Advertisement

Recruiting provides optimism for Oklahoma’s future under Brent Venables

Transfer portal season is wild. Players you might have counted on for significant contributions will find new homes, and your favorite team will be left searching for answers. Possibly in the transfer portal, but with a guy like Brent Venables, the optimism comes through what he and his staff are doing on the recruiting trail.

This time a year ago, the Oklahoma Sooners’ 2022 recruiting class fell apart and dropped from inside the top 10 to 28th in the country in 247Sports team recruiting rankings. Lincoln Riley’s departure for USC left the Sooners recruiting class in shambles.

Brent Venables and his staff arrived in Norman and got to work, and finished the 2022 cycle strong. Oklahoma ended up with the No. 8 recruiting class in the cycle. Sure, the Sooners have since lost Nick Evers and Alton Tarber, but that shouldn’t diminish what they accomplished in less than two months in Norman.

Fast forward to now, and the Sooners are sitting with the No. 7 recruiting class in the 2023 cycle with a chance to make it a top five or even top three group by national signing day in February.

The Sooners have 22 commits in the cycle. Two five-star players and 11 four-star players. Led by Jackson Arnold and Adepoju Adebawore, the Sooners are in a great spot for 2023, even if they don’t add anyone else. However, they’re probably going to add another handful of commitments and signings over the next two months.

They’ve been projected to land five-star safety, and Notre Dame transfer Peyton Bowen and still have a shot to land five-star Texas A&M defensive line commit David Hicks. In addition to the five-star targets, the Sooners could land a few more four-star targets as well.

Oklahoma may circle back to Arkansas commit and Tulsa native Micah Tease and have made an offer to Texas A&M commit and high school teammate of Hicks, Daymion Sanford.

it remains to be seen what the Sooners will do in the transfer portal this winter, but they look to be headed for a strong finish on the recruiting trail.

Despite a 6-6 season, the future remains incredibly bright for Oklahoma in large part because they’re recruiting their tails off. By February, they will have landed two top-10 recruiting classes, with the 2023 class trending toward one of the best recruiting classes in the modern era.

Brent Venables and his staff have work to do this spring on the field and in the film room to improve upon their first season in Norman. However, they’re building something with their last two recruiting classes that will lay the foundation for years to come.

List

Updated Oklahoma Sooners 2023 commitment tracker

List

Social Media Reacts: OU commit Jackson Arnold slays the Dragons in Guyer's win over Southlake Carroll

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Story originally appeared on Sooners Wire