Oklahoma Sooners 2022 Recruiting Spring Update

Along with the rest of the country, the Oklahoma Sooners have been recruiting in a virtual world for a year. But, now there is light at the end of the tunnel. That light comes in the form of the end of the recruiting dead period starting on June 1st. This will mark the first time that kids will be able to be on campus for official visits. For Oklahoma, that means the return of the ChampU BBQ recruiting event. The event is scheduled for June 18th-20th. Ahead of that, today we’ll take an overall view of the 2022 recruiting class with our 2022 recruiting spring update.

2021 Review

Oklahoma finished ranked 11th in the country nationally for the 2011 class. However, they did rank first in the Big 12 with their 16 commitments. But, the Sooners actually supplemented their recruiting by adding five members to the team through the transfer portal. Wanya Morris, Eric Gray, Key Lawrence, Robert Congel, and Micah Bowens have joined the team. The trio from Tennessee has an opportunity to be instant impact players this Fall. The 2021 incoming freshmen that have flashed this Spring and should play in the 2021 season are Clayton Smith, Billy Bowman, Mario Williams, and Latrell McCutchin. The freshmen, as a whole, are said to be much further along than coaches and players expected. This is a testament to the improvement in recruiting under head coach Lincoln Riley.

2022 Verbal Commitments

Early on in the 2022 recruiting period, the Sooners have seven verbal commitments which have Oklahoma ranked eighth in the country. However, according to the 247 composite, the average rank of recruit is third in the country based on the value that each of the commitments holds. The Sooners have six of their seven commitments on the offensive side of the ball as we look at the 2022 recruiting spring update.

1. Luther Burden – Five-star wide receiver ranked 10th in the country and the top overall prospect at his position.
2. Raleek Brown – Four-star running back or possibly a wide receiver is ranked 47th nationally and third at the running back position.
3. Talyn Shettron – Local Oklahoma product ranked as a four-star recruit and 58th nationally have drawn comparisons to CeeDee Lamb.
4. Kobie McKinzie – The only defensive commitment is the fifth-ranked inside linebacker in the country.
5. Jordan Hudson – The final wide receiver commitment is a four-star and the 14th ranked wide receiver in the nation.
6. Demetrius Hunter – Hunter is a three-star commitment, but he is the top-ranked center in the country.
7. Jason Llewellyn – A three-star tight end is ranked as the 24th best at his position in the country.

2022 Targets

Obviously, with it being extremely early on in the 2022 recruiting cycle there are quite a bit more targets than commitments. However, there are 16 players where the Sooners are either at the top or near the top of the list for these players. According to 247, Oklahoma leads for the commitment for all of these guys at this time. As we continue to look at the 2022 recruiting spring update, we’ll look at the target list for Oklahoma’s 2022 recruiting cycle.

The Sweet 16

1. Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy: He is a five-star defensive tackle and the 16th ranked player in the country and number three at his position.
2. Omari Abor: Abor is the top-ranked strong-side defensive end in the country and ranked 23rd overall in the nation.
3. Gentry Williams: Williams is a local five-star product and the fifth-ranked Athlete out of Booker T. Washington High School.
4. Gavin Sawchuk: Sawchuk is the prototypical, Riley running back. He’s ranked 44 overall and the second-ranked back in the country.
5. Derrick Moore: Moore is the second strong-side defensive end target as a four-star and the third-ranked at that position.
6. Chase Biddle: Biddle is the first safety in the target list at seventh at his position. He is still a top 100 overall prospect.
7. Dave Luli: Luli is about a 50/50 split between Oklahoma and Washington. However, he is the sixth-ranked guard in the country.
8. Austin Jordan: Jordan is the 24th ranked cornerback in the country. He is a little undersized at 5 foot 10 inches tall.
9. Maurion Horn: Back-to-back cornerback prospects here has Horn as the 27th ranked cornerback in the nation as another in-state prospect.
10. Jacob Sexton: Another local product out of Edmond has Sexton as the 24th rated offensive tackle in the country as a four-star.
11. Jarred Kerr: Kerr comes as another safety prospect for the Sooners as the 18th-ranked and a four-star.
12. Jake Taylor: Taylor out of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas is familiar to Sooners. He’s a four-star and 32nd ranked offensive tackle.
13. Derrick Brown: Brown is from the same school as Clayton Smith. Ironically, the same position at defensive end at 15 in the nation.
14. Kaden Helms: Helms is the only other tight end prospect as a three-star and 16th ranked in the country.
15. Justin Medlock: Medlock is only listed as a four-star, but he is the 14th ranked inside linebacker in the nation.
16. Jayden Rowe: Our final prospect is another local guy from Tulsa Union. He’s a three-star cornerback, but at 6’3 has the height.