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26th Jan 2021 from TwitLonger
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DrummBeat: Way Too Early ChampU22 Sooners class predictions, insider notes & more
VIP ByBRANDON DRUMM 35 minutes ago
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There has been a lot of demand that we bring back the Sooners recruiting class predictions. We had a really good run on predicting the LincUp21 class and with so many on the OUinsider VIP Board wanting to see 2022 (ChampU22) class predictions be done, we decided that this might be too early but it also would interesting and fun to see how much it changes from prediction one in January to the last one in November or December of 2021.
We acknowledge that there will be a bunch of new offers handed out by Oklahoma over the next few months, so there are going to be a lot of new targets and in turn, more chances for the Sooners to add more talent to their roster. Lincoln Riley and the Sooners have been very good on the recruiting trail and they have started the 2022 class with some nice lands already.
Players and OU targets like five-star wideout Luther Burden, four-star linebacker Kobie McKinzie, four-star WR Talyn Shettron, and four-star WR Jordan Hudson have already publicly announced their decision to be in the ChampU22 class. Even with that fast start, the Sooners have plenty of more big-time and elite 2022 targets left on the board.
So, who does OUinsider predict to be in our WAY TOO EARLY Sooners ChampU22 class predictions?
Let's see...
NOTE: Please remember that this is titled "Way Too Early" for a reason. We noted above that we understand how much this stuff will change, so don't take it to heart as fact this early in the process. That said, all predictions are based on information we have gathered, but we do want to harp on the fact it's January and there is so much to still happen in the 2022 class. Let's have fun with this and see where these predictions stand some December NSD! I am hoping to be batting 35%-50% come December! Can't wait to see where it stands come that time!
QUARTERBACK: EARLY PREDICTION IS OU COULD GO WITHOUT A QB IN 2022, BUT I WILL GO WITH FOUR-STAR CONNER WEIGMAN
I know, I know... You see that I think the Sooners could go without a QB in the 2022 class and you probably think I am crazy. Hear me out, though.
I don't think it's a deal where OU won't FOR SURE take a quarterback, but it's just that I don't have a feel for where things stand with 2022 class QBs. As one well-placed source put it to me a few days ago when I asked about the Sooners and 2022 QB recruiting, the source told me, "Why would a QB come and sit behind a redshirt sophomore in 2022, Spencer Rattler, assuming he stays. And why would a 2022 QB come and sit behind RS freshman or sophomore Caleb Williams and sophomore Micah Bowens, the source said to me. "I mean, it's not going to be easy to sell any 2022 QB on that after (OU) added Bowens to the fold recently. Even if Rattler left after the 2021 season."
All that makes sense. There are three very young QB's on the Oklahoma campus in 2021. Obviously, if Spencer Rattler has the season everyone expects him to have, the once again RS freshman QB (the free year in 2021 allowing him to be a freshman again) should be one of the top NFL draft picks in the 2022 draft. That would open up a spot, but would it be too late if a decision was unknown until after January 1st and early NSD being in mid-December? Would that mean transfer portal again to add that third scholarship QB? All variables that will be followed closely by OUinsider and you fans, I am sure.
Now, if Rattler doesn't get a draft grade he likes, he could come back and cause even more of a backlog at the QB spot, with all three looking to be RS freshman or RS sophomores in the 2022 season. That is the least likely of scenarios, though.
The interesting thing about Micah Bowens is that he could be a freshman for three years due to him getting a free year in 2020, potentially redshirting in 2021, and being an RS freshman in 2022. Yes, you read that right. Bowens could play three years as a freshman due to the 2020 season being nothing more than a virtual trial run for those arriving in the 2020 recruiting class last season.
Then you have the biggest reason for most 2022 QB's to look the other way -- Caleb Williams. Williams is an early enrollee so that he can compete against Bowens and Rattler in the spring. The talented and number one overall 2021 QB showed his talents by winning the Elite 11 as the top QB. All those accolades make it hard for a top QB to come to OU in the 2022 class. Basically, it will take a special type of QB or a transfer to come to OU in the 2022 class.
Riley has only offered two QBs so far in four-star Conner Weigman and four-star Ty Simpson. Actually, it's four offers if you count Ohio State commit Quinn Ewers and one of the top 2022 athletes in Alex Orji, who Lincoln Riley likes at quarterback, I am told.
Of the three QBs that have been offered and remain uncommitted, I surmise that Conner Weigman or Alex Orji are the two targets that the Sooners have the best shot at landing. With Weigman, he just got a Texas A&M offer, so that is going to play a role with him, I am sure. Since Weigman is from the Houston metro area (Cypress Bridgeland HS), you would think that the Jimbo Fisher and Aggies have more than a puncher's chance and will be very tough to beat.
That said, I have seen Weigman in person on several occasions this past season. I have talked with him quite a bit, and even those around the program feel that the Sooners have set themselves up nicely with the way Lincoln Riley and OU baseball coach Skip Johnson has pursued Weigman so far. The Sooners have had success with football/baseball QBs, and having a guy to show out and be a Heisman winner and first-round pick in both sports, like a Kyler Murray, can go a long way with Weigman.
Weigman talked about the Sooners and his relationship with both staff's, saying, "I talk to Coach Lincoln Riley every week and coach Gundy multiple times a week," Weigman said after a stunning win overtime win in the playoffs earlier in December. "With the baseball program, I talk to Coach Skip Johnson and Coach Van Hook a lot. Have a good relationship with coaches in both sports at OU."
As for his recruiting process? Texas will be a player for him if they decide to go that route, and so will instate Texas A&M, as noted above. Arkansas, Florida, and Baylor are the other programs pushing hard for the two-sport Cypress (TX) Bridgeland star QB.
If I had to guess, Weigman would be the clubhouse leader to have the drive to challenge Williams and Bowens. I say that due to his baseball ability and the fact he can focus on baseball at a program with top-level baseball and football programs if he doesn't like the trend of his football career in college. I honestly don't have a feel for where things stand with Weigman when it comes to a potential leader.
However, in the last interview I had with him, he said he wanted to see and visit some programs (when available to do so) before he made a commitment. He did add this about a timeline, saying, "Being a QB, you have to set the tone of the class and commit early," Weigman told OUinsider. "That's how you start. By leading and setting the tone of the class."
Weigman also added that he would like to take visits, but "virtually is all we have, so I gotta live with what is available to me, and if that is how I get to see the campuses right now, that is how I have to attack it. I want to really dive into my recruiting and get things narrowed down shortly after my season is over."
Because of the relationship with both the football and baseball staff's at OU, I am picking Weigman to be the QB in the 2022 class. Not without hesitation and knowing that Oklahoma will be a hard sell, much like every even ending year over the last 4-5 recruiting cycles. A&M and Texas also give me strong hesitation. The Aggies being so close to Houston and having such a stranglehold on that area makes it tough to pick anyone from that region to Oklahoma. The proof was in the fact Weigman has A&M ranked highly just after the offer was made. The same goes for Texas and their ability to recruit Houston, along with FINALLY having a QB coach with chops like newly hired head coach Steve Sarkisian does. Should make for some interesting QB recruiting battles between Riley, Fisher, and Sarkisian down the road.
Another reason for my hesitation with my pick of Weigman is the fact that between 2015-2021, the odd-numbered years have been the most fruitful for the Sooners QB recruiting, landing the likes of Kyler Murray transfer in 2015, 2017 Chris Roberson (number 7 overall QB), 2019 was Spencer Rattler (five-star and number one QB) along with Jalen Hurts (NC winning QB transfer from Alabama). 2021 was obviously Caleb Williams (number one QB and five-star). All opposed to even years and 2016 being Austin Kendall (top 15 QB), 2018 Tanner Mordecai (top 15 QB), and 2020 was Chandler Morris (top 20 QB)... It's the 2022 cycle this time around, so if Riley could pull off landing Weigman, that would be something the Sooners haven't seen at QB in an even-numbered year recruiting class under Riley (since being hired as OC in 2015).
It's January, so a very long time to go. I am picking four-star QB Conner Weigman by default and lack of offers. Don't get wrong, he would be a huge land for the Sooners. I think he has a chance to be special in the right fit after seeing him on several occasions. Getting him away from A&M will take some hard work, though.
The other pick at this time would no QB for OU in 2022 and them taking a transfer, but I am not ready to make that pick this early in the 2022 recruiting cycle.
RUNNING BACKS: FIVE-STAR GAVIN SAWCHUK AND FOUR-STAR JOVANTAE BARNES
My goodness, has the running back position been a hot topic on the OUinsider VIP Board over the last two recruiting cycles or what?
In 2020, the Sooners landed one of the top running backs in the nation in Mesquite (TX) Horn RB Seth McGowan. However, Oklahoma also lost a four-star RB to Alabama a week before early NSD in Aledo (TX) RB Jase McClellan. In 2021, the saga still seems to be going on, but ever so quietly this time around... Okay, I am kidding. The recruit was quiet, though, with five-star RB Camar Wheaton not talking to anyone and opening so little that no one had a clue what he was thinking, including those closest to him. The perceived leader throughout was the Sooners, but when it came time to announce a decision, it was Alabama and Nick Saban getting the nod from the five-star RB.
Oklahoma and Wheaton are still talking, and the Sooners are also working Tennessee transfer, RB Eric Gray. Both those guys have a distinct effect on how the Sooners attack the 2022 class. They for sure want two running backs, but if the OU stays at four running backs in the 2021 season, the Sooners trying to get three RB's in the class wouldn't be out of the question. Especially with the odds of RS junior Kennedy Brooks likely heading to the NFL after the 2021 season.
We will go with just two because that is the most likely outcome for 2022. My two RB picks in this WAY TOO EARLY ChampU22 prediction story will be five-star RB Gavin Sawchuk and four-star RB Jovantae Barnes.
Sawchuk is a guy I went up to Denver (CO) to visit to get to know him and his family a bit better. In speaking to his father, Kevin, and Gavin, I got a sense that Oklahoma running backs coach Demarco Murray had built a very solid relationship with Sawchuk and his family. Sawchuk said that Murray and Riley call or text almost every day, adding, "That OU staff is organized. The most organized that we come across," Sawchuk's father, Kevin, said about the Sooners recruitment of his son. "Even when we visited OU right before the shutdown, we felt like a priority because there was always Demarco Murray or Lincoln Riley with us at all times. I mean, at other places, they had GA's and recruiting staffers do the tours. Not at OU. They really made us feel like Gavin was their top priority, and you have to understand that Caleb Williams was there when we were, too, so that shows you how much they cared about our visit."
From talking to people with knowledge of Sawchuk's recruiting, along with the Sawchuk's, you get the sense that the Sooners are in the lead. They told me they plan on visiting Oklahoma again before making a decision, but the way they spoke of OU and others explain the recruitment to me, it really does seem like the Sooners have the lead early on. However, programs like Stanford -- which has a huge Valor Christian connection with Christain McCaffrey being an alum and close with Sawchuck -- Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Arizona State are high up on Sawchuk's list, as well.
Still, the Sooners have all three crystal ball picks, including one from me and one from 247Sports National Recruiting Director Steve Wiltfong.
*** As for Jovantae Barnes, he is a Las Vegas (NV) target. An area that looks to be a pipeline once again for the Sooners with Rhamondre Stevenson (Centennial HS in Vegas) heading to the NFL and running back coach Demarco Murray being revered there due to his time at Bishop Gorman, along with his stellar college career and being a former NFL MVP.
I have talked with several people who feel like the Sooners have positioned themselves very well with Barnes early on. The Vegas star RB is said to be a priority for the Sooners and one that would still be a take if OU landed two other RBs prior to Barnes making a decision.
Teams like Florida State, USC, Washington, Oregon, and Alabama are some of the teams I have heard regarding Barnes. It's early, and I don't think Barnes is in much of a hurry, but with the Sooners Vegas ties, they should be in this one until the end, and early on, I am going to have Barnes as my second RB in the Sooners 2022 class.
WIDE RECEIVER: FIVE-STAR LUTHER BURDEN, FIVE-STAR RALEEK BROWN, FOUR-STAR TALYN SHETTRON, AND FOUR-STAR JORDAN HUDSON
The Sooners started off very quickly at the wide receiver spot, as four-star WR Jordan Hudson announced his decision to commit to the Sooners on July 21st. Just three months later, the Sooners were landing five-star WR Luther Burden and four-star WR Talyn Shettron.
The announcements came very fast after Hudson, with Oklahoma only having three spots left and several players that wanted in on those spots, it became a first-come, first-served type of deal at the position.
Now, the Sooners wait on the final piece of the puzzle, and from everything I have heard, I will go with Santa Ana (CA) five-star athlete Raleek Brown. Brown has several crystal ball picks in and all are to one school -- Oklahoma.
Our 247Sports national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong talked with Brown over the weekend and Brown was said to be "gushing" over the Sooners. Oklahoma outside WR coach Dennis Simmons, recruiting analyst Chip Viney and head coach Lincoln Riley have made the five-star more than a priority for the Sooners. Brown is talked to on a near-daily basis by Oklahoma staff and that persistence seems to be paying off with how much interest Brown has in the Sooners. Brown always talks about the Sooners first when asked about teams and there is a reason for that he says in Wiltfong's interview linked above, saying, " I’ve been there two times,” Brown said. “Plus they’re the only ones that always contact me the most.” He also added more about Oklahoma and said, "It looks fun. I have been there twice and it's the best offense in the country."
As of today (January 25th), I feel as good as I can about where things stand with Brown. Obviously, the Sooners have to fend off the likes of Alabama, USC, Texas, and others, but right now they are doing just that. Because of that, I have Brown as the fourth and final piece to the Sooners ChampU22 WR spot.
I know it's a bit odd to see Brown -- who is listed by 247Sports as an RB -- listed at the WR position, but that is where he feels most comfortable and where OU sees him doing the most damage to defenses in college. Brown will be more of a hybrid type of player for the Sooners with the ability to play WR/slot/KR/PR and RB. In as many ways as possible to make sure he gets touches. Because of that, if OU misses out on a second RB due to the potential addition of Tennessee transfer RB Eric Gray, Raleek Brown could be taken as the second RB. He is that versatile.
With Brown as my final WAY TOO EARLY predicted WR (remember some of these will most likely change throughout the year with it being so early), the 2022 class of wideouts could rival that of the 2019 class when it comes to hype and expectations. Especially if things stay put with the first three commitments.
OFFENSIVE LINE: FOUR-STAR JACOB SEXTON, JAKE TAYLOR, CAMERON WILLIAMS, JAYLEN EARLY
The offensive line is one of the hardest things for me to figure out. I still don't have a pulse on what and where the Sooners feel best about things at the moment.
Sooners offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has landed some big-time talent over the years, and 2021 is no different with four-star OL Savion Byrd, four-star OL Cullen Montgomery and landing former five-star and Tennessee transfer OL Wanya Morris, along with Arizona transfer OL Robert Congel. Those additions will be critical pieces in 2021 and beyond for Oklahoma.
As for 2022, the Sooners Oklahoma has offered and been heavily recruiting Edmond (OK) Deer Creek four-star OL Jacob Sexton. Sexton has been picking up a lot of offers over the last year, and because of that, he has been one of the most sought after offensive linemen in the 2022 class. The good news for Oklahoma is that Sexton has a sister that goes to OU right now. He also has built a strong relationship with Coach Bedenbaugh and Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley. I spoke with Sexton's father, Phillip, the other day and was told that Bedenbaugh and Sexton talk "almost every day." The elder Sexton also told me, "OU does a great job with communicating and checking in a lot," he said. "Coach Riley also stays in contact a lot and talks with us once every week or every other week."
Because of the instate connection, I have Sexton in the Sooners ChampU class, and he is one that is big to lock down the state borders.
Las Vegas (NV) Bishop Gorman four-star OL Jake Taylor visited the Sooners during the season when Oklahoma hosted Baylor. The visit took place on December 4th and 5th. Taylor told me that he "loved everything about the visit to Oklahoma."
Notre Dame has a crystal ball pick for Taylor, and the Irish will definitely be a very tough out with him, but I am leaning on the fact Bishop Gorman is the home of former Sooner star RB, 2014 NFC offensive MVP, and current RB coach Demarco Murray. Murray's connection to the Vegas area, in general, should pay off the Sooners some. The hope is that it does with Bedenbaugh also being huge in this as his lead recruiter.
Lastly, Duncanville (TX) four-star offensive lineman duo Cameron Williams and Jaylen Early are two that OU has pinpointed pretty early in the 2022 class. They are also teammates with Oklahoma four-star edge rusher target Omari Abor, as well as former OL teammate Savion Byrd. With Byrd signed with OU in the 2021 class and Abor really liking OU (more on that later with DL predictions), there is a real chance for the Sooners to land the Duncanville duo.
Early on, those four are my offensive linemen picks for the ChampU22 class. This is one I fully expect to change quite a bit, with Bedenbaugh being an elite evaluator and recruiter. Because of that, things will likely change a lot at the position.
*** Other OL that Oklahoma is recruiting heavily and has a legitimate chance with are five-star OL Devon Campbell, four-star OL Kam Dewberry, four-star Josh Conerly Jr, four-star Dave Iuli, and a few more.
*** I am skipping the TE pick this early due to Joe Jon Finley just now being hired. He just started giving out offers the past few days, so we plan on talking to a lot of the offers over the next few weeks to hopefully have information on them. By then, I hope we have enough information to make a pick for the 2022 class.
DEFENSIVE LINE: FIVE-STAR DL GABRIEL BROWNLOW-DINDY, FOUR-STAR DE OMARI ABOR, THREE-STAR NICO DAVILLIER, FOUR-STAR DERRICK MOORE & EDGE RUSHER DERRICK BROWN
The Sooners have had two years in a row where they are starting to prove the defensive line can be very good to elite at times. In 2019, you saw Neville Gallimore take off under Alex Grinch's new Speed 'D' system, as well as Ronnie Perkins, Kenneth Murray (when moved to edge rusher), and Nik Bonitto off the edge.
In 2020, you saw OU again show substantial growth in the defensive line play. However, in 2020, it was new guys on the inside that, along with Ronnie Perkins and Nik Bonitto off edges, made the Sooners defense much more formidable. Even to the point, it caught the attention of national pundits that have long bashed the lack thereof of a pass rush in Norman.
Those days seem long gone with the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Nik Bonitto, the return of potential first-rounder in Jalen Redmond, Perrion Winfrey, Kori Roberson, Joshua Ellison, Marcus Hicks, Jordan Kelley, and more on the defensive front.
The 2021 class showed that OU is beginning to get recognition on the recruiting trail with Oklahoma landing Top247 four-star DE/DL Ethan Downs, four-star DE Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge, four-star DL Kelvin Gilliam, and four-star (and arguably 5-star) edge rusher in Clayton Smith. Quite possibly the best DL group the Sooners have amassed in years on the recruiting trail.
That brings us to the 2022 class. Where the Sooners seem to be sitting in prime position for several of their top targets early on in the recruiting process. One in particular that I think OU is in a very good spot with is five-star Lakeland (FL) DL Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy.
I have gone to see Dindy play and definitely didn't come away disappointed. The elite interior DL was all over the place and really got after the QB and running backs that night. Dindy even had a punt blocked/tipped in the endzone due to his quick first step, even on the inside. The scary part about him is that he isn't remotely close to tapping out his potential. That means whichever school lands him will be getting a potential day one contributor that will only get better.
The good news for Sooners fans is that Dindy is an OU legacy and recruit that was born in Louisiana with family ties in Oklahoma, along with his closest friends and girlfriend living in Texas.
I spoke with Dindy after he dropped his Top 10 earlier last week, and came away feeling like OU was still the team others were chasing at the moment. He talked about the distance from mom and dad (both Sooners alums) in Florida, saying, "I was born in Louisiana. My best friends are in Texas and so is my girlfriend," Dindy said about the distance from Lakeland (FL) and his parents. "So, I am used to being away from them. Not really tied down to the state of Florida and the distance from home will matter much to me at all."
As noted above, Dindy's parents OU alumni, so he is an OU legacy that grew up a die-hard Sooners fan. That said, he is not letting that cloud his judgment on the recruiting, adding, "The second I started to get attention was the second I knew I could let being a fan of a school be an issue. I had to grow up and just not let it be the sole reason I chose a school," Dindy stated. "Everyone knows I grew up a big OU fan, but I have to find a school that is best for me. That could be any of my top 10 right now.
"Crazy thing is that in middle school I never thought it would be like this at all. You see it and read about it, but experiencing this recruiting process changes how I have had to approach this whole thing."
Dindy is very faith-driven with his father being a paster -- though he was a graphic design major at OU -- so he says his time talking to the OU staff and them talking about the Bible and scripture is fun. He also said that his relationship with Coach Calvin Thibodeaux and Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley is "growing and getting stronger each week." He also added that his relationship with Sooners defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is "a game-changer" in his process.
I have a crystal ball in for Dindy and the pick is to the Sooners. Probably no surprise there with everything Oklahoma has going for it with Dindy. I do want to add that his process is by no means close to being over, so I would suspect several programs like Clemson, Florida, and Georgia to make a good run at him before he makes a decision. However, right now I like OU for my pick with him.
*** Another name to watch is four-star Duncanville (TX) DE/OLB Omari Abor. The top 50 overall player in the 2022 class has had two straight massive seasons for the Panthers.
I have talked with him and his dad over the last few months (mostly his father Barr), and you get the sense that Oklahoma is the leader with Abor, but Ohio State is right on OU heels at the moment. Abor's father even told me as much saying, "OU is closest and coach Jamar Cain does a really good job recruiting Omari," Abor's father stated. "We are all big OU fans. Not much for Texas at all. Just what we chose. Kind of funny being from Texas, but he really likes Ohio State and coach Johnson. They have recruited him really hard."
The fandom of the Sooners and the fact I don't see Texas being a player for Abor at the moment, has me picking the Sooners in my Way Too Early ChampU22 predictions. Still, Ohio State is a team to watch. Also, Abor's father did talk with me about their thoughts on the new Texas coaching hires, saying, "The new Texas hires were cool and interesting. We will listen," Mr. Abor said. "But we aren't there with them right now and not really Texas fans." All it takes is them listening to the new Texas staff and all that could change, as well.
I still like my crystal ball for Abor to OU. Things are still moving in a very positive direction with Oklahoma and the Abor family. If Coach Cain can capitalize on them being big Sooners fans, this one could end up in the Sooners favor. It's only January but OU is my 'way too early' for Abor.
*** Another four-star DL that I think OU is very much in play for is Baltimore (MD), St Francis Academy DL Derrick Moore. The Sooners have been a big player for Moore from the jump with Sooners defensive assistant Will Johnson having such strong connections in his hometown of Baltimore (MD). Between Coach Johnson and Oklahoma DE/OLB coach Jamar Cain, the Sooners have positioned themselves as one of the favorites for Moore.
Sources also tell me that OU may even be the favorite. As such, I have him as one of the DL picks in my Way Too Early ChampU22 predictions.
Oklahoma will have to hold off Alabama, Ohio State, Penn State, Maryland, Michigan, and several other big-time programs to get Moore's commitment. Right now, OU is doing just that and there is a lot of belief they can continue to do so.
We shall see, but I do have him as my pick with OU leading at the moment.
*** Oklahoma is also diving back into Arkansas for another ChampU22 DL pick here. This time it's three-star Maumelle (AR) DL Nic0 Davillier. The Natural State star DL has liked OU for quite some time and the offer this past week was more than exciting to Davillier. He told me about his relationship with Sooners OL Stacey Wilkins and how that is one of the reasons he really has liked OU.
Also, the star ARpreps DL is a very good basketball player. I am told that he moves exceptionally well for a 6-3 280lb DL and it shows on the basketball court. I set to see him in-person in a few weeks, and I believe Collin could be out there in weeks to come, as well.
As for why I picked him to be in the Way Too Early ChampU22 predictions? Well, a source close to Davillier tells me that he grew up in Louisiana and was an LSU fan. He has been talking with LSU, but an offer hasn't happened yet. His other school that he liked growing up -- Oklahoma. This offer was big to Davillier and those around him and his recruiting process. So much so that some think if he is able to get to OU on a self-visit, or when the NCAA opens things back up, that OU could be tough to beat out.
Obviously, an LSU offer would skew things a bit, and the Arkansas Razorbacks will be tough to beat with him still being an in-state guy, but if Oklahoma can press all the right buttons and recruit Davillier hard, it looks like OU will be a part of his final picks, at the very least. With that, I am making him one of my predictions for interior DL in the Sooners 2022 class.
*** Finally, Texarkana (TX) Texas High DE/OLB Derrick Brown picked up an OU offer this past week. This was a big offer for Brown and it also is one that Oklahoma will have some help with, due to elite 2021 DE/OLB signee and former teammate of Brown, Clayton Smith, pushing him and being a close friend of Brown's.
I don't have much information on Brown, but I do know the OU offer was big to him. He visited the Sooners with Clayton Smith on December 5th when OU hosted Baylor. The visit was good for him, but he did tell me that he wants to see the academic side of things more and the facilities before he was to make a decision.
I expect Brown to continue to pick up offers and be one of the most sought after DE/OLB in the Midland Region.
For right now, I do think OU would be the pick if he was to make one today. So, with that, he is the final piece of the DL on Way Too Early ChampU predictions.
LINEBACKER: FOUR-STAR KOBIE MCKINZIE, THREE-STAR JUSTIN MEDLOCK, AND FOUR-STAR JAYLEN SNEED
The first 2022 commitment for the Sooners was a linebacker. 2022 four-star and Top247 LB Kobie Mckinzie set the tone for Oklahoma and the ChampU22 class. Since then, Mckinzie has visited OU on a few occasions and really got to know the 2021 class when he came up to hang out with the LincUp21 class at the Sooner Summit.
I got to watch Mckinzie play in Wichita Falls (TX) this past November, and he was more than impressive. Mckinzie has a frame that is natural at 230-240lbs. He also moves very fluidly and has kept his speed with additional weight added over this past off-season.
Mckinzie is what most consider a natural LB with instincts and feel for the game that isn't taught. He scrapes and sifts through the trash, when moving sideline-to-sideline, very smoothly and doesn't hesitate on reading his keys often.
The one thing Mckinzie will have to work on is keeping his frame around the 235-250 range in college. Nothing a good college nutritionist and strength and conditioning program won't help with. Those two things will help Mckinzie stay fast, smooth, and quick in his coverage and sideline-to-sideline movements.
Obviously, he is one of the top 50 players in the nation and is a part of the predictions, with him being a longtime commitment to Oklahoma. I think Mckinzie will be a big-time player at OU and have similar leadership skills as Kenneth Murray while he is in Norman.
*** According to Justin Medlock and his Manvel (TX) head coach Kevin Hall, the Sooners are one of the most aggressive schools after the big-time 2022 linebacker.
Medlock was injured when I went to see him at Manvel, but his head coach was more than open about how things were with Medlock at the time. The three programs that Coach Hall thought was pushing the hardest was Oklahoma, Ohio State, and LSU. Also, during that time (end of the season), there was some thought that Texas could have made a move but with the new staff in place, it will take some work.
There was even a time when Ohio State was considered the front-runner for Medlock, but I am not sure that is the case anymore. Even Coach Hall said that it had changed and that the persistence of OU linebacker coach Brian Odom. They raved about how upfront and personable Odom was about everything. There wasn't a lot of selling, but just "good ole honest talk."
Medlock is a guy I need to do another big update on, but from everything I have ever heard, the Sooners are in a very good spot. Thus, I have him as one of the ILB picks in my Way Too Early ChampU22 predictions.
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*** I do think OU could take three ILB (just an early projection with the chances that Caleb Kelly, Brian Asamoah, and David Ugwoegbu potentially head to NFL) in the 2022 class.
I am going to predict a player that is out there and one that I know the Sooners have had some pretty solid contact with over the last few months. There are always two or three outliers in every class that are a surprise. 2022 will be no different, and one that I am predicting to be just that for OU is four-star linebacker, Jaylen Sneed.
Snead has a very solid relationship with Sooners LB coach Brian Odom. He has also been in touch with OU head coach Lincoln Riley quite a bit. However, Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M, and South Carolina will be hard to beat with him being in SEC territory.
That said, there is some significant buzz with Oklahoma and Snead. The surprise is that OU is in a better spot for him than most probably think. Because of that, he will be one of my more surprising picks for the ChampU22 class.
It's January. Lots of things will change as we move forward, but those three are the ones I see Oklahoma being in the best spot for at the moment.
DEFENSIVE BACK: FIVE-STAR DB GENTRY WILLIAMS, JAYDEN ROWE, FOUR-STAR CRISTIAN DRIVER, FOUR-STAR AUSTIN JORDAN, FOUR-STAR JARRED KERR
The last position is the defensive back spots for the ChampU22 class. I feel pretty confident in two of the five picks here in January. I feel confident about the two OKPreps kids from the Tulsa area, in five-star Gentry Williams and fast-rising Tulsa (OK) Union star DB Jayden Rowe.
*** We will start with Gentry Williams and his recruitment. The OU legacy is keeping an open mind about it all, and he has done a great job doing just that with LSU, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, and USC really pressing hard for his services. All of those programs made his top ten list and will be in the running until things start to narrow down for Williams.
Williams told me that Sooners DC Coach Alex Grinch has built "one of the best connections I have with any coach. Coach Grinch is my guy."
Obviously, being an OU legacy and growing up a fan of the Sooners is going to play a big role in things. Still, Williams also talks about his approach to that situation, saying, "I know my parents would love me at OU, but I have to not just go where my heart is at, but also where I am the best fit. If that's OU, that is great, but it may not be, and that is okay, too," Williams told OUinsider a few weeks back.
Williams is very practical about everything he does. Something you would expect with his dad being a doctor and mom being an English teacher at Tulsa Community College.
It will be interesting to see how much of a role training partner Jayden Rowe's offer to OU will play in both of their recruitments. With them also very close with current Sooners safety Patrick Fields, there is likely to be some positives from all of that, one would think.
All that said, I just think it will be hard for Williams to not go to OU with how much the defense is improving and becoming a place where players head to NFL again, along with his family lineage there. Thus, I have him as one of the DB's in my ChampU22 class predictions.
*** The other in-state DB that I have predicted to OU is the newly offered Tulsa (OK) Union DB, Jayden Rowe. Rowe and I spoke about the offer from OU, and to say he was excited would an understatement. Rowe called OU "the big one" and also said, "Just know that I'm blessed to have this offer today. I always wanted an offer from a big school, and the University of Oklahoma is massive. Getting an offer from a big one is marvelous, and it makes me think I'm gone be an outstanding corner."
Rowe and Tulsa (OK) Booker T Washington five-star DB Gentry Williams train together and also do physical therapy at the same place. Williams calls Rowe a "really laid back and nonchalant guy. He is really cool."
With those two around each other, I am predicting both to OU. I am also on the verge of putting in a crystal ball for Rowe to Oklahoma.
*** The final three are all from Texas and players that I have heard good things about the Sooners with over the last few months. Four-star safety Cristian Driver is a name that has been talked about over and over with sources. Some feel the Sooners are in a prime spot for Driver, but there is a long way to go with him. Oklahoma will have to fend off Alabama, Texas, Texas A&M, Ohio State, LSU, and others for Driver's services.
*** With the central Texas athlete, Jarred Kerr, the Sooners are led in recruiting by defensive coordinator Alex Grinch. Oklahoma likes Kerr at the safety position. Kerr has talked highly of the Sooners in the past, and Oklahoma seems high on his list at the moment. I wouldn't call OU the leader for Kerr, but I think the Sooners are where they can make a strong move for Kerr as the recruiting cycle moves along.
That said, there is going to be some tough competition for the elite central Texas athlete. Oklahoma has to beat out TCU, Texas, and Texas A&M if they are to have Kerr in their ChampU22 class.
*** Lastly, four-star Denton (TX) Ryan DB Austin Jordan is my final pick for the Sooners ChampU22 class. Jordan was teammates at Ryan with Sooners four-star signee and 2021 Top 50 overall talent Billy Bowman.
With OU signing Bowman and having offers out to Ryan teammates like four-star DL Bear Alexander (major DL target that could end up at OU in 2022, but Texas and Texas A&M will be tough outs there) and also 2023 four-star LB Anthony Hill Jr, so there is a lot of things working in the Sooners favor. Including the short two hour drive from Denton (TX) to Norman (OK).
If Oklahoma can somehow land another Ryan player to go with Bowman in 2021, there could be a pipeline beginning at a program that has produced some big-time talent over the years.
As far as the Sooners competition for Jordan? One of the top contenders for Jordan's services is the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have gotten cornerback commitments from Jyaire Brown and Jaheim Singletary, but I don't know their number situation for the 2022 class right now. I do know both are two of the top CB's in the nation, so that could possibly play into the Sooners favor with Jordan (barring potential commitments from Williams and Rowe not being an issue for OU).
With good friend Billy Bowman working on him, there is a chance that OU could end up with Jordan in their 2022 class. Early on, that is my pick, but we will see how this one plays out as the 2022 recruiting cycle moves forward.
Oklahoma definitely has its work cut out for them to beat Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, and others.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON CHAMPU22 PREDICTIONS
Again, this is something that is going to change a TON over the next 8 months and as the Sooners 2022 class starts to come together with commitments.
That said, the 2022 class already has a composite score of 103.31 with ONLY four commitments in the class. That's insanely impressive so far with great quality of commits. If you compare that to the Sooners 2021 class, which is hovering around the top 5 when it comes to per avg commit ranking, the 2022 class is just as special already, if not more special with a composite commit average of 96.36. The average of OU commits in 2021 was very, very good at 93.20. So this ChampU22 class is already starting off ridiculously well.
I also put in every player I had in my predictions in the 247Sports class calculator to see how that would rank against the 2021 class that is very well thought of. Obviously, with me having OU take 24 recruits in 2022 -- and they could take less or more barring on who stays and goes after the 2021 season -- it will have more points than 2021.
The 24 players I have predicted would put Oklahoma at 310.41 (the chances OU ends up with all of these recruits come National Signing Day is about 10% MAX) but in January this where I would put things. Obviously, that score would put OU at number probably 3-5 in rankings (in 2021) after February NSD and you add what Bama, Ohio State, and Clemson will likely add.
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Also, the crazy thing is that this is probably what the OU class would have looked like if they would have taken 22-24 signees in the 2021 class. So this isn't that far off or outlandish. It actually confirms and shows you just how much of a quality class the Sooners landed in 2021.
With those 24 commitments, the Sooners have an average of 86.73, BUT two of the commitments don't have a rating yet with it being so early, so I would venture to say that it would be an average commit rating somewhere right below what OU did in the 2021 class at 93.20. Again, showing just how good of a quality class LincUp21 was and how much better it would have been barring a few misses at that end and obviously more numbers in commitments.
I expect this 2022 class to be ranked higher than 2021 off sheer numbers alone. I also expect the Sooners to land some big-name guys in 2022 with a couple of their top targets having deep roots with OU, along with being legacies. Ironically, two of the Sooners top targets on the board are OU legacies. That doesn't happen often, so the Sooners need to capitalize off of that as best they can.
That will do it for the first 2022 class predictions. Cannot wait to see how wrong I am with all of this come December, but it is filled with a lot of information so I hope you OUinsider members enjoyed the read