Tag: Xadavien Sims

SIGNED: 4-star defensive lineman Xadavien Sims is officially a Duck

Xadavien Sims, a 4-star DL in the class of 2024, has signed his national letter of intent for Oregon.

Xadavien Sims, a 4-star defensive line recruit in the class of 2024, officially joined the Oregon Ducks by inking his national letter of intent on Wednesday. Sims has been committed to Oregon since May and is one of three DL commits in Oregon’s 2024 class.

Sims is from Durant, Oklahoma, and is ranked the No. 1 player in his home state by 247 Sports. Oregon isn’t a natural landing spot for a kid from Oklahoma, so Sims must like what Dan Lanning, Tosh Lupoi, and Tony Tuioti are doing with the Ducks’ defensive line. 247 Sports also has Sims rated as the No. 211 player in the nation and the No. 29 D-Lineman.

One of the other defensive line commits in this class is 5-star Aydin Breland, from Mater Dei High School in Los Angeles. Breland is the highest-rated Ducks’ recruit in the class of 2024, and the No. 4 ranked DL in the country. Breland’s presence will make things difficult for Sims, but he’s talented enough to hopefully play alongside Breland in a year or two.

Oregon had a strong defensive line in 2023, but there aren’t many returning starters on the Ducks’ D-Line for 2024, and the position group will be overhauled. Sims probably won’t see a high share of snaps in year 1 — especially with Breland on the team — but this year will still be vital to his development. I see Sims playing a similar role to A’Mauri Washington’s in 2023, filling in at the end of games and preparing for his sophomore season.

Here are some highlights from Sims:

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Oklahoma Sooners included in top 10 for Union CB Devon Jordan

The Oklahoma Sooners were included in the top 10 for 2024 3-Star Union High (Okla.) prospect Devon Jordan.

The Oklahoma Sooners are hoping to make a statement in the state of Oklahoma in the 2024 recruiting class. Although they missed out on [autotag]Xadavien Sims[/autotag], the Sooners are hoping to pull in a commitment from [autotag]Xavier Robinson[/autotag], [autotag]Danny Okoye[/autotag], and [autotag]Andy Bass[/autotag].

Another player from the Sooner State that has been on their radar is 2024 prospect [autotag]Devon Jordan[/autotag]. Jordan is a composite three-star player but is considered a four-star cornerback by Rivals and is the No. 4 player in the state.

Jordan included the Oklahoma Sooners in his top 10, along with Alabama, Miami, Texas A&M, TCU, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Iowa State, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.

The Union High star has elite speed and quickness that he uses to his advantage in coverage. He’s able to run with any wide receiver and displays a fantastic ability to break on the football. He’s a physical and willing tackler on the edge who comes downhill in a hurry in the running game or against wide receiver screens. Jordan displays good ball skills and looks back to find the ball while keeping locked on the wide receiver.

Jordan also displays an elite kick return ability. His speed allows him to get to the outside in the return game and run away from the kick coverage unit.

The in-state prospect was a visitor for the ChampU BBQ, giving Jay Valai an opportunity to really move the needle.

Still, the Sooners will have to overcome challenges from Oklahoma State and TCU for the athletic Devon Jordan.

Devon Jordan’s Recruiting Profile

Projections

  • No projections from On3, 247Sports, or Rivals have been issued in Devon Jordan’s recruitment.

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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

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Oregon, Ole Miss and Alabama all recruit 4-star DL from the class of 2024

Three different Power 5 programs all recruited four-star defensive line prospects from the class of 2024 this past weekend.

The recruiting race had two clear themes this past weekend: quarterbacks and pass rushers were in high demand. Five programs added QB prospects from the class of 2024, while three schools picked up commitments from blue-chip defensive line recruits.

Here are the defensive linemen, where they’re playing in high school and where they’re headed to compete at the next level.

Durant (Okla.) 4-star DL Xadavien Sims: Oregon

Sims (6-foot-3, 275 pounds) is ranked No. 1 overall in the state of Oklahoma by 247Sports and No. 22 at his position. Sims also had offers from 21 other schools, including Michigan State and TCU.

The Ducks also scored the biggest prize of the weekend by recruiting four-star quarterback Michael Van Buren. Their 14-strong class of 2024 now ranks just outside the top five nationally.

Bay Springs (Miss.) 4-star DL Kamron Beavers: Ole Miss

Beavers (6-foot-3, 305 pounds) ranks fourth in Mississippi and No. 17 among DL in his class according to the composite rankings. Eleven other schools made offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Colorado, LSU and Texas.

That makes eight recruits for the Rebels’ 2024 class, which ranks No. 24 in the country.

Parker (Ala.) 4-star DL Jeremiah Beaman: Alabama

Beaman (6-foot-4, 265 pounds) ranks highest in this group, coming in at No. 11 at his position in the composite rankings. 247Sports has him at No. 72 nationally in the ’24 class. He had 22 other offers, including other top contenders at Auburn, Georgia and Clemson.

Alabama got a significant boost in the recruiting rankings from landing Beaman, rising to No. 16 nationally.

More football stories

FNN: Dylan Raiola’s impact on recruiting, Kentucky’s new QB

Colorado loses one 4-star ATH to LSU, adds another one

Recruiting Roundup: 5 teams get commitments from 2024 QB prospects

While Van Buren was the highest-ranked prospect among them, Oregon wasn’t the only team that added talent at QB.

Oregon won the recruiting race over the weekend, hands-down. The Ducks picked up two new blue-chip commits for their 2024 class, starting with Durant (Okla.) four-star defensive lineman Xadavien Sims. They also added St. Frances Academy (Md.) four-star quarterback Michael Van Buren.

While Van Buren was the highest-ranked prospect among them, Oregon wasn’t the only team that added talent at QB. Four other programs also got commitments from quarterbacks in the 2024 class. Here’s who they are, where they play their high school football and where they rank at the position compared to their peers.

More football stories

Friday Night Notes: Dylan Raiola’s recruiting impact

Colorado loses four-star ATH to LSU, adds another

Ducks take another jump in recruiting rankings following latest commitment

Another move up in the national recruiting rankings for the Ducks after the addition of 4-star WR Dillon Gresham on Monday.

Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks have a full head of steam in the 2024 recruiting cycle, and it’s not looking like they plan on stopping any time soon.

It has been a banner few days in Eugene, with Oregon picking up a handful of blue-chip commitments in the class and bolstering their roster with future talent. On Saturday, 4-star QB Michael Van Buren announced his commitment to Oregon, and 4-star DL Xadavien Sims quickly followed suit. The pair of players are ranked among the top 130 nationally in their class.

On Monday, the good times kept rolling with 4-star WR Dillon Gresham announcing his commitment to Oregon as well. This now gives the Ducks 14 players in the 2024 class.

After Saturday’s events, the Ducks jumped up to the No. 6 spot in the 2024 national recruiting rankings. With the addition of Gresham, another bump came along. Here’s where they rank now:

MSU target, 4-star DL Xadavien Sims commits to Oregon

Michigan State will get their chance at flipping Xadavien Sims from the Ducks during his official visit in a few weeks

For now, four-star defensive lineman Xadavien Sims will not be playing his college ball at Michigan State.

Sims — a big-time Spartans’ target in the 2024 class — announced on Saturday that he intends on playing at Oregon at the next level. Sims committed to the Ducks over Michigan State, Oklahoma, TCU and Vanderbilt.

Sims ranks as the No. 16 defensive lineman and No. 121 overall prospect in 247Sports’ rankings for the 2024 class. He’s also listed as the No. 1 player from Oklahoma.

Not all hope is lost for Michigan State in the pursuit of Sims despite the commitment to Oregon. Sims announced on Friday that he will be taking an official visit to Michigan State on June 2. So there clearly is still interest in the Spartans and an opportunity for Michigan State to flip Sims from the Ducks.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.

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Twitter Reactions: Duck fans celebrate after Oregon lands pair of blue-chip commitments

On a Double-Duck day, Oregon fans head to Twitter to play.

The strong spring continued for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, landing a pair of talented blue-chip prospects in the 2024 recruiting class.

4-star quarterback Michael Van Buren and 4-star defensive lineman Xadavien Sims announced on Saturday afternoon that they would be committing to Oregon, giving the Ducks 13 players in the 2024 class and a nice bump in the top 10 of the national recruiting rankings.

It doesn’t come as much of a shock to see that Oregon fans are incredibly happy on social media, celebrating the commitments and looking forward to another potential commitment coming on Monday, with 4-star WR Dillon Gresham set to announce his decision.

Here are some of the top reactions from fans and media members on Twitter Saturday afternoon:

Sooners four-star DL target Xadavien Sims commits to Oregon over Oklahoma

Four-star defensive line target of the Oklahoma Sooners, Xadavien Sims, committed to Oregon on Saturday.

Oklahoma and Oregon have been doing battle for recruits quite often lately. In the latest round of head-to-head matches on the recruiting trail, the Oregon Ducks prevailed.

Four-star defensive lineman and one of the top players in Oklahoma, Xadavien Sims, committed to Oregon over Oklahoma, TCU, Vanderbilt, and Michigan State. The announcement came live at the C4Sports facility where he and there to Texarkana prospects train, including 2025 QB commit Kevin Sperry. Sims is a consensus four-star prospect and is the No. 121 overall prospect, according to 247Sports.

While it was initially thought that this battle would be an Oklahoma and Michigan State battle, Oregon entered the fray and made up significant ground. Dan Lanning’s time as the defensive coordinator at Georgia has helped give him and the Oregon defensive staff a significant boost amongst defensive recruits.

And yet, while Michigan State owned 100 percent of the crystal balls for Sims earlier this week on 247Sports, the tide shifted quickly in Oregon’s favor. A few Oklahoma predictions came in, and they seemed to be the prevailing choice but a mid-week crystal ball from national director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong, signaled that the Oregon smoke was more than just smoke.

Oregon was the last Power Five school to offer him in the winter, but they hit the ground running to catch up to Oklahoma and Michigan State. Sims’ commitment will sting for the Sooners. They’ve now lost one of the best players in the state to an out-of-state school in consecutive years. Four-star EDGE Bai Jobe committed and signed with Michigan State last year.

However, it won’t discourage the Sooners as they are still heavily in the mix for four or five other talented defensive linemen for the 2024 recruiting cycle. At the moment, they’re the favorites to land two of the best prospects in the nation, five-star defensive linemen David Stone and Williams Nwaneri. Oklahoma’s also heavily in the mix for four-star defensive linemen Joseph Jonah-Ajonye and Nigel Smith.

This is the third major recruiting battle the Sooners and the Ducks have had in the last two cycles. Oklahoma won out in the Peyton Bowen sweepstakes, flipping the five-star safety after Bowen flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Oregon. The Ducks pulled off the flip of four-star wide receiver prospect Ashton Cozart.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Bryant on Twitter @thatmanbryant.

Ducks take another jump up in 2024 recruiting ranking after Saturday’s commitments

Both Michael Van Buren and Xadavien Sims are among the top 130 players in the 2024 class. Not a surprise to see a jump in the rankings for UO.

When you’re able to add a pair of players who are ranked among the top 130 players in the nation, it comes as no surprise to see a bump in the national recruiting rankings.

That’s exactly what happened for the Oregon Ducks on Saturday, landing commitments from both 4-star QB Michael Van Buren and 4-star DL Xadavien Sims.

Van Buren is rated as the No. 11 QB and No. 123 player in the nation, while Sims is rated as the No. 16 DL and No. 121 overall player in the 2024 class.

Going into the weekend, Oregon had 11 commitments in 2024 and their class was rated as the seventh-best in the nation. Where do they now stand with the additions of both Van Buren and Sims? Take a look: