnold has the ability to make all the throws you want him to on the football field. He does a great job combining arm strength, a quick release, and great accuracy.

While at the event, Jackson Arnold spent some time with Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports and had this to say about Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables.

“I love Coach Venables. He’s a super high-energy coach. I think he’s a great fit for Oklahoma and for what Oklahoma needs,” Arnold told Wiltfong. “And I absolutely love the family-like environment he’s creating too. He wants us to be not only great players but great people as well.”

He may not have garnered the same attention that an Arch Manning or Malachi Nelson has, yet, but by the end of his final season at Denton Guyer, he’ll be considered in the same light as the top quarterbacks in the 2023 recruiting class.

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Top 100 defensive end Adepoju Adebawore’s top 5 has the Sooners right in the thick of it

Oklahoma makes the cut for top 100 edge defender Adepoju Adebawore out of Missouri.

As July draws ever closer, things are starting to pick up across the board in the recruiting world. Lists are being trimmed down significantly with most recruits having a good five to seven teams that they are concentrated on. A lot of the 2023 class has already taken their official visits, using the month of June for those.

Oklahoma’s list of targets that seem to be slowly winding their recruitment down is fairly long at this point in the summer and one major name that they are paying attention to is four-star defensive end Adepoju Adebawore out of Kansas City, Missouri. 247Sports has him ranked 98th in their composite rankings and he is the fifth-ranked player in the state of Missouri.

Miguel Chavis has stayed the course and has the Sooners in a great spot with Adebawore and it reflects in his top 5 schools he released. He also simultaneously announcing he would be committing soon.

Along with the Sooners. Adebawore feels at home with Georgia, Northwestern, LSU, and Missouri as these schools round out his top 5. With no official date set in stone, we’re still wondering when his commitment will take place. Sooners’ defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis could very well kick his 2023 class off with a major win on the recruiting trail. We don’t know Adebawore’s final destination just yet but if the crystal ball predictions are any indicator, the Oklahoma Sooners have a lot to be smiling about.

Adepoju Adebawore’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Sooners a 91.3% chance at landing Adebawore.
  • No Rivals furturecast predictions at this time.
  • Crystal ball predictions from OUInsider’s Brandon Drumm and Parker Thune have Adebawore headed to the Sooners.

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On3 national recruiting analyst predicts 4-star ATH Anthony White to Oklahoma

On3 National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman submitted a prediction for 2023 four-star athlete Anthony White to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners continue to make headway in the 2023 recruiting cycle, targeting athletes that have been playmakers on both sides of the football. In the last 24 hours, the Sooners have received a 247Sports crystal ball for four-star athlete Jacobe Johnson and a prediction from On3 for three-star athlete Samuel Omosigho.

On3 Sports national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman also issued a prediction for four-star athlete Anthony White (On3+) to end up in Norman with the Sooners.

White, from Abernathy, Texas, is a two-way playmaker at cornerback and wide receiver. He displays excellent ball skills, winning 50-50 balls from either position. He’s an athletic player that’s able to make things happen with the ball in his hands.

As a corner in run defense, White does a nice job of engaging his blocker to string the run play wide before beating the block and making the play. He shows good route recognition and does a great job breaking on the ball. He plays the football and has the ability to come up with the pick.

At wide receiver, the four-star recruit is able to climb the ladder to high-point the football. His speed allows him to get behind the defense to make plays down the field. In open space, he’s dynamic with the football, using subtle movements to make would-be tacklers miss.

With less than a year to go until 2023’s national signing day, the Oklahoma Sooners are attacking the recruiting trail looking for dynamic playmakers on the outside. The Sooners haven’t officially offered White yet, but with a prediction coming in favor of Oklahoma from Spiegelman, it stands to reason an official offer is on the way.

Anthony White’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN — — — —
Rivals 4 — 54 21
247Sports — — — —
247 Composite — — — —
On3 Recruiting 3 — 90 20
On3 Consensus 4 356 60 16

Vitals

Hometown Abernathy, TX
Projected Position ATH
Height 6-0
Weight 180

Recruitment

  • visit on March 5, 2022

Offers

  • Texas Tech
  • Texas
  • SMU
  • Baylor
  • TCU
  • USC

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Sooners receive Crystal Ball projection for 2023 four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart

The Oklahoma Sooners received a second Crystal Ball projection for 2023 four-star wide receiver Ashton Cozart of Texas.

The Oklahoma Sooners didn’t seem to miss a beat on the recruiting trail during the transition. Though they might have lost a few players that were committed to Lincoln Riley, they’ve rebounded nicely and continue to make progress to landing a top recruiting class in 2023.

While they only have three players for the 2023 class currently committed, it’s still set up to be a nice haul with four-star players DeAndre Moore, Jr., Jackson Arnold, and fast-rising three-star Joshua Bates in the fold. Although they’re a year away from 2023 national signing day, they’re making great progress on some of the top recruits in the 2023 class.

Yesterday, the Sooners received a 247Sports Crystal Ball projection from OUInsider’s Parker Thune. Over the last month, that’s the second Crystal Ball projection in favor of the Oklahoma Sooners. Earlier in January, Brandon Drumm, also of OUInsider at 247Sports issued a projection for Cozart to land with the Oklahoma Sooners. On3 Recruiting currently projects a 63% chance that the Sooners will land a commitment from Ashton Cozart.

There has been mutual interest between Cozart and Oklahoma, but because of the coaching change things were left in flux for the 2023 four-star wide receiver out of Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. While the coaching staff was in transition, Cale Gundy and the rest of the assistants continued their push for Cozart who’s received interest from a lot of the top schools in the country, including Alabama and Texas.

One of his primary recruiters from Alabama was new cornerbacks coach Jay Valai. Ole Miss was also showing interest in Cozart during his recruitment. Ole Miss’ former offensive coordinator, Jeff Lebby, now resides in Norman and is calling plays for the Sooners. There are quite a few dots connecting between the Sooners and the talented junior.

Cozart is rated as a four-star wide receiver by both 247Sports and On3 Recruiting composites and ranks inside the top 23 at his position nationally every but Rivals. He has nice size at 6-foot-3 and 190 lbs to be a starter on the outside for the Oklahoma Sooners and ran a 10.74 100-meter dash as a sophomore in high school.

Ashton Cozart’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
ESPN 4 97 19 19
Rivals 3 – 78 48
247Sports 4 120 25 13
247 Composite 4 167 31 23
On3 Recruiting 4 63 9 8
On3 Composite 4 117 21 19

Vitals

Hometown Flower Mound, TX
Projected Position Wide Receiver
Height 6-3
Weight 190 lbs

Recruitment

Notable Offers

  • Oklahoma
  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Auburn
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Florida State
  • Miami
  • Michigan State
  • Ole Miss
  • Texas

Crystal Ball

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Oklahoma Sooners offer 2023 4-star running back Cedric Baxter, announces plans to visit Norman

The Oklahoma Sooners continue their foray into the 2023 recruiting cycle with an offer to one of the top running backs in the 2023 class.

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In modern-day recruiting, no door is ever really closed. With the coaching change, in particular, the Sooners have opened new doors on the national recruiting scene.

Brent Venables, having spent the last decade coaching in and recruiting the Southeast, has marked out new territory for the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff to sing their teeth into. Jeff Lebby’s experience at UCF and then Ole Miss gives them an offensive guy that has the experience that direction as well.

Even players that they weren’t necessarily in on a week or two ago, now have Oklahoma as a consideration moving forward. And that’s where we land with Cedric Baxter.

Cedric Baxter, a four-star running back out of Edgewater High School in Orlando, Fla. is the latest 2023 recruit to receive an offer from the University of Oklahoma.

What’s interesting about Baxter is that prior to the Oklahoma offer, he had released a top seven list including USC, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, Texas, Arkansas, and UCF.

This might be one of the bigger recruiting battles the Sooners will face with the who’s who of college football vying for the No. 1 running back in the 2023 class according to On3 Sports.

Baxter is the No. 4 running back in the country per 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 70 player in the country.

The Oklahoma Sooners will get an opportunity to make their recruiting pitch to Baxter who is set to take a visit to Norman on Jan. 29. Based on what we’ve seen from DeMarco Murray in his time with the Oklahoma Sooners, he’ll get quite the sales pitch from the former player.

Here’s what national recruiting analyst Andrew Ivins of 247Sports had to say about Cedric Baxter.

Played primarily safety and a little wide receiver before settling in as the starting running back at one of Orlando’s top high school programs. Produced right away as a junior averaging just over 8.5 yards per carry while facing stiff competition week in and week out. Owns a bit of an upright running style, but makes it work as he quickly picks a lane and attacks it with a full head of steam. Does a nice job of navigating his way through traffic and will use swift little cuts to get around defenders. More than capable of breaking multiple arms tackles and seems to always be falling forward. – Ivins, 247Sports

Though the Sooners will be bringing in Gavin Sawchuk and Jovantae Barnes as part of the 2022 class, the 2023 class is devoid of running back talent at this point. Given the physical nature of the position, it’s important to keep a healthy dose of talent on the roster at running back and Cedric Baxter’s presence and ability could be a huge key for the Sooners as they look to make their transition into the SEC in a few years.

Cedric Baxter’s Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247Sports 4 41 11 3
Rivals 4 84 15 4
ESPN 4 139 28 7
247 Composite 4 70 13 4
On3 Recruiting 4 44 12 1
On3 Composite 4 61 13 4

Vitals

Hometown Orlando, Fla.
Projected Position Running Back
Height 6-1
Weight 215 lbs

Recruitment

  • Offered on 1/11/22
  • visit scheduled for 1/29/22

Notable Offers

  • Oklahoma
  • USC
  • Alabama
  • UCF
  • Florida State
  • Ohio State
  • Arkansas
  • Texas

Crystal Ball

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As Riley moves on, the decommits from Oklahoma’s 2022 class begin to pile up

With Lincoln Riley heading to USC, the 2022 OU’s recruiting class has taken a hit with the early signing period right around the corner.

By now, it’s probably painfully obvious what has happened. The Sooners no longer have Lincoln Riley as their head coach as he decided Sunday to bolt for the head coaching position at the University of Southern California. It was a move that has shaken the core of the Sooners program and its community of fans with massive implications for the landscape of college football.

On the surface, the Sooners need a head coach sooner rather than later. Early signing period opens on December 15th. When news of Riley’s departure hit the internet, it was only a matter of time before Oklahoma commits would begin to jump ship and reassess their options. While the 2023 class was ranked number one in the country for its class, we’ll focus on the more pressing and immediate future of the 2022 class, who with two weeks away from making the biggest decisions of their lives are left without the head coach they committed to play for.

Derrick Moore, DE

Maryland native Derrick Moore announced his de-commitment Monday morning.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Moore committed to the Sooners on July 4 after visiting for the signature ChampU BBQ. He came on his official visit to Oklahoma in late September for the game against West Virginia.

Moore was recruited heavily by Jamar Cain, who remains on staff as of right now. At the time, the Sooners beat out Penn State, Ohio State, and Alabama for his services. Moore was a consensus four-star recruit across all major recruiting services and was in line for some early opportunities considering what Oklahoma will lose likely on their defensive line. It’s a massive loss as it stands right now.

Demetrius Hunter, IOL

Demetrius Hunter marks another tough blow for the Sooners 2022 recruiting efforts. Hunter had been committed since March of this year but has now backed out of his commitment. With Bill Bedenbaugh likely headed to USC with Riley, the lack of a head coach makes Oklahoma a difficult sell for Hunter.

While Hunter wasn’t ranked highly, just 353rd nationally on 247Sports’ composite rankings, Bedenbaugh saw something in him to take a chance, and with his track record of developing less-heralded guys, the Sooners may miss out on a gem. The product of West Orange-Stark High School now opens up his recruitment with signing day just around the corner.

Kobie McKinzie, LB

The first commit of the Sooners 2022 class has announced he will also be de-commiting from Oklahoma. Kobie McKinzie sent shockwaves through the recruiting world when he committed to Oklahoma as a sophomore after being recruited by Brian Odom. Odom is currently still employed by Oklahoma but his first major recruit while on staff is no more.

McKinzie hails from Lubbock, Texas which is notable considering that’s where Texas Tech is. Texas Tech has had their eye on him since he started high school football and with the new hire of Joey McGuire will likely set their sights on him again.

McKinzie is a consensus four-star linebacker recruit that the Sooners were ecstatic about having. In a lot of ways, he was a clone of former Sooner turned first-rounder Kenneth Murray.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for a team that started the 2021 season as national title contenders. As the 2022 recruiting class begins taking hits, stay tuned here at the Sooners Wire for further updates as the situation unfolds.

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Lincoln Riley and the Sooners thriving in the quarterback market

The success that Lincoln Riley had early in his tenure with the Oklahoma Sooners is now paying big dividends on the recruiting trail.

It’s hard to fathom that one school can have the type of run that Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners have been on at the quarterback position.

The success that the Oklahoma Sooners have had in their recruitments of Spencer Rattler, Caleb Williams, and now Malachi Nelson can easily be related to the success the Sooners had with Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts.

There isn’t a team in college football that can boast anywhere close to the level of success that the Sooners have had on offense. There isn’t a team in college football that can flaunt two Heisman Trophy winners and a finalist in three consecutive years. There isn’t a school that can boast back-to-back first overall picks and a top 50 pick.

Where does Lincoln Riley land on list of top NCAA Football coaches?

What Lincoln Riley did in those first few years with Mayfield, Murray, and Hurts has set the stage for what he’s been able to accomplish on the recruiting trail in the last few years.

In Spencer Rattler and Caleb Williams, Riley and the Sooners staff landed the number one quarterback in the 2019 and 2021 recruiting classes. With the commitment of Malachi Nelson on Sunday, the Sooners landed the number two quarterback in the country.

Lincoln Riley’s shown a special ability to build relationships with his players, recruits, and their families. When athletes make their commitment decision, they generally talk about Norman feeling like home and credit the relationship that Riley and the coaching staff have built.

Every five-star commit under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley

On the field, Riley’s been adept at adapting his offense to fit the skills of his quarterback. The ability of Riley and the offensive staff to seamlessly transition from quarterback to quarterback over the last five seasons has provided quite the highlight reel for him and the Sooners when they pitch the University of Oklahoma.

Every recruit takes effort, and the recruitment team and coaching staff put that forward every time they go after a recruit. Whether in a meeting, at an event like the Champ U BBQ, or on social media, Riley and the Sooners staff go all-in on the recruiting trail. Though they could easily live off of past success, they continue to forge ahead into the top of each recruiting cycle and come away with some of the best players in the country.

This summer alone has been incredibly successful on both sides of the football, and it’s an indication that the University of Oklahoma has become one of the best recruiting schools in the country. As the Oklahoma Sooners set to embark on what many think could be a National Championship winning season in 2021, they’re riding a wave of momentum with the 2022 and 2023 recruiting classes that will help them maintain contender status for years to come.

Lincoln Riley has been able to pull off an incredible run of quarterbacks in his short tenure as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator and now head coach. With Spencer Rattler already projected to be the top quarterback selected in the 2022 NFL Draft and the likely success of Caleb Williams and Malachi Nelson after him, Lincoln Riley’s investments and success at the quarterback position will continue to pay huge dividends long after this weekend.

Top 10 Oklahoma quarterback recruits since 2000

2023 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson Commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners struck gold again on the recruiting trail, this time with an early commit from Malachi Nelson.

In one of the most anticipated announcements of the Summer, the Oklahoma Sooners landed yet another in a long line of top quarterbacks in 2023 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson.

Nelson, out of Los Alamitos, California, attended the Champ U BBQ and chose the Sooners over Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Southern California.

It is another feather in the cap for Lincoln Riley, who has landed a top quarterback in three straight odd-numbered years.

In the 2019 recruiting class, the Sooners collected a commitment from the number one quarterback in the country, Spencer Rattler. In the 2021 cycle, Caleb Williams, who was the top quarterback in his class, chose the Oklahoma Sooners.

Nelson may not be the number one quarterback in the class, but he’s an incredibly talented player who will make a big impact when his time comes to take the reigns at quarterback.

When Nelson steps on campus, he’ll join another 5-star player in Treyaun Webb, who committed to the Sooners on Saturday.

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It’s still early in the 2023 recruiting cycle, but landing Malachi Nelson and Treyaun Webb at this juncture should help set the tone for the rest of the class.

2023 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson Commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma Sooners struck gold again on the recruiting trail, this time with an early commit from Malachi Nelson.

In one of the most anticipated announcements of the Summer, the Oklahoma Sooners landed yet another in a long line of top quarterbacks in 2023 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson.

Nelson, out of Los Alamitos, California, attended the Champ U BBQ and chose the Sooners over Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Southern California.

It is another feather in the cap for Lincoln Riley, who has landed a top quarterback in three straight odd-numbered years.

In the 2019 recruiting class, the Sooners collected a commitment from the number one quarterback in the country, Spencer Rattler. In the 2021 cycle, Caleb Williams, who was the top quarterback in his class, chose the Oklahoma Sooners.

Nelson may not be the number one quarterback in the class, but he’s an incredibly talented player who will make a big impact when his time comes to take the reigns at quarterback.

When Nelson steps on campus, he’ll join another 5-star player in Treyaun Webb, who committed to the Sooners on Saturday.

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It’s still early in the 2023 recruiting cycle, but landing Malachi Nelson and Treyaun Webb at this juncture should help set the tone for the rest of the class.

2022 four-star safety Zion Branch narrows down his top five schools

Four-star safety Zion Branch out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas narrows top five schools in 2022 recruiting cycle.

As the Summer recruiting season continues to heat up, the Oklahoma Sooners found themselves on another top recruits’ list of top destinations. This time it was four-star safety Zion Branch including the Oklahoma Sooners in his top five schools.

Branch, a 6-2 safety out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, included the Sooners and the Alabama Crimson Tide, Clemson Tigers, USC Trojans, and the Ohio State Buckeyes. It’s no coincidence that he’s arguably chosen the top school in each of the Power 5 conferences in the FBS.

Already the number five recruiting class in the country according to 247 Sports, Oklahoma has a chance to continue its climb if they’re able to add 2022’s number four safety according to the 247 Sports composite rankings.

Whether the Oklahoma Sooners can land Zion Branch, one thing is clear; they’re now players for the top defensive players in the country. Because of the impact of Alex Grinch and the improvements in the defense, the Sooners are now positioned to be at the table for the nation’s best defensive players.

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