We are precisely two weeks away from the first day of the early signing interval. Though a solely added to the calendar lately, it’s supplied one other ingredient of pleasure and intrigue to the recruiting course of.
Oklahoma, because it stands, owns the No. 7 ranked class in the nation. They are headlined by consensus five-star QB Jackson Arnold, who has blown everybody away together with his senior season. He and his Denton Guyer crew search for a state title at Texas’ highest classification.
While Oklahoma sits inside the high 10, there’s room to maneuver up, and Brent Venables and Co. are road-tripping throughout the nation to enhance the class.
Oklahoma has a number of high-profile targets in its sights and so they’re properly inside attain. However, recruiting is about closing. It’s by no means the way you begin however the way you end.
Here are 5 lingering questions about the Sooners’ 2023 recruiting class as we dash to the end line for this recruiting cycle.
Who wins the Peyton Bowen sweepstakes?
Oklahoma and Notre Dame share fairly historic backgrounds throughout the panorama of school soccer. Two of the greatest manufacturers with some severe drawing energy So naturally, the two colleges are very a lot an possibility for five-star security Peyton Bowen.
Bowen is a teammate of Jackson Arnold, and that helps give the Sooners some extra assist in making an attempt to lure the five-star security to Norman.
However, Bowen has been dedicated to Notre Dame for a big time, and regardless of Oklahoma’s greatest efforts, has but to flip. That doesn’t imply he received’t, however Oklahoma remains to be preventing to get that flip.
Adding Bowen offers Oklahoma a blue-chip prospect at a place the place they might desperately use it. Billy Bowman appears to be like like an early candidate for an All-Big 12 crew subsequent yr if wholesome, and Bowen offers OU an understudy for him and competitors for Key Lawrence and Robert Spears-Jennings. With Bowen’s ball-hawking means, he may see the subject subsequent yr with Bowman.
This recruitment is a giant deal.
What’a occurring with David Hicks?
Oklahoma continues to combat for five-star David Hicks who spurned them for the Aggies of Texas A&M in September. It stung however the Sooners didn’t get down on themselves and continued to recruit him.
The Aggies had an excellent worse season than Oklahoma, and it didn’t go over properly with recruits or the locker room. A&M has one in every of the highest charges of switch portal entries this season. They’ve additionally misplaced a couple of recruits in the course of. Yet, Hicks stays dedicated.
He visited for Bedlam and noticed Oklahoma’s greatest defensive efficiency of the yr together with his pal and teammate Daymion Sanford, a four-star linebacker additionally dedicated to Texas A&M.
Oklahoma is trying to capitalize on the Aggies’ misfortunes and flip Hicks and Sanford. A Hicks signing takes this class from actually good to nice.  Oklahoma has to win battles like these for elite defensive linemen in the event that they wish to compete in the higher echelon of the SEC.
What different names are the Sooners after?
While David Hicks and Peyton Bowen symbolize the greatest targets to know, there are another extremely coveted abilities that OU is pursuing.
Tausili Akana, a four-star prospect from Utah, is a flexible defensive participant whom Brent Venables has been recruiting himself. Texas is a risk right here.
Four-star Cincinnati commit Daeh McCullough has acquired appreciable predictions in OU’s favor. That may include the addition of Daeh’s brother Dasan, an edge switch from Indiana.
The youthful of the two is a security prospect. Daeh’s inclusion has no influence on Bowman’s recruitment both. Both McCullough brothers will probably be in Norman for official visits this weekend.
Elsewhere, with the lack of Anthony Evans to UGA, the Sooners are looking for one other receiver to exchange him. Enter Micah Tease, an Arkansas commit who has robust ties to Oklahoma. His brother was a Sooner, and he’s from the state of Oklahoma.
These are only a few of the names to know as we head to the end line for this recruiting cycle.
Who will signal early?
With the early signing day two weeks away, it’s solely proper to marvel who will probably be signing in the early interval.
As it stands proper now, Oklahoma appears to be like well-positioned to get all of its present commitments signed early. No prospect is an actual risk to flip late, however crazier issues have occurred. Oklahoma may signal their complete 22-man class come December 21. Getting paperwork in for a few of them is paramount as guys like Arnold and Joshua Bates, and lots of others intend to enroll at the mid-year level.
Will there be surprises?
College soccer recruiting is infamous for giving us jaw-dropping selections on signing days. Guys flip, and guys commit to varsities nobody noticed coming at the final minute.
Just have a look at Jackson State. They signed a consensus top-three recruit on signing day resulting from the energy of their Hall of Fame coach Deion Sanders. Make no mistake, the chance for Coach Prime or one in every of the different heavy hitters to drag a last-minute flip will comply with the Sooners till their targets signal.
Brent Venables and the Sooners may themselves pull off a couple of final minute surprises that pushes their recruiting class into historic territory.
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