Peyton Bowen, one day after ‘signing’ with Oregon, signs with Oklahoma

A Notre Dame hat sat on the left. An Oregon one to the best. In between laid a silver Denton Guyer soccer helmet.

It was underneath that helmet at Peyton Bowen’s signing day ceremony on Wednesday that Oklahoma followers invested their hopes and desires into. Seriously, take a look at these social media feedback directed towards a photograph of Bowen’s signing day setup.

“There’s gotta be an Oklahoma hat,” one particular person tweeted.

“OU hat under the helmet,” one other mentioned.

“What hat is under the helmet?” a curious observer requested.

There was nothing beneath the helmet aside from a black tablecloth, and of the 2 hats positioned on Bowen’s head throughout his ceremony, neither have been crimson. And but, the ravenous Sooners followers nonetheless managed to get their want.

Bowen, a five-star, blue-chip Denton Guyer security, is formally headed to Oklahoma one day after he seemingly signed with Oregon. Bowen introduced his signing on Instagram and Twitter on Thursday afternoon, and Oklahoma football Twitter account followed with its own post.

“Oklahoma has always felt like home to me,” Bowen mentioned in a social media submit. “Reflecting, it seems as if I was always looking for a reason to branch out and breakaway from home. But my relationships with Coach Venables, Coach Bates, Coach Valai, Coach Hall and Coach Chavis, along with my ties to friends and family locally ultimately led me back to where I belonged.”

Bowen signed a letter of intent Wednesday at an Italian restaurant within the Denton space, however apparently by no means despatched it in. The News was the one media outlet in attendance and noticed Bowen signal a letter. Guyer coach Reid Heim additionally informed The News that he noticed it, too. But a signed letter of intent doesn’t imply a lot if it isn’t despatched into the varsity.

Hours after Bowen’s ceremony, reviews circulated that Oregon hadn’t obtained his letter of intent. Nick Harris of Rivals.com first reported Thursday morning that Bowen regarded like he was headed to Oklahoma, and an individual near the Guyer soccer staff confirmed to The News on Thursday that Oklahoma gave the impression to be Bowen’s last vacation spot.

While the news of Bowen’s signing didn’t formally break till later Thursday afternoon, members of Oklahoma’s teaching workers — together with head coach Brent Venables and co-defensive coordinator Jay Valai — had spent the day posting cryptic memes and gifs, which added to the spectacle. Guyer quarterback Jackson Arnold, a five-star recruit and Oklahoma signee, tweeted a fist-pumping gif at 1:23 p.m.

Arnold, who committed to Oklahoma in January, had lengthy tried to recruit Bowen (in addition to highschool teammate Ryan Yaites, an LSU signee) to Norman, and had even began a hashtag “#DENTON2NORMAN” on Twitter. Jackson and Bowen, respectively, are the No. 2 and No. 3 recruits on The News’ top 100 recruits list for the class of 2023. 247Sports.com ranks Arnold because the No. 7 recruit within the nation, and Bowen as No. 14.

The 6-0, 185 pound security had been dedicated to Notre Dame since January, however Heim informed The News earlier than signing day that each Oklahoma and Oregon had entered the combination.

An Oklahoma hat actually wasn’t on the desk when Bowen made his alternative. He picked up the Notre Dame hat, put it on after which did a faux out and selected the Oregon cap as an alternative. His mother, Amy, informed The News on Wednesday that Bowen had narrowed his listing down to simply Oregon and Notre Dame on Tuesday evening, and that the choice had been weighing on him for weeks.

“Oregon and Notre Dame faithful, I am sorry for how I handled this process,” Bowen mentioned in his social media submit. “Changing my decision on signing day, the hat pump fake, all of it could have been handled better.”

The alternative was the discuss of recruiting Twitter for a few hours, with school soccer followers meticulously selecting aside The News’ video, pointing to the response of members of the family when it was clear one thing may be afoot.

Bowen mentioned he picked Oregon moments earlier than he introduced the Wednesday resolution.

“Honestly, like right over there,” Bowen mentioned Wednesday, pointing to a beige wall inside Genti’s Ristorante Italiano, a preferred Bowen household eatery.

Bowen was named the all-area utility participant of the yr as a junior after he scored seven touchdowns — one on protection, three on kickoff/punt returns and three as a receiver — and intercepted six passes for the 6A Division II state finalists. In his final two seasons at Guyer, Bowen totaled eight kick/punt return touchdowns, three defensive touchdowns and three receiving touchdowns. His staff went 28-3 in his junior and senior seasons.

He joins a Oklahoma recruiting class that ranked seventh within the nation earlier than his signing, and is the fourth Dallas-area prospect to choose the Sooners. Arnold, Crandall four-star linebacker Samuel Omosigho and Denton Ryan operating again Kalib Hicks are the others.

If there’s one factor that the uber-athletic Bowen did greatest in his time on the sector at Guyer, it was captivate the eye of others.

His signing day saga — which included three totally different commitments in a 24-hour span, two flips and a hat faux — proved to be no totally different.

On Twitter: @McFarland_Shawn

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