Tag: Robert Spears Jennings

Sooners welcome a chunk of their 2022 recruiting class as early enrollees flock to Norman

Oklahoma welcomes mid-year enrollees and early enrollees to campus this Saturday as a new wave of Sooners hits Norman.

While the Sooners have closed the book on the 2021 season, a new series is being written about the latest story in Oklahoma football’s history. The 2022 season will be Brent Venables’ first as head coach of the Sooners and this winter marks his first opportunity to welcome recruits into the program that he takes over.

While there is still much to do as the Sooners look to complete their 2022 recruiting class and add talent through the transfer portal, the Sooners welcomed some of their 2022 class to campus. Early enrollees from across the country flocked to Norman to get settled before they start their first semester as Sooners.

Brent Venables and the coaching staff were present helping the guys move in and making his presence felt amongst the newest members of his program.

With Sooners moving into their dorms, which members of the 2022 recruiting class enrolled early for the Sooners? We’ve got you covered with a list of them below. These guys will start class on Tuesday.

That’s virtually half of Oklahoma’s 2022 class enrolling early and getting a head start on strength and conditioning, college life, their playbooks, and what it means to be an Oklahoma student-athlete.

The Sooners also currently have incoming transfers like quarterback Dillon Gabriel, offensive guard McKade Mettauer, tight end Daniel Parker already enrolled and ready to rumble. Defensive linemen Jonah Laulu is also in town moving in and will be a full go for the Winter and Spring stuff as well.

Exciting times as exciting new Sooners join the squad from across the country to start their journeys wearing the Crimson and Cream.

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Sooners signee Robert Spears-Jennings Stock Rising after Impressive week at Under Armour All-America Week

247Sports reporter Gabe Brooks says OU signee Robert Spears-Jennings’ stock is rising following the Under Armour All-America week.

Oklahoma signee Robert Spears-Jennings turned some heads with his performance throughout the Under Armour All-America week.

247Sports reporter Gabe Brooks listed Spears-Jennings as one of the players whose stock was rising following the Under Armour All-America Game.

Oklahoma signee Robert Spears-Jennings, a high three-star 88, could be on Top247 watch after his stellar Under Armour All-America week. The 6-foot-1, 192-pounder out of Broken Arrow (Okla.) High School has tested in the 4.5s in the past and put together a well-rounded UA performance that included not only winning the fastest man competition — beating Texas A&M four-star safety signee Bryce Anderson, owner of a 10.48 100 — but encouraging lateral and in-space movement abilities as well.

247Sports national analyst Chris Singletary noted that Spears-Jennings, who owns snaps on both sides of the ball, “has a body type that can see him play in the back end or linebacker positions.” That is particularly valuable given the style of today’s game, which should play to Spears-Jennings’ strengths. – Brooks, 247Sports.

Spears-Jennings is rated as a four-star signee by ESPN and On3, while 247Sports and Rivals rank him as a three-star signee.

ESPN rates Spears-Jennings as the nation’s No. 132 player overall in the 2022 class and the country’s No. 12 athlete. On3 ranks the Broken Arrow product as the nation’s 15th-best safety and No. 173 player overall.

Meanwhile, 247Sports has Spears-Jennings as the nation’s 42-best safety and Rivals ranks him as the country’s No. 36 safety in the 2022 class.

Robert Spears Jennings’ Recruiting Profile

Rating

Stars Overall State Position
247Sports 3 N/A 9 42
Rivals 3 N/A 13 36
ESPN 4 132 4 12
247 Composite 4 266 6 24
On3 Recruiting 4 173 4 15
On3 Composite 4 238 5 20

Spears-Jennings was joined by several other Oklahoma signees at the Under Armour All-America Game. Wide receiver Jayden Gibson, running back Jovantae Barnes and linebacker Kobie McKinzie also took part in the game.

Spears-Jennings will be an interesting piece for Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables and his staff. As 247Sports reporters Gabe Brooks and Chris Singletary noted, the Sooner signee is versatile enough to play a variety of different positions at Oklahoma.

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Oklahoma ranks inside ESPN’s top-10 recruiting classes after bowl season

ESPN’s Craig Haubert took a look at the nation’s recruiting classes following bowl season and the Sooners check in at No. 10.

One of the most encouraging signs to start the Brent Venables era at Oklahoma has been how the Sooners have been able to hold their 2022 recruiting class together and continue to add to it.

ESPN’s Craig Haubert took a look at the nation’s top 2022 recruiting classes following the conclusion of bowl season.

According to ESPN, the Sooners check in with the country’s No. 10 recruiting class right now.

Here’s what Haubert wrote about Oklahoma’s 2022 class.

The Sooners were competing for a top-five class, but the unexpected departure of Lincoln Riley has set this class back a bit. New hire Brent Venables and his staff, though, have the Sooners climbing back up the rankings and into the top ten. The Sooners have a top-10 running back on board in Sawchuk, a wiry back with a good blend of speed, power and agility. They also added late in the process Jovanate Barnes, out of Las Vegas, the same city former Sooner RB great and their current RB Coach Demarco Murray came out of. The new staff made its first key pickup in ESPN 300 QB Nick Evers, who won positional MVP at the Dallas Under Armour camp this past spring. To protect that offensive talent, they have secured multiple ESPN 300 commitments on the offensive line in OTs Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor. The defense took a hit with several ESPN 300 front-seven prospects deciding to open up their recruitment, but there is still some strong talent on that side of the ball on board. Robert Spears-Jennings, a top in-state prospect with quick feet, could contribute on either side of the ball with upside as a defensive back. Williams gives them another versatile player; the fluid, speedy in-state prospect is projected to the secondary as well. – Haubert, ESPN.

According to ESPN, running back Gavin Sawchuk is Oklahoma’s top offensive player and defensive back Gentry Williams is the Sooners’ top defensive player in the 2022 class.

Again, it’s been a terrific start for Venables and his staff and Oklahoma ranking inside the nation’s top-10 recruiting classes is an indication of that.

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Where the top Oklahoma prospects signed in the 2022 recruiting class

Where did the top 10 2022 prospects from the State of Oklahoma sign to play their college football?

The Oklahoma Sooners put together a nice recruiting class for the 2022 cycle. They’re in the top 10 in both 247Sports and On3 composite team rankings, with much of their success coming from the state of Oklahoma.

Over the years it’s been a mixed bag for the Sooners in their home state. This year’s class provided the Sooners with four local kids, but over the past 12 recruiting cycles, they’ve averaged just three in-state signees. This year, Oklahoma tied with Oklahoma State for the most in-state prospects signed at four. Before Talyn Shettron flipped his commitment this past Summer to Oklahoma State, the Sooners had half of the top 10 from the state of Oklahoma committed to play in Norman.

Only two of the top 10 2022 prospects in the state of Oklahoma left for opportunities out of state; defensive lineman Chris McClellan (Florida) and Maurion Horn (Texas Tech). Here’s a rundown of how the Sooners have done recruiting Oklahoma by recruiting class since the 2011 cycle.

  • 2011: 2/10 signed
  • 2012: 3/10 signed
  • 2013: 4/10 signed
  • 2014: 4/10 signed
  • 2015: 4/10 signed
  • 2016: 1/10 signed
  • 2017: 5/10 signed
  • 2018: 4/10 signed
  • 2019: 1/10 signed
  • 2020: 2/10 signed
  • 2021: 2/10 signed
  • 2022: 4/10 signed

Up next, let’s take a look at where each of the top 10 prospects signed or committed to play their college ball from the 2022 recruiting cycle.

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables’ comments on the Sooners’ 2022 signing class

Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables met with the media and commented on what the Sooners are adding in their 2022 signing class.

For a coach, each signing class is different and each is special. Oklahoma’s 2022 signing class will be a memorable one for Brent Venables because it’s his first signing class as a head coach.

Venables addressed the media and discussed what he and the Sooners have added in its “#ChampU22” signing class.

“It’s good to be off the road, finally take a deep breath. We’ve covered a lot of miles here over the last seven days in the recruiting trail. Really exciting about the 13 guys that we announced today that signed. We are waiting on a few other young men to announce here in the next 24 hours or so. I feel terrific about the group of young people that we’re bringing in and their families. I think that they represent the values that we also value,” Venables said.

OU signed players from six states with its class of 13. The class is currently comprised of seven offensive players and six defensive players. All 13 are high school players that are joining the program, so there aren’t any transfer additions yet.

Oklahoma signed offensive linemen Jacob Sexton and Jake Taylor, wide receivers Nicholas Anderson and Jayden Gibson, running back Gavin Sawchuk, tight end Jason Llewellyn and quarterback Nick Evers on offense.

Defensively, the Sooners signed defensive linemen Cedric Roberts and Alton Tarber, linebackers Kip Lewis and Kobie McKinzie and defensive backs Robert Spears-Jennings and Jayden Rowe.

“Just a group that again covers every level at every position outside of a specialty position. We’ve had three new additional commitments since we started the week initially recruiting. Just feel terrific about again as much as anything else the type of people that they are. They fit our philosophy and our locker room. The things that we value, they value as well,” Venables said.

Venables didn’t comment on all of the 13 signees specifically, but here’s a look at the comments he made about the four that he did address individually.

Kobie McKinzie, linebacker

Kobie McKinzie is rated as the nation’s No. 13 linebacker and 144th player overall in the 247Sports composite rankings. The four-star out of Lubbock-Cooper High School flipped back to the Sooners recently.

“First of all, Kobie’s just an incredibly bright young guy. Got a lot of life to him, huge personality. He’s a relationship-driven young guy, got a wonderful family, just a terrific story,” Venables said of McKinzie.

Venables indicated that McKinzie will be one of the founding blocks for his defense.

“Just really thankful for him. If you’re going to build a great defense, it starts up the middle, you know, inside, up front and at middle backer and with your safeties. You’ve got to be really strong up that middle. His presence, his size, his strength, his power, his physicality gives us a chance for exactly that,” Venables said.

Continue reading “Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables’ comments on the Sooners’ 2022 signing class”

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Bob Stoops, OU Assistant Coaches making an impact on current roster, recruiting trail

Not missing a beat, Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners assistant coaches have been making a big impact on the recruiting trail.

The Oklahoma Sooners have a long way to go in securing the football program’s future, but in the wake of all the chaos that’s surrounded the last several days, they’re still in a promising position. And that’s thanks to the efforts of the Oklahoma assistant coaches and interim head coach Bob Stoops on the recruiting trail.

Still, just a few days removed from the sudden departure of Lincoln Riley and other assistants, those who’ve remained loyal to the program haven’t wasted any time. With the opening of in-home visits across the country, they’ve made quick work getting to their top recruits in the 2022 recruiting class to continue to build relationships with the players and their families.

Guys like DeMarco Murray, Cale Gundy, and Joe Jon Finley have been active with Bob Stoops to continue to put Oklahoma’s best foot forward. Although nothing is certain, the efforts being made by the Oklahoma contingent have meant a lot to the OU prospects.

When Stoops took over as the interim head coach, he made it known that his priority was stabilizing the program for the current players and then getting out on the trail to remind recruits that “this is still Oklahoma.”

Stoops was doing just that on a visit yesterday with 2022 running back Gavin Sawchuk in Nevada. He was in Arlington, Texas, recently as well visiting with Xavion Brice. The other night, he was with Robert Spears-Jennings in Tulsa. At the same time, Joe Jon Finley was in Kansas to further his relationship with Kaden Helms.

With the early signing period approaching, the Sooners current staff of coaches are making a significant impact furthering the interests of the University of Oklahoma. It remains to be seen just how much the coaching change will hurt the Sooners over the next couple of recruiting cycles, but whatever happens, it won’t be because the assistants who stuck with the Sooners didn’t give their best efforts.

Despite the uncertainty of their future, the assistant coach team at Oklahoma continues to grind away for the betterment of the program. Bob Stoops’ passion and commitment to the program helps to add to the relationships the assistants already have with the kids their visiting or attempting to retain.

Their relationships with current and (hopefully) future Sooners is what will make the difference in December of 2021 and beyond.

Chronicling the Sooner recruits who have reaffirmed their commitments

Despite the uncertainty in the program, multiple Oklahoma recruits have stood by their commitments as they wait for a new head coach.

While we have spent plenty of time discussing the guys that are decommitting from Oklahoma, not enough attention has been paid to the guys who have stood in the face of a major storm and let the world be known they are still on board with the Crimson and Cream.

Bob Stoops, Joe Castiglione, and Oklahoma’s school president Joseph Harroz Jr. all met with the football team in an attempt to soothe concerns and acknowledge that, despite the recent upheaval in the program, they would do whatever is possible to ensure the show goes on and that the future of this program was in great hands. The message seemed to resonate with current players where some took to social media to voice their support and belief in the program.

While they did this, recruits across the country became consumed with massive decisions to make. Some have already decided to open up their recruitments and look elsewhere. We have chronicled that for the 2022 class here and a list of guys for the 2023 guys here.

With those names out there looking to leave, the Sooners still have verbal commits in both classes. A few have stood out and announced that even without a head coach they plan to stick by the school and their commitment and proceed forward. Some remain mum. The outspoken ones are:

 

 

Official and Unofficial visitors coming to Norman for Oklahoma’s Big 12 Opener vs. WVU

Oklahoma is set to host several players for official and unofficial visits for this weekends prime-time matchup with West Virginia

Opening their conference slate on what should be a nice evening could not work out any better for the Oklahoma Sooners. They will have a lot of the nation watching, another sellout atmosphere, and some very high-profile recruits in town that they should be ecstatic to host. Let’s take a look at some of the players slated to take official and unofficial visits to Norman this weekend.

Official visits:

 

Unofficial visits:

As it stands at the time of this post, this group of visitors is loaded. There’s a nice blend of commits and uncommitted guys. Those who have already committed can work on the uncommitted athletes and convince them to come to Oklahoma. It’s a perfect situation for Oklahoma.

NOTES:

In-state star Chris McLellan out of Owasso, Oklahoma, is a priority for Oklahoma. They’ll be trying to restock their defensive line cupboard with the likely departure of multiple guys to the NFL or graduation this winter. Currently, Oklahoma is competing with Florida, Ohio State, and Alabama the most for his services.

Marvin Jones Jr will be on his official visit. He plays at American Heritage which is the same school as Sooners 2023 commit Brandon Inniss. The Sooners have an excellent little connection with this school currently will look to stand out with a great official and hope Brandon can keep the pressure on him at school.

The biggest fish that will be in town is that of Lebbeus Overton. Overton is the number two player in the country in 247Sports composite rankings and the number one recruit by 247Sports. He’s a Sooner legacy as his father (Milton Overton) played offensive line at Oklahoma from 1991-1994. Oklahoma was rumored to be out of the race for Overton. However, a trip to the Champ U BBQ and an unofficial visit this weekend indicates communication between the two sides has picked back up. Oklahoma could really make some noise here. Ultimately, they need to have him back for an official.

With only one offensive lineman committed for the 2023 class, Oklahoma will likely start building on both sides of the line for that class. Guys like Harris Sewell have an offer from the Sooners and are very much on Oklahoma’s radar.

Stay tuned throughout the week as we update the list with more information on who is and is not visiting this Saturday against West Virginia.

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Oklahoma Sooners pick up second in-state product

Oklahoma Sooners pick up second in-state product in two days with the commitment of Robert Spears-Jennings of Broken Arrow.

For the second consecutive day, the Oklahoma Sooners picked up a commitment for the 2022 class. Much like four-star offensive tackle Jacob Sexton, Robert Spears-Jennings played his high school football in the state of Oklahoma for Broken Arrow. Spears-Jennings is a two-way player as a wide receiver and defensive back.

As a weapon on the offensive side of the ball, Spears Jennings brings size to the position at 6’2″. This will give him an advantage against smaller defenders on the outside. With the losses of Jordan Hudson and Talyn Shettron, the Sooners needed to add another offensive weapon to the cabinet.

As a defender, Spears-Jennings can be a weapon as a defensive back. Not too often will he be outmatched due to the size of opposing receivers. Whichever way he goes, the Oklahoma product will be an asset on either side of the ball.

 

Today I’ve chosen the path of my future that will benefit me over the next 40+ years. I know this day is only possible because God provided me a gift of athletic ability so I say Thank You. Next up, my parents, mom this is for you letting you know the sacrifice hasn’t gone unnoticed. Pops thank you for always pushing me to become the best version of myself, and to make sure I was prepared for manhood. To each of coaches as I’ve had plenty being a military kid, and moving often you each contributed to this milestone and played a role in me getting to this point I’m at today. To my teammates the game of football can’t be played with one person so without y’all this day wouldn’t exist. Lastly, to each program that recruited me thank you for seeing potentional in my abilities to play at the next level. That being said I’m proud to announce that I’ve committed to The Univeristy of Oklahoma! Boomer Sooner – Robert Spears-Jennings via his Twitter account

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Oklahoma target sets commitment date for the 4th of July

One Oklahoma Sooners in-state targets sets his commitment date for this weekend.

The Oklahoma Sooners have seen their fair share of bad news as of late at the wide receiver position in the 2022 recruiting class. Top commit Luther Burden recently posed in Georgia Bulldogs gear prior to his visit to Norman. He is the one top recruit that OU needs to hold onto. Outside of the No. 1 wide receiver in the country giving fans anxiety, the Sooners lost two commits at the position.

Jordan Hudson recently decommitted from the program and is looking at the Alabama Crimson Tide, SMU Mustangs and the Texas Longhorns as his landing spot. The other top wide receiver was Tayln Shettron who decided to flip his pledge to the Sooners’ in-state rivals, Oklahoma State. That leaves Oklahoma with one wide receiver commit in the 2022 class, Burden. The Sooners dropped in the 247Sports composite team rankings from No. 5 to No. 22.

There could be help on the way and it could be happening this weekend. A local product out of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, is expected to make his commitment this Fourth of July. Robert Spears-Jennings made that announcement through his Twitter account.

The Sooners hold the crystal ball advantage for the 6-foot-2 wide receiver. He ranks as a three-star composite wideout. Spears-Jennings also plays on the defensive side of the ball, and he could be viewed for that position as well. He had an unofficial visit to Oklahoma on June 9. Less than a month later, he could be pledging to play for the Sooners in 2022.

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