Tag: Peyton Bowen

Oklahoma Sooners boast number of difference-makers at safety

The Oklahoma Sooners boast a deep number of safeties that will be difference makers for the OU defense.

[autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] was one of the best defensive players in the nation in 2023. His six interceptions and three interceptions returned for a touchdown put him on the map in Oklahoma’s final year in the Big 12. In year one in the SEC, Bowman, along with fellow defender Danny Stutsman, earned first-team All-SEC honors from SEC media.

All-American and Thorpe voters may have been unaware of Bowman’s excellence at safety, but he made everyone take notice and will be on every watch list possible when the preseason lists get released starting this week.

But Bowman isn’t the end all be all for Oklahoma at the safety spot. They’ve got as deep and talented group as there is in the nation. The senior certainly leads the way, but Oklahoma has talent up and down the depth chart.

[autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag], a former four-star prospect from Broken Arrow has made the most of his opportunities and has been a terror around the line of scrimmage. Despite playing 178 fewer snaps than [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag], Spears-Jennings had eight more total tackles last season. He played 158 fewer snaps than [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and finished with just six fewer total tackles than the now Ole Miss safety.

Spears-Jennings finished with a higher defensive grade from Pro Football Focus than both Pearson and Lawrence. With Pearson and Lawrence gone, there’s a huge opportunity for Spears-Jennings to take over in a strong safety or box safety role.

[autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] has a huge opportunity for an increased workload, as well.

In limited opportunities, Bowen flashed his potential for the Sooners, finishing second on the team in passes defended with five. He was fourth among Sooners safeties in snaps behind Bowman, Pearson, and Lawrence. As a true freshman.

Venables, now Alley’s, defense likes to deploy three safety looks, so there’s a good chance we see packages that include Bowman, Spears-Jennings, and Bowen all at the same time. It’s a fast, athletic, and playmaking group in the Sooners secondary.

Oklahoma also has guys like [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], who will play a variety of roles on the Sooners defense. Washington will line up at cornerback and Dolby at cheetah, but you could see them rotating in at safety. The depth chart has a number of young players at the position who be impactful for the Sooners in 2024 and beyond. [autotag]Erik McCarty[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag] could have an impact this year as well. It’s a strong, fast, and physical group that will make a lot of plays on ball carriers and on the ball in the air.

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Kirby Smart believes Oklahoma’s defense is on its way to being elite

Kirby Smart knows what championship-level defense looks like. He thinks Brent Venables can get the Sooners to that level.

Heavy hitters took the podium for Day 2 of [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] in Dallas. The Oklahoma Sooners, Missouri Tigers, Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs were the four teams to share the spotlight on Tuesday.

One head coach, Georgia’s Kirby Smart, had high praise for the way [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] is building his roster and recruiting. He’s just the latest current or former coach that thinks OU is heading in the right direction under Venables’ leadership. Josh Heupel, Brian Kelly, Shane Beamer and Nick Saban also praised the transformation going on in Norman.

Colton Sulley of The Oklahoman relayed that Smart joined the chorus with remarks about OU’s head coach.

“As he gets the players he’s recruiting more and more, they’re going to be a dominant defensive football team,” Smart said.

That’s music to Oklahoma fans’ ears after slipping in defensive talent and production under the previous regime. Brent Venables was hired, in part, because his ability to recruit and develop defensive talent is among the best in college football.

Venables is already acquiring young, elite defensive talent through recruiting. [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] and others liek them weren’t coming to Norman before Venables arrived.

Smart clearly knows what he’s talking about when it comes to defense. He’s a former defensive coordinator himself and has built a juggernaut in Athens as a head coach. Georgia won the national championship in 2021 and 2022, and no one would be surprised if they won again in 2024. Smart’s idea of a “dominant defensive football team” is one that can win multiple national titles.

If Venables does bring an elite defense back to Owen Field that helps him win multiple national championships, he’ll have a statue outside the stadium next to his former boss, [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]’.

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A bulked up Adepoju Adebawore could be a nightmare for SEC offenses

The former five-star prospect is much heavier than he was when he walked on campus and ready to terrorize QBs in the SEC.

Day 2 of [autotag]SEC media days[/autotag] featured [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Venables, quarterback [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], linebacker [autotag]Danny Stutsman [/autotag], and safety [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] had plenty to say about this year’s team while on the mic. However, one note from the head coach before OU’s time at the podium was eye-opening.

Venables shared with the media in attendance that true sophomore defensive end [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] is over 260 pounds entering fall camp. The former five-star prospect in the [autotag]2023 recruiting class[/autotag] weighed 240 pounds exiting high school, according to Rivals. That means that the speedy pass-rusher has gained over twenty pounds since arriving in Norman. He was one of three five-star prospects in that historic class, along with Arnold and safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag].

Adebawore played in all 13 games last season after enrolling at OU in January 2023. He was a consensus five-star and top-25 national recruit, ranked as the No. 4 player in the country by On3, No. 9 by 247Sports, No. 20 by ESPN, and No. 21 by Rivals. He was regarded as the nation’s second-best edge prospect by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN, and No. 3 by Rivals. Adebawore ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Missouri by all four services and was a 2022 Under Armour All-American. He chose Oklahoma over Arkansas, Missouri, and Northwestern, among others.

Adebawore had a limited role in his true freshman season, but still made his presence felt at times during the year. He could be in line for more playing time at defensive end in 2024, and his upside is nearly limitless.

The Sooners lost plenty of depth and experience on the defensive line this offseason, but return [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] to lead the way. However, Adebawore provides the talent in a pass-rushing role that Oklahoma needs in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Oklahoma is entering a trenches conference, where the lines of scrimmage win and lose football games. An elite pass rusher like Adebawore, who has the potential to develop, would go a long way towards winning in 2024 and beyond.

He might not be on everyone in the SEC’s radar yet, but now that he’s spent some time under the tutelage of Jerry Schmidt and bulked up this offseason, he may be wreaking havoc in a backfield near you soon.

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Sooners have the best back seven in the SEC per Phil Steele

College football expert Phil Steele thinks OU’s back seven can match up with anybody in the SEC.

Defense was long a strength for the Oklahoma Sooners. The [autotag]Bennie Owen[/autotag], [autotag]Bud Wilkinson[/autotag], [autotag]Chuck Fairbanks[/autotag] and [autotag]Barry Switzer[/autotag] days produced hard-nosed, hard-hitting defensive units that, along with explosive offenses, helped the Sooners win six national championships. Wilkinson and Switzer each took home three titles in the 20th century.

After the dreadful 1990s, [autotag]Bob Stoops[/autotag]’ arrival meant OU was back to being a contender on the national stage. “Big Game Bob” added Oklahoma’s seventh national title in 2000 and kept the Sooners in the title picture quite often in his time as the head coach.

Defense was Stoops’ calling card. He was the defensive coordinator for coaching legends Bill Snyder and Steve Spurrier. Oklahoma enjoyed stifling defenses for most of Stoops’ tenure as the head coach.

But, in the mid-to-late 2010’s, OU’s defense slipped below the standard in Norman. Stoops’ final season and the [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] era at Oklahoma saw the offense being required to carry too much of the load to keep the Sooners in the title hunt. [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag], [autotag]Kyler Murray[/autotag] and [autotag]Jalen Hurts[/autotag] were able to do so, but as the decade changed, the Sooners had fallen out of the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag].

After Riley’s departure to Southern California, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was hired to bring back the defensive standard. It has taken a couple of years, but Venables may finally have the pieces in the right place to do the things he wants to do on defense.

In 2022, Venables’ first season, the Sooners were horrid defensively, leading to a 6-7 season. They allowed 30 points per game, finishing 99th in the nation in scoring defense. Last season, however, Oklahoma went 10-3 and the defense took a major step forward, improving its scoring defense 50 spots to 23.5 points per game.

Now, going into Year 3 under Venables, one college football analyst thinks OU has two of the best position units in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag].

Phil Steele released his position rankings for every SEC team heading into the 2024 season. Oklahoma had two units ranked No. 1 in the conference.

OU’s linebackers are the SEC’s best, according to Steele. [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] leads the way on the inside, but [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] join him to make the Sooners at least two deep at both spots. [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] will also see more snaps in 2024 as well.

At the cheetah position, [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] and [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] will see the majority of the snaps, but [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag] are younger options who will be on the field quite a bit as well.

Steele also thinks OU’s secondary is the best in the conference. [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] headlines the safety position, with [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] in line for more playing time after graduation, NFL and portal losses.

At cornerback, veteran [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] returns for his fifth season, but he will be playing a little bit of everything this year. [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] and [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] will all be experienced options on the outside, but there’s youth at corner as well. [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] both saw time last year due to injuries.

More: 5 Sooners who could see an increased workload in 2024

Of course, Oklahoma needs to keep improving to get back to the way things are supposed to be for the Sooners.

Competing for and winning championships are the expectations. Quarterback, offensive line and defensive line all ranked outside of the SEC’s top five in Steele’s estimation. While the QB ranking is due to [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]’s inexperience, the Sooners have to get better in the trenches to be where they want to be.

However, it’s been a long time since the defense has been as loaded in Norman as it is right now. Combine that with an offense that certainly isn’t lacking in talent, and the Brent Venables vision is starting to become clearer for the Sooners. Venables has the makings of a complementary, holistic program from top to bottom.

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Sooners trending for elite safety Omarion Robinson with commitment day looming

Oklahoma trending for safety Omarion Robinson with decision coming next week.

The safety position has grown so much in just a few years since Brent Venables took the reins of the Oklahoma football program. They landed a five-star safety for the first time in a decade or more when they locked down [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag].

Billy Bowman is already a bonafide star at the position, and if you asked anyone to rank the five best players on the Oklahoma roster, he would be named every time.

That brings us to the future of the position in Norman. Bowen’s future is still bright, but Billy Bowman is a senior and will depart Norman for the NFL following this season. Former four-star prospect [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] will have a lot more responsibility this coming season. The 2024 recruiting class brought in a group of talented blue-chip safeties in [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], [autotag]Jaydan Hardy[/autotag], [autotag]Mykel Patterson-McDonald[/autotag], and [autotag]Reggie Powers[/autotag]. The [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] currently has three-star safety out of Arkansas, [autotag]Marcus Wimberly[/autotag]. Could it bring another safety from the Natural State?

247Sports composite four-star safety Omarion Robinson is set to announce his decision on July 6, and Oklahoma is duking it out with Arkansas, LSU, and Oregon for his services.

Robinson is a hyper-competitive defender who can disrupt the passing game. He plays great coverage and has the athletic range to be a ballhawk in the middle of the field. His footwork is top-notch, and he’s unafraid of coming downhill to make run fits. He recently won defensive back MVP at the Rivals 5-star challenge.

 

Oklahoma has been steady in this race for some time, and after June’s official visits, the time for a commitment is nearing.

On Sunday afternoon, Chad Simmons of On3 predicted Robinson to land with the Sooners.

The prediction is an eye-opener, with the commitment just days away. Safeties coach [autotag]Brandon Hall[/autotag] is no stranger to closing out recruitments. It would be foolish to write off his ability to close on another bonafide blue-chip prospect.

With less than a week to his commitment, the Sooners are in a prime spot to continue adding to their already sixth-ranked 2025 recruiting class.

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How did EA Sports rate Oklahoma’s defense in ‘College Football 25?’

When “College Football 25” drops, the Oklahoma Sooners will open with one of the best defenses in the country.

EA Sports is releasing “College Football 25” on July 19, and fans are excited for the return of the college football video game series.

On Thursday, EA released its defensive ratings for the 25 best defenses in the game, and Oklahoma is just outside the top 10.

“College Football 25” has OU as the No. 12 defense ahead of the launch of the highly anticipated video game. It’s the No. 4 best defense in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. This comes following the mutual parting of ways between the program and former defensive coordinator [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag] and the hiring of his replacement, [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag].

On the field, the Sooners have plenty of experienced talent returning on the defensive side of the ball. The secondary is led by [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] at safety and [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] at cornerback, but features plenty of young talent as well.

[autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] will battle for the spot opposite of Washington. [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] and [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag] will see an increase in snaps this year with the departures of [autotag]Key Lawrence[/autotag] and [autotag]Reggie Pearson[/autotag].

The defensive line sees some change but still has [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag] leading the way up front. [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag] and [autotag]Trace Ford[/autotag] are veterans who will aid in the development of younger players like [autotag]Damonic Williams[/autotag], [autotag]R Mason Thomas[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Adepoju Adebawroe[/autotag] and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. The defensive line is in a solid place moving forward even after losing [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag] and [autotag]Rondell Bothroyd[/autotag]. The Sooners also saw [autotag]Jermayne Lole[/autotag] flip his commitment from OU to Texas in the spring portal window.

The strength of the defense is the talent and depth at linebacker. At the inside spots, [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] returns as the heart and soul of the unit. [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag], [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] will all see plenty of snaps alongside Stutsman. The loss of [autotag]Justin Harrington[/autotag] at the cheetah position stings, but [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag], [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] and [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] provide Alley will plenty of options at that spot.

The Sooners open with an 88 overall defense in “College Football 25,” tied with Texas, Penn State, Utah, Florida State and Iowa.

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Linebackers and secondary are the Sooners’ strength in 2024 per PFF

According to Pro Football Focus, Oklahoma’s back seven will be its biggest strength in 2024.

It’s preview season in the world of college football, and the Oklahoma Sooners had the spotlight this past week from Pro Football Focus in their College Football Preview (subscription required).

PFF gave the Sooners just a 4% chance to win the SEC this year, but had OU 13th in the nation in their power rankings.

Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman, who co-wrote the article, named Oklahoma’s back seven as its biggest strength heading into the new season.

Here’s what PFF had to say:

Oklahoma’s defense features a top-10 secondary and a linebacker unit that is headlined by [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], a third-team AP All-American last year.

OU is loaded at the linebacker positions with Stutsman as the clear leader. [autotag]Kip Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Kobie McKinzie[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaren Kanak[/autotag] should see significant snaps inside as well. [autotag]Lewis Carter[/autotag] will likely have a role in his second year with the Sooners as well.

At the cheetah spot, [autotag]Dasan McCullough[/autotag] and [autotag]Kendel Dolby[/autotag] are intriguing options with experience, but don’t be surprised if [autotag]Samuel Omosigho[/autotag] sees plenty of time.

The secondary has plenty of headliners, beginning with [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag] at safety. Playing alongside him will likely be [autotag]Peyton Bowen [/autotag] and/or [autotag]Robert Spears-Jennings[/autotag] to give OU a formidable trio to rotate at both safety spots.

Cornerback is lead by [autotag]Woodi Washington[/autotag] on one side, Oklahoma’s defensive leader in snaps a season ago. While he’ll see time at corner, the Sooners plan to move him around the secondary, even giving him snaps at cheetah in 2024. [autotag]Gentry Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Kani Walker[/autotag] will likely battle all season long on the other side of the field with [autotag]Dez Malone[/autotag] factoring in as well. [autotag]Jacobe Johnson[/autotag] is a local product from Mustang, and he and [autotag]Makari Vickers[/autotag] saw some fill-in action last season.

[autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has the makings of a high-level defense in 2024 as he enters his third season at the helm of the Sooners.

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Lincoln Riley’s remaining 2021 4-Stars shining under Brent Venables

Oklahoma has four 4-star prospects remaining from the 2021 recruiting class and though they may be Lincoln Riley recruits, they’re now Brent Venables’ guys.

A lot has been made of the difference in recruiting at the University of Oklahoma since [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] has taken over. The Sooners have had three top 10 classes during Venables’ tenure. The biggest difference might be on the defensive side of the ball, where Oklahoma’s added three five-star prospects in the last two cycles in [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag], and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag].

Despite the transition from [autotag]Lincoln Riley[/autotag] to [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag] and now [autotag]Seth Littrell[/autotag], the Sooners have remained adept at recruiting blue-chip offensive talent as well.

While recruiting has certainly seen an uptick, Oklahoma’s going to rely on four players from Riley’s final recruiting class in 2021 to lead the way. But at this point it’s safe to say these are Venables’ guys.

From a signing class headlined by [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Billy Bowman[/autotag], [autotag]Ethan Downs[/autotag], [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], and [autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag] are leading the way for the Sooners in 2024.

Bowman, Downs, and Stutsman weren’t recruited by Venables, but they hung with the defensive-minded head coach after he took over in December of 2021. All three were instrumental in Oklahoma’s year-to-year turnaround from 2022 to 2023. Though the three defensive stars are on their third defensive coordinator in four seasons, they remain committed to the vision laid out by Venables and his staff. And each has shown improvement each season under their head coach.

More: Recent USC decommitments further validate Oklahoma’s recruiting strategy

Farooq, who had a strong relationship with Williams (they both played high school football in the DMV area on the East Coast), has stayed with the Sooners despite working with his third offensive play-caller and fourth position coach in four seasons.

In this modern era of college football, that many coaching changes would send any number of players into the transfer portal. Yet, they’ve become cornerstone players for Oklahoma and leaders as they enter the SEC. This group of players may have been recruited by Riley and his staff, but it’s clear Bowman, Downs, Farooq, and Stutsman are Venables’ guys.

“We’ve seen the best version of Jalil Farooq, which is what you want. Your best players, so to speak, to always be your best workers, best leaders,” Venables said during spring ball. “So far, through the first part of winter and spring, that’s what Jalil has been.”

Each has taken on a leadership role on and off the field for the Sooners. They’ve been reliable performers and each significantly contributed to Oklahoma’s 10-win season in 2023. In particular, all four guys had a big hand in the Sooners’ win over Texas.

Farooq led Oklahoma in receiving that day with five catches for 130 yards. He also had three carries for 13 yards and two kickoff returns for 37 yards. Downs had two sacks of Quinn Ewers against Texas’ vaunted offensive line. Bowman had 11 total tackles, separated Ja’Tavion Sanders from the football near the goalline leading to a [autotag]Kendal Dolby[/autotag] interception, and came up with a huge stop of Xavier Worthy on fourth and goal at the one-yard line. Stutsman had nine total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. Stutsman was an emotional leader on the day and also made a huge impact on Oklahoma’s legendary goal-line stand.

Bowman and Stutsman had opportunities to go to the NFL this offseason, but they took a big-picture approach to their playing careers and opted for one more season with the Sooners. Downs and Farooq have done nothing but improve during their time under Venables, and both players will look to build upon the strong seasons they had a year ago.

As much as the transfer portal will provide an influx of talent, the Sooners want to build through the high school recruiting ranks. In a developmental game, the four four-star prospects from the 2021 recruiting class are an example of loyalty and trusting the process.

As the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for their first season in the SEC, Jalil Farooq, Ethan Downs, Billy Bowman, and Danny Stutsman will lead the way.

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3 reasons the Oklahoma Sooners will win big in 2024

The Oklahoma Sooners are a talented football team, but for them to win big, these three things have to happen.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a better idea of what the 2024 season will look like with the SEC’s release of game time windows on Tuesday. How they and the Texas Longhorns will fare in their first year in the SEC is anyone’s guess.

Texas made the playoffs last season, and the Sooners are one of the winningest programs over the last 25 years. [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was brought in to prepare Oklahoma for this conference move.

His experience with the Clemson Tigers certainly informs Venables about what it takes to be successful in their new conference home. Each of his first three offseasons has been about getting Oklahoma “SEC ready.”

At the same time, the Sooners provide a new challenge for Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU. OU is considered a blue-blood program for a reason. With seven national titles and 50 conference championships, the Sooners will be a contender in the [autotag]SEC[/autotag]. Can they do it in Year 1? That’s the question everyone’s asking. Here are three reasons OU will win big in 2024 and make the College Football Playoff.

More: College Football Playoff Projections for 2024

Up Next: 3 reasons OU wins big in 2024

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4

Rivals analysts believe 5-star DB Jonah Williams will land at Texas A&M

According to a pair of Rivals recruiting analysts, the Oklahoma Sooners look to be trailing Texas A&M for 2025 five-star safety.

Every recruiting cycle there are high profile recruitments that take center stage. They can vary from program to program, but the blue-blood schools regularly find themselves in these high-leverage recruiting battles. In the 2023 cycle, it was the battle with Notre Dame for five-star safety [autotag]Peyton Bowen[/autotag]. In the 2024 cycle, it was the [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] recruitment.

In the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag], it’s another five-star defender who’s become the name to watch for the Oklahoma Sooners, and that’s [autotag]Jonah Williams[/autotag].

Williams was long considered to be leaning toward the Oklahoma Sooners, even with several predictions favoring OU. But not long after those predictions, the tide began to turn, and several other schools began to make up ground. The team that seems to have made the biggest move is Texas A&M, with new head coach Mike Elko. According to Marshall Levenson and Landyn Rossow of Rivals, it looks like the Aggies’ recruitment to lose. In their latest round of Fact or Fiction, they believe Williams will be the five-star to commit to Texas A&M.

Williams has been linked to Texas A&M more than any other five-star and Williams has continued to show Aggie faithful plenty of love. Williams also loves the baseball team in College Station, and has a special bond with Mike Elko. In the midst of a visit that appears to be going smoothly, the Aggies are looking to be in prime position to reel in the five-star defender. – Rossow, Aggies Insider for Rivals

This feels like a recruitment that could come down to signing day, but with several predictions favoring Texas A&M and what Levenson and Rossow have to say, the Aggies appear to be the leaders at this point in the recruiting cycle.

But as we’ve seen in [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag]’ short tenure with the Sooners, you can’t count them out of any recruiting battle.

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