It took some time, however Oklahoma lastly reeling in Peyton Bowen has elevated the Sooners’ 2023 class to new heights.
The narrative going into National Signing Day — his first full recruiting cycle as head coach — Brent Venables signed OU’s finest defensive class in a minimum of the final 10 years.
Now, with Bowen’s signature coming in on Thursday, the info helps that narrative.
Venables’ class of 25 complete gamers contains 15 defenders. That’s probably the most because the 2018 class included 15, and is simply off the 2015 class’ variety of 16.
Using the 247 Sports rankings, the Sooners’ common participant rating in this yr’s class — protection solely — is .9185 (an ideal rating is 1.000). That’s really a notch under the 2021 class’s per-player common of .9210.
But that yr, Lincoln Riley solely signed 10 defensive gamers.
Included in that 2021 class had been eight 4-stars and zero 5-stars. This yr’s class contains eight 4-stars, but additionally options two 5-stars in Bowen and edge rusher P.J. Adeboware.
Peyton Bowen (22)
Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News-Imagn Content Services, LLC
Defensive backs Makari Vickers, Jacobe Johnson and Jasiah Wagner, defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc and linebackers Sammy Omosigho and Lewis Carter got here in as extremely rated recruits. DBs Daeh McCullough, Kendel Dolby and Erik McCarty, linebacker Phil Picciotti and defensive linemen Ashton Sanders, Taylor Wein and Markus Strong fill out a well-rounded class of versatile athletes who, Venables mentioned, play with “violence” in their sport.
“We’re looking for runners,” Venables mentioned. “We’re looking for guys that like contact. You can’t ever go wrong when you’re talking about defensive players, guys that can run and hit.”
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This yr additionally represents the primary time in the fashionable period of on-line recruiting rankings that the Sooners have landed two 5-stars on protection in the identical yr.
Oklahoma’s defensive 5-stars in the final 25 years, in keeping with 247 Sports, are Tommie Harris (2001), DeMarcus Granger (2005), R.J. Washington (2008), Gerald McCoy (2006), Moe Dampeer (2003), Chris Patterson (2004), Jamarkus McFarland (2009), Tony Cade (2003), Caleb Kelly (2016), Zach Latimer (2002) and Marcus Walker (2004).
The Sooners’ common per-player rating for defenders in the 2018 class was excessive, too — .9128.
But OU signed seven defenders in this yr’s class with a 247 Sports rating of .9300 or greater. That’s far more than the three OU signed in 2021 and the 4 the Sooners landed in 2018.
Venables’ defensive chops — and his workers of dynamic recruiters — are paying dividends. One full recruiting class exhibits that Venables is already making headway because the Sooners start the transition to the Southeastern Conference.
“I’m really proud of our staff and all the people internally,” Venables mentioned. “J.R. Sandlin and Lee Davis, amongst others, Drew Hill and J.P. (Losman). They just did an outstanding job. They were relentless in their work to finding the right guys that are going to fit the profile that we’re looking for here at Oklahoma.”Â
Combining quite a few metrics, together with sheer amount and various levels of high quality, the 2023 class stands as Oklahoma’s finest in a minimum of a decade.
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