An important recruitment weekend is great for OU

This coming weekend, Sooners will host numerous talented athletes from several recruitment classes. The upcoming 2022 class has yet to be grabbed as Sooners hosts members of the 2023 and 2024 classes in the coming weeks. Brent Venables and his staff are spending their first big recruiting weekend together, and they are working to close some recruitment sites or settle in comfortably for others.

With so much talent in town, Sooners is busy this weekend hosting and showing these recruits what Norman and Oklahoma Football is. If they do it right, they can put themselves in an excellent position to get talent into multiple classes.

Here are the names for 2022 hosted by Sooners:

2022 CB Commitment by Gentry Williams

Gentry Williams is the number one player in the state of Oklahoma and has been for several years. He committed to Sooners in October and has remained committed despite the change of coach. He will make another official visit this weekend, which is only possible because Sooners changed head coach.

Sooners ’new cornerback coach Jay Vala has a chance to sign a deal with Williams who wanted to wait and see his new coaching position before signing. Venables and Valai are working to finish for the sake of a talented state and keep Oklahoma’s great talents in the state.

2022 DT Ahmad Moten and 2022 Edge R Mason Thomas

Ahmad Moten and R Mason Thomas are teammates from Fort Lauderdale, Florida at Cardinal Gibbons High School. Both players have Sooners deals. Thomas is committed to the state of Iowa, while Moten is not committed, but is recruited by UNC, Miami and Iowa State.

Thomas is recruiting defensive coach Miguel Chavis, one of Venables ’first hires to become head coach. Chavis has presumably been working with Thomas for a few months and is likely to have his best chance of making his last best impression on the talented defender.

On the flip side, his teammate and friend, Ahmad Mote, is likely to show the ropes of defensive fireplace coach Todd Bates. Bates is working to play his part in securing another civil defense lineman, Sooners, as he continues to reshape and restructure his defense.

Since both are teammates, a successful visit can result in one being able to get the other to join Crimson & Cream.

2022 CB Signed by Jayden Rowe

Jayden Rowe is the only signer to be present this weekend, but the Sooners will love getting her on campus. Once Rowe has signed the contract and is allowed to visit the school in the presence of all the staff and other 2022 signatories, they could take the time to take a look at what it is like when Brent Venables leads a ship. An added benefit of Rowe already being there is that it gives the coaching staff more time to spend time with friends still on the fence.

Unlike some of his other 2022 classmates, Rowe is a summer student, but this weekend should give him a good overview of Norman and what to expect from Brent Venables and the new defense personnel. He has a huge amount of potential and could be a weapon for Venables and the defensive staff as a Sooner.

2022 DL Gracen Halton

Grace Halton is yet another line of defense opportunity Sooners is on campus this week. Halton has been listed as a leader by 247Sports, but thanks to his size and body, he was able to glide inside and play indoors.

Oregon commit is a California child but is on an official visit to Oklahoma as National Signature Day approaches. With the entire defense staff probably in the building, look for the Sooners to put pressure on and see if they can get Halton to think a little more closely about where he decides to play his college football.

2022 ATH Jamarrien Burt

Jamarrian Burt represents a whole new recruitment for Sooners of late. Burt wasn’t on the radar of the previous coaching team, but as Venables and the company’s recruitment focus shifts to the southeast, they’re making a late game for the 2022 athlete’s services. Despite the late offer, Burt immediately decided to come and take the official to visit the Sooners.

Burt was a two-way player in his high school in Ocala, Florida, and was able to go both sides of the ball in college. Utah, Indiana and Missouri seem to be the most significant competition here.

2023 LB Anthony Hill

Linebacker Anthony Hill is unanimously among the top 50 country and is in Norman this weekend. He knows how to play with or outside of the ball and is physically impressive to a person who hasn’t even graduated from high school yet. Prior to hiring Venables, Sooners kept in touch when Lincoln Riley and his staff performed several times in Denton, Texas to visit a talented player. Venables has recruited and coached some of the elite support forces and is doing its best to give the Sooners a chance here.

Another popular tip for Sooners is that the current Sooners player is from the same high school as Hill, Billy Bowman. Hopefully, with Bowman on campus and Venables there, the Sooners can use all their hands on deck to show Hill what Oklahoma has to offer. Texas and Texas A&M are the biggest threats to the Sooners here.

2023 DL David Hicks

David Hicks joins Anthony Hill as a premium Texas product at Norman for this weekend’s visits. Like Hill, Hicks is one of the top five employees in the state of Texas, according to 247Sports. David Hicks is unanimously among the top ten recruiters and forces the Sooners into heavy recruitment battles with major college football brands such as Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame and Texas.

Clemson was in a great spot for Hicks last season. Why is it important? Hicks ’lead recruiter was Todd Bates, who is now Oklahoma’s defensive combat coach.

Bates and Hicks have a relationship, and since Oklahoma is close to Texas, one has to think that Sooners is an attractive opportunity for Hicks to consider.