Tag: Stacey Gage

Sooners continue building recruiting board for 2024, offer RB Caden Durham

Oklahoma continues to cast a wide net at running back with an offer to 2024 prospect Caden Durham out of Duncanville.

[autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] has had no issues acclimating himself as a college football coach. He has been a calm and steady coach and is blossoming into a highly capable recruiter.

His 2022 haul included [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] and [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], two backs we will see this fall. His 2023 class has two backs committed: four-star [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] and [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag].

With presumably the 2023 class locked up, Murray is back on the hunt for his 2024 guys. While [autotag]Stacy Gage[/autotag] and [autotag]Tovani Mizell[/autotag] stand out early, the Sooners cannot get caught with their hands in only two jars. They continued casting a wide net and sent an offer to talented running back Caden Durham of Duncanville, one of Texas’ premier high school football programs.

Durham also has massive connections to Oklahoma, Durham’s mother is an Oklahoma alumnus, and he played his freshman season at South Moore High School before moving to Texas.

Durham is a smaller back, standing at 5-foot-9 and clocking at a reported 180 pounds. He has a knack for breaking the initial tackle attempt and continuing to plant and go, which, in Jeff Lebby’s power zone scheme, would serve him well. He runs track, and his top end shows when he’s able to get to the second and third levels of the defense.

Durham looks like a quality option to fit in the new Sooners run scheme, and he has the shake necessary to be a productive college running back. He’s not rated by 247Sports, Rivals or On3, but ESPN has him in its top 300, so he’s certainly a player to keep an eye on.

Caden Durham’s Recruiting Profile

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Hudl

Each Quarterback and Running Back the Oklahoma Sooners have offered in the 2024 recruiting class

With the focus on 2023 this summer, let’s take a look at the quarterbacks and running backs the Oklahoma Sooners have offered in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Oklahoma’s had a lot of success recruiting the quarterback and running back positions since in the school’s history. Though the style of player has changed from the dynastic eras of the Bud Wilkinson and Barry Switzer days, Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley’s Oklahoma Sooners were able to attract some of the best skill players the country has had to offer.

Since the turn of the century, Oklahoma’s had some of the best offensive players the game has seen, as evidenced by their four Heisman trophies, several finalists, and highly productive rushing attacks.

And now with Jeff Lebby running the show, Oklahoma’s going to continue that run of highly skilled offensive players at the Palace on the Prairie.

The Sooners have a nice group of quarterbacks to work with over the next couple of years with [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], [autotag]Nick Evers[/autotag], [autotag]Davis Beville[/autotag], and [autotag]General Booty[/autotag] on the 2022 roster and [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag] coming in 2023.

At running back, Oklahoma is also looking really good with [autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag]. [autotag]Marcus Major[/autotag], [autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], and [autotag]Gavin Sawchuk[/autotag] on the depth chart for 2022 with four-start running back [autotag]Kalib Hicks[/autotag] to come in 2023.

While the Sooners continue their push for the 2023 recruiting class, let’s take a look ahead to see who they’re targeting in 2024.