Tag: Todd Bates

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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ChampU BBQ a huge opportunity for the Oklahoma Sooners

This BBQ will see a number of highly valued recruits including two five-star defensive linemen and the nation’s top running back.

We’ve finally made it. The annual ChampU BBQ is upon us as “28 monsters” make their way to Norman.

This is typically when recruiting starts to take off for the Sooners. It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest, recruiting weekends of the year. As Sooners Wire’s Bryant Crews notes, the annual event netted Oklahoma seven commitments last year. Quarterback Jackson Arnold, who had committed months earlier, also attended.

This year’s BBQ will see a number of highly valued recruits, including two five-star defensive linemen and the nation’s top running back.

They are five-star defensive lineman David Stone and four-star running back Taylor Tatum. Both really like Oklahoma, and this weekend is huge for the Sooners to make progress in earning their commitment.

Director of recruiting for 247Sports Steve Wiltfong broke down both prospects ahead of this weekend.

Stone seems like a guy who, when he commits, will open the floodgates for the Sooners on the recruiting trail. He has that personality people want to follow. I’ve seen him compared to former OU defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.

“David Stone he’s obviously from Oklahoma,” Steve Wiltfong shared. “The crystal ball favors the Sooners right now in this recruitment. He loves coach Todd Bates, loves coach Brent Venables, and the culture that they’re instilling in Oklahoma. He says that they’re quickly going to be a contender again under this new staff, but there are other contenders in the recruitment for David Stone.

“He was recently at Miami again; he’s visited them several times. Oregon is a contender Texas A&M is in the mix, the Florida Gators. He’s had a few great visits to Florida this calendar year. So Oklahoma looking to continue to re-solidify themselves as one of the teams to beat with David Stone this weekend.”

The Sooners sit in a really good place in his recruitment. Whenever he commits, it will be a gravity-shifting pledge that could pull other top prospects along with him.

Another guy who could commit this weekend but is unlikely is Tatum. Tatum was thought to be an OU lean until a trip to USC.

“And then Taylor Tatum. A lot of momentum around USC right now, a lot of momentum around the Trojans on the trail,” Wiltfong said. “Taylor Tatum, one of the guys that they’re trending for, but Oklahoma is their main competition, in my opinion. [autotag]DeMarco Murray[/autotag] has done a fantastic job recruiting him and his family. He likes coach Jeff Lebby, in the offense in Norman, and he’s talked about Jackson Arnold being one of the best quarterbacks in college football for years to come. So a lot of enticing things about Oklahoma for Taylor Tatum coming into the weekend.”

All signs indicate he wants to play baseball as well, and USC’s baseball program might help the Trojans get the edge win out in this recruitment.

But it’s no secret he has a good relationship with DeMarco Murray, and it just feels like Murray is due for a big-time win.

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What does defensive tackle look like after Derrick LeBlanc’s departure

What does the defensive tackle position look like after Derrick LeBlanc’s departure?

With the news of former four-star defensive tackle Derrick LeBlanc’s departure from the program, let’s take a look at where Oklahoma goes at defensive tackle.

LeBlanc announced on Twitter there were some “unforeseen circumstances” that resulted in him having to enter the portal.

Losing a guy like LeBlanc, you can look at it in one of two ways. On one hand, you don’t want to lose defensive linemen, especially those at defensive tackle. This is a position the Sooners are weak at, and you never want to lose talented players.

On the other hand, you aren’t losing any production. Did he have potential? Absolutely. But he hadn’t played a game yet.

Let’s be real. Unless something changed, he wasn’t going to be in the two-deep this year. I could argue he wasn’t top six at his position for 2023.

Injuries could change that, obviously, but it was unlikely he’d get playing time ahead of guys like [autotag]Da’Jon Terry[/autotag], [autotag]Phillip Paea[/autotag], [autotag]Jonah Laulu[/autotag], [autotag]Isaiah Coe[/autotag], [autotag]Jordan Kelley[/autotag], [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Gracen Halton[/autotag]. One could make the argument that [autotag]Ashton Sanders[/autotag] was in a better position to compete for snaps inside given the size he arrived in Norman with.

There’s been a great deal of buzz about Sanders and Halton this offseason, but both are still young guys that have developing to do. Halton was a four-star signee in the 2022 recruiting class after flipping from Oregon.

There have been rumors about Lacey not being able to play this year, so that would hurt. But we’ve heard Ethan Downs and Rondell Bothroyd could play up and down the line.

2024 is trickier, though. Laulu, Lacey, Kelley and Coe are out of eligibility after this season. Now the Sooners are in the running for elite players in the 2024 class. They can also address issues in the portal. But defensive tackle has some questions to answer in 2023 ahead of the program’s move to the SEC in 2024.

In their first year in the SEC, the Sooners could have very little depth at one of the most important positions. 

If there’s a positive takeaway from the departure from the Sooners’ perspective, it’s that Derrick LeBlanc made the decision now as opposed to next winter. The Sooners are in the midst of recruiting so they might be able to get in on some recruits they had moved on from now that they have an extra spot available on the defensive line depth chart.

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Oklahoma Sooners land Tennessee transfer defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry

The Oklahoma Sooners added another defensive tackle to the roster with the commitment of Tennessee DT Da’Jon Terry.

The Tennessee to Oklahoma transfer connection lives on. After adding Wanya Morris, Eric Gray, and Key Lawrence through the portal back in 2021, the Sooners landed another Tennessee transfer Friday morning. Defensive tackle Da’Jon Terry committed to the Oklahoma Sooners after spending time in Norman earlier this week.

Terry has the size to be a legit nose tackle for Oklahoma. He’s a physically imposing player and will help bolster the Sooners interior defensive line. He comes to Norman measuring 6-foot-4 and over 320 pounds.

Terry’s transfer to Oklahoma will mark his second stint in the Big 12, as he spent his first two collegiate years at Kansas. After joining Tennessee, he logged time in 34 games with the Vols. He started nine games across his two seasons in Knoxville.

Terry was never a consistent starter but has made a living as a crucial rotational defender, totaling 16 tackles, six tackles for loss, and two sacks. Someone of his size offers more value than statistics can quantify, as he can eat double teams, allowing other teammates to make plays.

Terry is still relatively new to football. He played just one year of football before his eventual commitment to Kansas. Out of high school, 247Sports had Da’Jon ranked as a three-star prospect and the 120th-best defensive tackle in the country. Terry will have two years remaining of eligibility.

Terry’s Tennessee career gave him invaluable experience playing in the best conference in the sport, and it should serve him well as he ventures to Oklahoma.

From a tactical standpoint, Terry gives Todd Bates and Ted Roof a legitimate space-eater to help improve their run defense and give them more flexibility up front. The Sooners want to play multiple fronts, and with the size and ability against the run that Terry provides, Oklahoma should feel more comfortable deploying three-man fronts.

He marks the third defensive tackle the Sooners have added via the transfer portal. Terry, Jacob Lacey, Davon Sears join Isaiah Coe, Jordan Kelley, and Jonah La’ulu, giving the Sooners a deep, experienced group to work with at defensive tackle heading into 2023.

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Oklahoma included in top 6 for 2024 5-star DL Dominick McKinley

Oklahoma in 2024 5-star defensive lineman Dominick McKinley’s top 6.

The Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff continues to lay the groundwork for what they are hoping to be another top-five class in the [autotag]2024 recruiting cycle[/autotag].

It’s been clear the Sooners hope to attack the defensive line. They appear to be trending toward five-star [autotag]David Stone[/autotag] and five-star [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag]. The Sooners are also heavily in the mix for 2024 four-star defensive line prospects [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag].

Now you can add another 5-star to that list in [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag]. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound defensive lineman from Louisiana would be a huge steal right from under LSU’s nose.

On Wednesday night, McKinley released his top six with OU and LSU joined by the likes of Texas, Ohio State, Texas A&M, and Georgia.

On3 currently has LSU as the heavy favorite. However, he’s already taken one visit to Norman and is expected to be in town on arguably the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Sooners on June 16 for the ChampU BBQ.

McKinley is a top 10 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle and the No. 1 player in Louisiana, according to On3 and 247Sports.

Now Sooner fans have to sit back and hope Brent Venables and co. can pull off some “Sooner Magic” as they continue to build a strong relationship with the highly-touted lineman with hopes of putting together one of the best defensive line recruiting classes in the last decade.

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Prospect Profile: 2024 four-star EDGE Wyatt Gilmore

Oklahoma is in the top 5 for 2024 prospect Wyatt Gilmore, a four-star EDGE out of Rogers, Minnesota.

Oklahoma’s pursuit of defensive linemen in the class of 2024 is arguably the biggest storyline in the [autotag]2024 recruiting cycle[/autotag]. [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and [autotag]Miguel Chavis[/autotag] have relentlessly worked to reshape the position group before Oklahoma’s departure to the SEC.

We have extensively discussed names like [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Jonah-Ajonye[/autotag], and [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag].

Oklahoma’s net has been cast so vast that even though four-star [autotag]Xadavien Sims[/autotag] is no longer an option, the Sooners are still well-positioned with several other prospects, such as four-star EDGE [autotag]Wyatt Gilmore[/autotag].

Gilmore is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound EDGE prospect out of Rogers, Minnesota. Gilmore is ranked by 247 as the No. 20 EDGE in America, and their site has him as the No. 1 player in the state of Minnesota.

Gilmore released his top five schools ahead of the summer recruiting push, and the Sooners made the cut. Joining Oklahoma are Minnesota, Miami, Oregon, and Kansas State. Minnesota has the luxury of being the home state school, but it doesn’t mean Gilmore hasn’t considered leaving home to play college football.

When speaking to Ryan Burns of 247Sports about his top schools, Gilmore shed some light on his inclusion of Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is one of the top college football teams in college football. There are so many things I love about Oklahoma including the S.O.U.L. Mission Program. It’s everything to be able to give back to people and have the opportunity to make people’s life’s better. The most important thing to me in my life is my faith. Faith in God is something they really support there. I’m extremely close with coach Venables and coach Chavis and those guys are DUDES. I’m excited to see how they play next season because I think they have a crazy amount of potential. – Burns, 247Sports

The perception of what Oklahoma is building seems to have resonated across the recruiting trail, as other prospects have expressed similar sentiments about Oklahoma’s blossoming potential.

Gilmore is a tough and productive player who would fit best playing strong-side defensive end or sliding inside and winning with speed from the five-technique in Oklahoma’s system. Gilmore plays with tremendous effort and looks the part of a certified Power Five football player.

Wyatt Gilmore’s Recruiting Profile

Film

HUDL

Oklahoma Sooners offer Utah State transfer DL Phillip Paea

Looking to fortify their defensive line, the Oklahoma Sooners offer Utah State transfer Phillip Paea.

The spring period may be over, but as the Oklahoma Sooners prepare for summer workouts and fall camp, they’re still looking to add talent to their defense.

On Friday, former Michigan and Utah State transfer defenisve lineman Phillip Paea received an offer from [autotag]Todd Bates[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners. Paea transferred to Utah State after spending four seasons with the Michigan Wolverines where he appeared in just three games.

The former On3 four-star prospect transferred to Utah State and was a starter along the defensive line during the Aggies Mountain West championship run in 2021. Paea started the first three games of the 2022 season before suffering a season-ending ACL tear.

Paea collected 14 total tackles and two tackles for loss in 2021. In three games in 2022, he had two total tackles and an interception.

Paea was a coveted prospect in the 2017 signing classes, earning offers from Michigan, BYU, Michigan State, Oregon, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Minnesota, Miami, USC, Utah and Washington State.

Oklahoma has added a pair of defensive linemen via the transfer portal: [autotag]Jacob Lacey[/autotag] and [autotag]Davon Sears[/autotag]. The Sooners are hoping to improve a defensive line that struggled against the run in 2022. If they’re able to add Paea, he would give them another piece to their defensive tackle rotation, joining Jordan Kelley, Isaiah Coe, Jonah Laulu, Sears and Lacey.

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2024 four-star defensive end Nigel Smith sets official visit to Oklahoma

2024 four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith sets his visit to Oklahoma.

2024 defensive end Nigel Smith has set up six visits for his finalists. Those finalists are Rutgers, Ohio State, Penn State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, and Texas.

Oklahoma is in a very good position to land the 6-foot-4, 264-pound defensive end out of Melissa, Texas.

The Sooners officially offered Smith on January 27, 2022, and Bates has been the main catalyst in his recruitment. Smith attended Oklahoma’s Junior on January 28. Nothing is official yet, but On3’s recruiting prediction machine has the Sooners leading the way.

When you watch Nigel Smith’s Hudl, he jumps off the screen immediately. He has great speed off the edge for his size, and his strength also stands out. He’s athletic and explosive off the line and displays fantastic closing speed in pursuit.

Oklahoma should feel very confident about where they stand with Smith. He’s the type of player that Brent Venables wants on his defensive line. His versatility will give him the opportunity to contribute on the edge and as a three-technique defensive tackle, where his quickness and agility will give interior offensive linemen fits.

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2025 DL Darrion Smith lands Oklahoma offer

Oklahoma extend an offer earlier this week to 2025 prospect Darrion Smith, a defensive line prospect out of Baltimore, Maryland.

Oklahoma is banking on their 2024 coup of defensive linemen to be historic. If Oklahoma can pull off what they are attempting to do by landing six top 150 defensive linemen, the Sooners will ride into the SEC with a tidal wave of momentum.

While the 2024 class is the immediate task at hand, the seeds have to be sewn for whatever the follow-up will be.

In this case, the 2025 class may not be as deep along the defensive line as the 2024 group, but there are still some highly talented defenders.

One of those 2025 defensive line prospects that has caught the eye of Todd Bates is 2025 DL prospect Darrion Smith.

Smith, a defensive lineman out of Baltimore, Maryland, stands 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds. He plays inside and out for St. Frances Academy but looks like a prime candidate to slide inside and eventually play 3-technique in college.

Smith is being recruited by a bevy of Big 10 schools like Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, and the home state school Maryland Terrapins. Oklahoma’s offer is the first from any Big 12 school. The most recent Sooner to hail from Maryland is Oklahoma’s likely No. 1 option at wide receiver this year, [autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag].

Bates has a level of comfort recruiting that area of the country. Bates led the charge for the Clemson Tigers to land the No. 1 prospect in the 2020 recruiting class,  Bryan Bresee. A defensive tackle, Breese was a first round pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Darrion Smith’s Recruiting Profile