Tag: Todd Bates

Five-star priority target Williams Nwaneri announces commitment date

Elite defender Williams Nwaneri announces his decision date via social media.

The date is set. [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag]’s recruitment is coming to a head. The talented five-star edge from Lee’s Summit, Missouri, announced via social media that he plans to announce his collegiate decision on Aug. 14.

The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Nwaneri plans to choose between five finalists: Oklahoma, Missouri, Oregon, Georgia and Tennessee. The talented five-star took official visits to Georgia, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Missouri in June and traveled to Oregon on an unofficial visit last week.

Nwaneri has visited Oklahoma’s campus multiple times this year, and his connections to the Sooners are plentiful.

He plays at the same high school true freshman offensive lineman Cayden Green played at. The two went up against each other in practice before Green graduated and moved to Norman. His current teammate, 2025 nose tackle Ka’Mori Moore, committed to Oklahoma in late July. Another current teammate and close friend, Isaiah Mozee, is an Oklahoma lean. And if that isn’t enough to highlight it, his head coach, Mozee’s father, is a former Sooner.

There are a number of reasons Nwaneri might choose the Sooners. When asked about Oklahoma, he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett: “I have a great relationship with coach (Miguel) Chavis and (Todd) Bates. It’s always great vibes in Norman.”

No one knows where he may go, but Oklahoma has put its best efforts into landing a transformative defensive talent. With recent rumblings, Oklahoma and Missouri seem like the two schools duking it out as this race comes around the final turn.

With a decision less than two weeks away, Oklahoma will continue applying the pressure as much as possible. Aug. 1 started the dead period for NCAA recruiting, meaning there can only be digital and non-face-to-face contact. So, no visits in any capacity are allowed.

August is a massive month for Oklahoma recruiting; decisions from not one but two five-star defenders are incoming. Nwaneri’s decision will get things started before [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] makes his announcement on Aug. 26.

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Fresh crystal ball predicts Oklahoma to land 4-star DL Nigel Smith

Tuesday evening, the Oklahoma Sooners received a fresh prediction to land top 100 defensive lineman Nigel Smith.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been working overtime to build a defensive line class that can lay the foundation for their move to the SEC.

A strong defensive line is how Brent Venables had success at Oklahoma. It’s how he helped Clemson win national championships. And the Sooners are looking to stockpile as much talent along the defensive front as they can.

The plan received a bit of a boost on Tuesday evening when Horns 247’s Jordan Scruggs issued a crystal ball prediction favoring the Oklahoma Sooners in the recruitment of four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag].

247Sports joins Rivals and On3 in favoring the Oklahoma Sooners in this top-100 recruitment.

The Texas Longhorns are another of the teams on the shortlist for Smith. Also on the list are Ohio State, Penn State, Texas A&M and Rutgers.

Smith is the No. 84 player in the country according to the 247Sports composite and the No. 12 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle.

At 6 feet, 5 inches and 260 pounds, Smith has the size to be a force at multiple spots along the defensive line. He’s an athletic player that plays with really good technique and a motor that will not quit. Smith is quick off the line of scrimmage, using a great first step to work through the offensive line to make plays in the backfield.

Oklahoma has a pair of defensive linemen committed to the 2024 class. [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag] and [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] are just the first in a grand plan set forth by [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] to construct a blue-chip defensive line through the 2024 class.

In addition to Smith, the Sooners are favored to land [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag] and [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. Oklahoma is also in hot pursuit of Danny Okoye, Dominick McKinley and Zina Umeozulu.

There’s no telling if they’ll land all eight of their defensive line targets in the cycle, but with the way events are unfolding, the Sooners could add as many as six of these blue-chip talents.

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ESPN’s Tom Luginbill compares Sooners target David Stone to current Clemson defender

Tom Luginbill of ESPN compared current Oklahoma target David Stone to current Clemson Tigers DL Ruke Orhorhoro.

Oklahoma’s recruiting momentum is peaking right now, and it’s quite a phenomenon when considering the Sooners are waiting on decisions from two of the nation’s top 10 players.

One of those is David Stone, a five-star recruit on every primary recruiting service. Stone hails from Oklahoma but played high school football at IMG Academy the last two years. He and Williams Nwaneri sit at the top of Oklahoma’s recruiting board, and the Sooners have put themselves in a great spot to land both.

Tom Luginbill, a recruiting analyst for ESPN, wrote about the class of 2024 and compared some of the brightest names to current college stars (ESPN+).

For [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], Luginbill compared him to current Clemson’s Ruke Orhorhoro, a talented defender who can play inside and has the skills to rush the passer from the edge.

Stone does not quite possess the bulk and point-of-attack strength of Orhorhoro, but that will come with time. When Orhorhoro came out of high school, he was also on the leaner side.

When watching both of these guys, you see two players who could play on the inside and outside. Stone and Orhorhoro could play the five-technique or even defensive end in a pinch and still be disruptive as a pure pass-rusher. Their initial first step off the ball is outstanding, and their motor to finish plays sets them apart.

If you think about it, it’s a glowing review and assessment of both players.  Orhorhoro was recruited to Clemson in 2019 by two gentlemen named Brent Venables and Todd Bates. Those same gentlemen are recruiting David Stone for Oklahoma.

Both men saw something in Orhorhoro. Despite the two no longer being at Clemson, they slowly started tapping into his potential in 2021 when he first hit the scene with 36 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He followed that up with 23 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss and 4 sacks in 2022 while defending five passes as well.

Orhorhoro was a three-star recruit out of high school, while Stone has been at the top of his class since his sophomore year. However, Ruke’s steady rise has him being considered for a possible first-round draft slot if he continues to progress like he has these last two years.

In short, Venables and Bates know defensive linemen. The comparison by Luginbill is another in a long line of reasons that a potential match between Stone and Oklahoma could be an incredible sight to see.

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Jonah Laulu taking on leadership role amid move to defensive tackle

Oklahoma’s Jonah Laulu disccused his new role moving to DT from EDGE and guys he’s got his eye on for 2023.

To say Oklahoma lost a lot heading into last season is an understatement. Yes, Lincoln Riley’s departure was tough to swallow. Still, the players that departed for the draft or the transfer portal put a massive dent in the talent pool Oklahoma had to work with heading into last season.

One of the players Oklahoma brought in via the portal was Hawaii transfer Jonah Laulu, a seasoned defender who spent four years at Hawaii. He came to Oklahoma with two years of eligibility, and his first year saw him as a staple in Oklahoma’s EDGE rotation.

He played in every game and made starts against Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Florida State in the Cheez-It Bowl. He totaled 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one pass breakup, and two QB hurries.

It wasn’t an earth-shattering performance by any means, but Laulu, like many of his peers who decided to return for 2023, knew they had to improve this year. For one of the worst defenses in recent Oklahoma memory, that just won’t cut it, especially with a defensive wizard at the head coach like Brent Venables.

Laulu fully bought in this offseason to the culture change and commitment to turning OU around defensively and accepted a position change to play along the defensive interior instead of just inside. To do that, Laulu added over 30 pounds in size. As Oklahoma prepares for fall camp, the former Hawaii transfer has gone from 260 pounds to 293 pounds.

At Big 12 Media Days, Laulu discussed how the position change came about, his motivation, and his overall thoughts. Laulu spoke about being in a leadership position and how he got there.

“I think it’s because of how well I took on the position change,” Laulu shared. “Because some people would kind of refuse it at first, and they wouldn’t want to change that position because you don’t want to let go with being on the edge. I mean, I just wanted to do what I needed to do to help this team be the best that they can be. So whatever I have to do, I’ll do it.”

Laulu continued and shared when the decision came that, he would move inside.

“We knew I was going to play DT before the season started last year,”  Laulu said. “So in fall camp, when we were maybe like little bit halfway through camp, my coach, Coach Chavis came up and talking to us, like, ‘We noticed that your movements on the inside,’ or ‘you look so natural,’ and ‘you’re way more comfortable on the interior. And, you know, we probably think about putting you on the interior next season.’ Putting me with Coach Bates. I’ll do whatever it takes. For this team to win. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Laulu’s ability to buy in is the core tenet of what Brent Venables and the rest of his staff have talked about in full regarding the shift in mindset and accountability needed for Oklahoma not just to be better this year but to compete for a Big 12 title.

He represents the type of buy-in Oklahoma needs, especially on defense, where accountability and a willingness to do the hard and gritty work. The stuff that may go unnoticed by the general audience resonates with the coaches and his teammates and permeates the rest of the locker room.

As one of their leaders on the defense, Oklahoma looks well-equipped to be better this year. Jonah also shared some names he thinks are primed for a breakout year or that the Sooner fans need to know about defensively.

“I’d say R Mason Thomas,” Laulu said. “He’s actually living with me right now. I mean, if you’re watching this defense, look out for Mason. He’s a great player. His ability to use his quickness, and his quick twitch and his high motor.”

Laulu also mentioned sophomore Gracen Halton, true freshman Ashton Sanders, and former five-star safety Peyton Bowen. As for some older guys, Laulu mentioned transfers Phil Paea and Da’Jon Terry are slowly acclimating themselves, learning the playbook, and trying to fit in amongst the rest of the guys.

Oklahoma should be well positioned to be better on defense next season simply due to more familiarity in the scheme, another year under strength and conditioning coach Jerry Schmidt, and a massive infusion of talent from the transfer portal and their freshman class. Guys like Laulu will need to lead the charge, having been in the fire of the Big 12 schedule and knowing what it feels like to struggle. Leaning on that experience could help Oklahoma reach the top of the Big 12 mountain in their final year in the league.

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Twitter reacts to four-star defensive tackle Jayden Jackson’s commitment to Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up a big-time commitment from four-star DT Jayden Jackson and here’s how Twitter reacted.

The Oklahoma Sooners earned a massive commitment from Rivals four-star defensive tackle Jayden Jackson on Thursday afternoon. It was a big-time recruiting win that will help lay the groundwork for the Sooners’ interior defensive line recruiting in the 2024 class.

At 6 feet, 2 inches and 300 pounds, Jackson represents the type of defensive tackle that could play over the center, line up between the guard and the center as the 1-technique, or play between the guard and the tackle as the 3-technique.

He is a priority target for the Sooners as they look to stockpile their defensive line ahead of their move to the SEC.

Jayden Jackson has the strength, discipline, toughness and technique to take on and defeat double teams, but also has the quickness to be an impact player on the pass rush.

A recruiting battle that had the Sooners facing off with Texas, Miami and Ohio State went the Sooners’ way. Jackson’s commitment, along with Wyatt Gilmore’s pledge, is only the beginning of their efforts along the defensive line.

The Sooners await decisions from priority targets David Stone, Williams Nwaneri, Danny Okoye, Nigel Smith, Zuni Umeozulu and Dominick McKinley. But before we see how the Oklahoma Sooners complete their defensive line recruiting in 2024, here’s a look at how Twitter reacted to Jayden Jackson’s commitment.

Four-star DT Jayden Jackson commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

After speculation that Texas and Miami were destinations, Oklahoma is the choice for four-star defensive tackle Jayden Jackson.

Oklahoma is starting to heat up on the recruiting trail. Oklahoma just landed their seventh recruit since June 19th as four-star nose tackle [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag] committed to Oklahoma on Thursday.

Jackson brings college-ready size and will likely add more to his already impressive frame. Jackson chose the Sooners over Texas, Ohio State, and in-state school Miami.

Oklahoma first offered Jackson in March when they were likely checking in at IMG Academy and continuing to fill out the remainder of their board for 2024. Jackson’s teammate and friend at IMG is five-star defensive linemen David Stone, a priority target for the Sooners. In recruiting Stone, the Sooners identified Jackson as an intriguing option at defensive tackle.

The rest of the story took off. Jackson took an official visit to Norman on June 20th and used the remainder of June for other official visits before ultimately choosing Oklahoma.

Much has been said about Oklahoma’s perceived lack of preparedness for their jump to the SEC. It was felt that the Sooners weren’t in a position in the trenches to compete in the SEC. While that may have been true before Brent Venables’ arrival, it’s quickly becoming a stale narrative that is dying out quickly. The last two recruiting classes for Oklahoma have seen the Sooners recruit some of the most talented defensive linemen.

Jackson is a four-star player in the 247Sports composite. While he may not have a high overall ranking, his offer list clearly reveals that high-level Power Five teams saw him as an impact player.

It’s hard not to recognize how strong he is, how laterally quick he moves for a guy his size, and his motor on the playing field. Teams should line up for that type of one-technique defensive tackle in the middle of their defense to help establish physicality up front.

Here’s what Sooners Wire Managing Editor John Williams had to say about Jayden Jackson when he dropped his top 12 back in April, which included the Oklahoma Sooners.

Jackson is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound defensive tackle that is the definition of a people mover. He is quick off the line of scrimmage and displays really good play strength. Jackson can dart through the line to get into the backfield or utilize his strength to defeat double teams at the point of attack. – Williams, Sooners Wire

Jackson’s commitment is another feather in the cap of Todd Bates, who came to Oklahoma with a reputation on the recruiting trail and a notable talent developer. He’s starting to get the guys he wants that fit the style of defense the Sooners want to play.

With Jackson in the Sooners’ 2024 recruiting class, his next objective will be to ensure his teammate and friend David Stone commits to Oklahoma.

The Sooners have appear to be the overwhelming favorite for Stone according to the predictions from 247Sports, On3, and Rivals. However, Stone has yet to announce a commitment date. Still, with his close friend and teammate now a Sooners commit, Stone’s decision may have gotten just a little bit easier.

Oklahoma isn’t done along the defensive front. Stone, five-star EDGE Williams Nwaneri, and four-star prospects Nigel Smith and Danny Okoye still have upcoming decisions that loom large for the Sooners.

Like the weather in Oklahoma, things are heating up for the Sooners and Brent Venables on the recruiting trail.

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Trio of Sooners assistants named to 247Sports All-Big 12 first-team coaching staff

Three Sooners assistants were named to both 247Sports All-Big 12 first and second team coaching staffs.

The Oklahoma Sooners are less than seven weeks away from the start of the 2023 college football season. It’s a team that’s expected to improve from their 6-7 season after having one of the worst defenses in the country in 2022.

There’s a belief that this coaching staff can turn things around. The only question is how quickly can they. The staff has shown a proclivity for recruiting in Norman. While the results aren’t where everyone wants them, this coaching staff has proven their ability throughout their careers. Several assistants were named to 247Sports All-Big 12 team, including three first-teamers.

Here’s how 247Sports grades their assistants.

The All-Big 12 staff comprises the highest-graded coaches in the Coach Rating Index. The CRI is “a massive grading system with over 30,000 individual unit profiles and over 250,000 annual coaching result reports. If a coach was designated in an on-field role in that period in either the FBS or FCS levels, he is in the database with a career number rating and accompanying career star rating.”

  • All coaches must have at least four years of coaching experience at the position.
  • Two defensive back coaches on each team
  • Grades must only include on-field results and not their value as a recruiter, which is a separate grade. – Brandon Marcello – 247Sports
Here’s a look at the coaches recognized by 247Sports.

Oklahoma in a good spot for two of Rivals remaining uncommited 5-star prospects

Rivals has 13 uncommitted five-stars and the Oklahoma Sooners appear to be in a good spot for two of the nation’s best.

The month of July is finally upon us, and we should start to see commitments funnel in favor of the Sooners.

Depending on where you look or who you talk to, the Sooners could see six to 10 commitments this month.

Rivals has 13 uncommitted five-stars, and Oklahoma sits in a really good spot for two of them, according to national recruiting director Adam Gorney.

The first is defensive lineman [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag]. Rivals ranks him the No. 3 overall player and the highest-rated player without a home.

Oklahoma has been the front-runner here for some time, but in recent months Georgia has made significant in-roads in this recruitment and it could come down to the wire for the five-star defensive end. Nwaneri has more connections to the Sooners especially with former teammate Cayden Green recruiting him there, but the success of the Bulldogs’ defensive linemen and development into the NFL – plus back-to-back national titles – cannot be understated. Tennessee, Missouri and others are also in this one. – Gorney, Rivals

What was long thought to be an Oklahoma versus Tennessee Volunteers race has turned into the Sooners battling the back-to-back defending champion Georgia Bulldogs.

This one could go all the way to signing day, but signs are pointing to a decision being made as early as this month. Gorney is predicting the Sooners to win out in the end.

The next on the list is defensive tackle [autotag]David Stone[/autotag]. Stone is the 10th overall player in the nation and second-best player at his position, behind Justin Scott, who committed to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Sunday.

Stone has long been thought of as an Oklahoma lean since he is from Oklahoma, and his family still lives there even though he plays at IMG Academy in Florida.

There is going to be talk about Michigan State and Stone really likes Miami with Florida also trying to get in this thing with the five-star defensive lineman, but everything here comes back to Oklahoma. He’s from the state, any comments about his mother not wanting him at Norman were a little misguided and taken out of context and the Sooners have done everything possible to convince the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout that he could shine in their system. – Gorney

Stone would be a huge get for Oklahoma as it heads to the SEC. He would bolster a defensive line that greatly needs elite defensive tackle play. Gorney also predicts the Sooners to be his choice in the end.

While there’s not been a date set for Stone’s commitment, there is a belief he wants to be done with it before his season starts in August. But we’ll have to wait and see.

If you are wondering about [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], he’s not listed as a five-star with Rivals. But he’s someone Oklahoma feels confident with as well, although the LSU Tigers and Texas Longhorns are lurking. The long-held belief has been it would be difficult to lure McKinley away from the hometown Tigers. That Oklahoma is in the race for McKinley is a credit to Brent Venables and Todd Bates.

Ultimately, if Oklahoma lands Nwaneri and Stone, it would be the greatest defensive line recruiting class in a long time. It’s exactly why you bring in Brent Venables to be your head coach and why Miguel Chavis and Todd Bates came with him.

The Sooners have needed a bunch of game wreckers along the defensive line for years, and the they look to be on the verge of heading to the SEC with at least a pair of the best defensive line prospects in the 2024 recruiting class.

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Oklahoma Sooners 2024 commitment tracker

Which players are committed to the Oklahoma Sooners 2024 recruiting class and what do they bring to the football field?

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to follow a pair of top-10 recruiting classes in 2022 and 2023 with another in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Sooners’ 6-7 season didn’t affect the finish to the 2023 recruiting class, which finished No. 4 in the nation according to 247Sports.

Brent Venables and his staff are hoping to have a repeat of that success or better and have themselves well-positioned to be near the top of the rankings when it’s all said and done in 2024.

Much of the success of this class will be determined by how well the Oklahoma Sooners recruit the defensive line ahead of their move to the SEC in 2024. In a strong defensive line class, the Sooners are in a good spot with a number of highly-coveted prospects. They finally broke the ice on their defensive line recruiting with the addition of Wyatt Gilmore, the No. 2 player in the state of Minnesota and a four-star prospect.

All eyes turn to players like [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], [autotag]Jayshawn Ross[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag], and [autotag]Zina Umeozulu[/autotag].

They will not land all of their targets, but Venables, [autotag]Ted Roof[/autotag], [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] have made a strong impression on an impressive group of defensive line prospects.

Still just over five months out from the early signing period, here’s a look at who is committed to the Oklahoma Sooners as of July 1, 2023.

IMG Academy DT Jayden Jackson making official visit to Oklahoma

Jayden Jackson is traveling to Norman to have an official visit with the Oklahoma Sooners starting on Monday.

Oklahoma’s search to fortify its defensive line ahead of its move to the SEC has been the top storyline of the 2024 recruiting cycle.

While [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag] and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] are top of mind, the Sooners are turning over every stone to land top-tier defensive line talents from across the nation.

In the wake of the ChampU BBQ, the Sooners are hosting another impressive defensive tackle for his official visit starting Monday. That’s IMG Acadamy’s [autotag]Jayden Jackson[/autotag]. Jackson will be in Norman June 19-21 to hear Oklahoma’s recruiting pitch.

Jackson is an impressive player, someone who can play both the run and pass game with his elite strength and quickness off the line of scrimmage. Though he’s only a three-star prospect according to On3 and 247Sports, Rivals sees Jackson as a top-200 player, which is more fitting to what he looks like on the field.

Jackson boasts great size at 6 feet, 2 inches and 300 pounds, but what’s more impressive is his agility. He moves like a player much smaller and plays with great leverage and strength.

The IMG standout spent time with Miami and has an official visit scheduled with Texas for next weekend. But the Sooners will get the opportunity to make an impression before his trip to Austin.

While Jackson is trending toward Ohio State, don’t count out Todd Bates and Brent Venables’ ability to recruit a defensive tackle of Jackson’s ability. He could play both defensive tackle positions on all downs and be a terror for interior offensive linemen.

The Sooners are hoping to do with the 2024 defensive tackle class what they did in the 2023 defensive back class. Have a deep group of blue-chip signees that can help make over a unit that was in desperate need of a talent infusion.

If Oklahoma can land Jackson, it would be a huge addition. Though he may not have the star status as some of his contemporaries, he has the ability to be just as productive at the college level.

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