ESPN names this defensive player the key recruit for the Oklahoma Sooners
The Oklahoma Sooners have changed the narrative of their defense during the Alex Grinch era. They’ve made a jump from one of the worst in the country before Grinch arrived to 56th in the nation in scoring defense in 2021, allowing 24.22 points per game.
Statistically, the defense hasn’t been as good as last year, but it has been a big part of the Oklahoma Sooners remaining undefeated while playing without key contributors Woodi Washington or Jalen Redmond for a large stretch of the season.
While perhaps underwhelming at times, it’s important to note this team is attracting more and more talent each year. And that’s evident by the Oklahoma Sooners commitment from five-star defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy. Ahead of the early signing period, ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren took a look at the key recruit for the top teams in college football, naming Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy the key piece for the Oklahoma Sooners 2022 recruiting class.
Brownlow-Dindy, the No. 2 tackle in the class, is a 6-foot-3, 280-pound prospect out of Lakeland, Florida. The knock on Oklahoma over the past few seasons has been the defense, but coordinator Alex Grinch has done a nice job improving it on the field and in recruiting.
Brownlow-Dindy is Oklahoma’s highest-ranked commitment in the class, and he’s one of four defensive ESPN 300 commitments in the Sooners’ class. Having a five-star defensive tackle lead the class is never a bad thing, and he will only help Oklahoma’s defense get better. – Tom VanHaaren
Oklahoma’s 2022 recruiting class ranks seventh according to 247Sports team rankings with the early signing period looming in December. While most years are headlined by offensive skill players, the defense is taking the lead for Oklahoma’s 2022 cycle. Four of its top six commits are on the defensive side.
While it hasn’t been perfect this year, the identity of the Oklahoma Sooners is becoming more balanced from the early days of the Lincoln Riley era. As Grinch begins to get head coaching interviews, first with Texas Tech, it’s evidence of the impact Grinch has had on the defensive culture of the Oklahoma Sooners.
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