Tag: Tovani Mizell

Oklahoma set to host over 20 prospects in Norman for Junior Day

Oklahoma is set to host over 20 prospects this weekend in Norman for their March 4th Junior Day,

While there’s no fancy title for it, Norman will be jumping this weekend as Oklahoma will host many prospects from multiple classes. While Oklahoma previously had a Junior Day earlier this year, they’ll be having another round of prospects on campus for an unofficial visit.

The 2024 class has yet to bear any fruits for Oklahoma, but with the sheer number of prospects from said class in town, it’s tough to imagine this drought lasts much longer. If we learned one thing from the last recruiting class under Brent Venables and Co., the Sooners might not start fast, but that doesn’t matter because it’s not a sprint. Recruiting is truly a marathon. And the Sooners are more than willing to go the distance and come out on top.

That said, we’ve compiled a list of all the 2024 names expected on campus this Saturday. Some of the names are players that have previously visited OU, while others are visiting Oklahoma for the first time since receiving an offer.

2024 Prospects

2025 prospects

The list is packed with talent across the board. While some names are just popping up on the Sooners’ radar, Oklahoma has a real shot at making impressions and strengthening bonds with players they already have built relationships.

First impressions can go a long way, so Oklahoma will look to impress this weekend. Names like [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag] and [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag] stick out because the Sooners have been recruiting them heavily since last year. Newcomers like [autotag]KJ Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Bennett Warren[/autotag], and others are getting to experience Norman for the first time.

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Georgia football gains commitment from elite 2024 RB Tovani Mizell

2024 top-100 RB Tovani Mizell commits to Georgia.

On Monday, Georgia picked up a commitment from 2024 running back Tovani Mizell.

Out of DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, Mizell ranks as the nation’s No. 87 overall player and No. 4 ranked running back in the class of 2024.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Mizell announced his commitment to Georgia on Twitter.

A rising junior, Mizell chose Georgia over Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas A&M and USC.

Mizell transferred to DeMatha Catholic from Cardinal Newman in South Florida. As a sophomore at Cardinal Newman, he rushed 100 times for 616 yards and eight touchdowns, and caught 34 passes for 481 yards and six scores.

He has been clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

“First, I am giving honor to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior,” he wrote in his commitment tweet. “Without Him none of this would be possible. I would like to announce my commitment to the University of Georgia.”

He joins 5-star tight end Landen Thomas and 4-star wide receiver Ny Carr in Georgia’s 2024 class.

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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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Gators offer this coveted 2024 4-star running back after camp

Tovani Mizell received an offer from the Gators after working with the Florida coaching staff on campus Wednesday.

Despite preparations for this weekend’s massive recruiting events underway, [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff are staying busy.

2024 four-star running back [autotag]Tovani Mizell[/autotag] received an offer from the Orange and Blue on Wednesday after participating in a camp session on campus. Playing his high school ball at DeMatha Catholic in Maryland, Mizell was born and raised in South Florida before moving to the DMV this summer.

The state of Florida is clearly still on “Boogeyman’s” mind. According to On3′ Recruiting Prediction Machine, Florida’s offer has skyrocketed the Gators to the 2nd best odds to land Mizell at 28.4%. UCF, the only other school to receive a visit in 2022, is ahead with a 32.5% chance.

The No. 8 ranked running back in the 2024 class spent his day working with Florida RBs coach [autotag]Jabbar Juluke[/autotag], telling On3’s Corey Bender he was impressed with Juluke and with Napier’s ability to produce running backs. Mizell’s day with the coaching staff clearly made an impact, telling Bender that the Gators are near the top of his list and that he is eager to return and experience The Swamp in person.

Along with the Gators, Mizell holds offers from Alabama, Georgia, USC, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan State, UCF, and many more.

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2024 RB Tovani Mizell receives offer from the Alabama coaching staff

Alabama extended an offer to 2024 running back Tovani Mizell on Monday.

Over the years, Alabama has had some impressive running back rooms. Highly-rated recruits such as Derrick Henry, TJ Yeldon, Najee Harris and Damien Harris were all recruited by Saban to carry the load in Tuscaloosa.

On Monday, the Tide extended an offer to running back Tovani Mizell out of Maryland. He isn’t the only recruit that Alabama has offered from the state. They have also offered Aaron Chiles, Michael Van Buren, Braydon Lee and Ernest Willor.

In the past, Alabama has been able to successfully land Maryland recruits. Eyabi Anoma, Chris Braswell, and Demarcco Hellams are just a few examples. Coach Saban and the rest of the coaching staff will look to do the same with Mizell. The Florida native already has 25 offers, so it won’t be the easiest of tasks. However, Alabama has time to make up in his recruitment and will likely do so.

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Running wild: Oklahoma keeps up their recruiting momentum landing 4-star running back Daylan Smothers

After releasing his top four featuring Oklahoma, Alabama, NC State, and Florida State, four-star RB Daylan Smothers picks OU.

The Sooners have broken into a full-out sprint on the recruiting trail in the month of July after getting their legs under them in June. Their recruiting exploits have taken them to the Pacific Northwest through the midwest and to the northeast.

These aren’t places a team like Oklahoma typically ventures into to find talent.

Another part of the country that is relatively untapped for Oklahoma is the state of North Carolina. The Oklahoma Sooners have had a bit more of a presence here in the last few years, with former Sooners like [autotag]Austin Kendall[/autotag], [autotag]Ryan Jones[/autotag], and most recently, [autotag]Jeremiah Hall[/autotag] all hailing from the N.C. Adding to that list is another Sooner, as the North Carolina High School Player of the Year by the Charlotte Observer and News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) [autotag]Daylan Smothers[/autotag] committed to Oklahoma on Thursday afternoon.

Smothers, a do-it-all four-star running back hoping to play his final year of high school ball at West Charlotte High School, received an offer from Oklahoma in March when he shined the brightest at the Rivals camp held in Charlotte, NC. Standing front and center was the trio of DeMarco Murray, Brent Venables, and offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. They extended the offer and then proceeded to put the full court press on Smothers, who was considering Alabama, Florida State, and in-state school N.C. State. Smothers is the 15th commitment for the Sooners.

 

Projections came in fast and furious in favor of Oklahoma for the running back when he dropped his top four a few weeks ago, and that was the precursor to letting the recruiting world know who was the overwhelming favorite with a commitment imminent.

His combination of speed, power, and vision made him a coveted prospect by many teams on the east coast, and he’s now a Sooner. He pairs with Kalib Hicks, another four-star running back, to round out the Sooners’ recruiting efforts in the backfield. With Hicks and Smothers, the Sooners get dynamic playmakers with track backgrounds. Both have some legitimate acceleration and top-end speed and will only add to the running back room when they team with guys like Jovantae Barnes and Gavin Sawchuk upon arriving on campus next year.

With recruiting all but done for 2023, DeMarco Murray can now look forward to 2024 as he seeks to build on this year’s work. Names to watch early on include four-stars Stacy Gage and Tovani Mizell.

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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.