Sooners make top five for elite 4-star linebacker
ChampU BBQ weekend is underway. One person who won’t be at the BBQ but is expected to arrive on June 19th is a four-star linebacker from Jasper, Texas, Tyanthony Smith.
On Thursday, he released his top five, which included the Sooners along with the Texas Longhorns, USC Trojans, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Texas A&M Aggies.
One reason the Sooners have been in contention for Smith is because of Brent Venables. Smith has talked about his expertise on that side of the ball and specifically his success with linebackers.
“The player meeting had three different coaches talking about their defense, their run schemes, how they disguise things, how basically they’d use me and my versatility,” Smith told On3’s Sam Spiegelman on Feb. 10. “Coach Venables is a defensive-minded guy, and I belong with a good defensive-minded coach. It’s good to learn from those types of guys. In the meetings breaking it down, I’d blitz on one play and drop in coverage the next. It’s constant, too.”
🚨NEW🚨 4-star LB Tyanthony Smith is down to Alabama, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.
Read: https://t.co/aocCnR2YkK pic.twitter.com/K0pr4QvglK
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) June 16, 2023
He told Rivals (subscription required), “Coach Venables is a defensive-minded man. He got the most Butkus Award winners, his defense shows some versatility, and he’s coached guys like Isaiah Simmons,” Smith said. “Almost every guy (on staff) up there played linebacker.”
That’s high praise for the Sooners’ head man, but this is going to be a battle.
According to On3 Sports, Texas and Texas A&M are the favorites to land Smith. But as we found out just last year, this isn’t over until the pen has hit the paper.
Well, it’s actually not over until the pen has hit the paper and the paperwork has been submitted; see Peyton Bowen’s recruitment.
Smith has already made his trip to College Station, he’ll be at USC today, and then in Norman Monday before heading to Austin on Wednesday.
It would have been nice to get him around the guys on ChampU BBQ weekend, but the Sooners at least have a puncher’s chance. At least this way can put a lot more focus on just Smith during his official visit.
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