Class of 2023 three-star offensive lineman Joshua Bates is the latest Sooner commit to deliver good news to the Oklahoma fan base.
Bates took to Twitter to announce that he is sticking with his commitment to Oklahoma after Brent Venables was named the Sooners’ new head coach.
College Football is great because of Fans, Tradition and Competition…… All of that is The University of Oklahoma! ⭕️ I’m staying 100% Committed to @OU_Football! #Boomer #CHO23N @OU_CoachB pic.twitter.com/PkK1Tcb425
— ✝️ Joshua Bates ✝️ (@JoshuaBates64) December 8, 2021
“College Football is great because of Fans, Tradition and Competition… … All of that is The University of Oklahoma! ⭕ I’m staying 100% Committed to @OU_Football! #Boomer #CHO23N @OU_CoachB,” Bates wrote on Twitter in announcing his decision.
Bates currently checks in as the nation’s No. 31 interior offensive lineman and 456th player overall in the 2023 class according the 247Sports composite team rankings. The Durango, Colo., native is listed at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds.
Bates has been committed to Oklahoma since Aug. 13, but he took a recent unofficial visit to Colorado last weekend where his father Justin Bates was an All-Big 12 offensive lineman for the Buffs before being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.
247Sports’ Adam Munsterteiger caught up with Bates to discuss his Colorado visit and where he stood with his Oklahoma commitment.
“I was able to talk to a bunch of their coaches to try to see what their plan was for some of their new hires and we just talked about Colorado football. I was able to be there with my family and we just really enjoyed the experience because my family has a legacy there. My dad is on some of the boards up there in those football offices, so that is pretty cool.
“I definitely like the academic part in it. They really support [their student-athletes] at CU which is really nice. I love the campus. Everything in Boulder is amazing and beautiful. It was pretty cool to visit and check everything out. Just being able to be welcomed up there has been great,” Bates said of his Colorado visit.
Bates shared what he thought about the Venables hiring and what it meant for his decision.
“Yeah, definitely going to wait to get on the phone and visit with him a little bit, really just re-look at the staff and see who is leaving and staying on the staff. In the next couple days hopefully I’ll have an announcement to see what I want to do. As of right now, with all the coaching changes, everything is kind of up in the air. That is why I looked at CU, it is kind of special. I definitely wanted to start looking into other programs and being able to figure out what I want to do from here,” Bates said.
The center that has led Durango to a 17-3 record over the past two seasons and a Class 3A state championship in 2020 must have liked what he heard from Venables and the OU coaching staff, because it didn’t take long for him to announce that he is solid with his Oklahoma commitment.
Sooner fans will love his approach at the center position, too.
“You can’t be a successful offensive lineman worrying about people’s feelings. It is the blue-collar way to play football on the offensive line that I embrace,” Bates said of his playing style.
Los Alamitos, Calif., wide receiver DeAndre Moore is Oklahoma’s other commit in the 2023 class. The four-star receiver recently reaffirmed his commitment to Oklahoma and discussed how he’s wanted to be a Sooner since the seventh grade.
OU has the nation’s No. 12 recruiting class with that pairing and the second-best class in the Big 12 in 2023 according to 247Sports.
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