Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting: Who could be the next 2018 commits for Lincoln Riley?

Although we’re crawling through a dead period in the recruiting cycle, it’s never too early to speculate on a couple of the Oklahoma Sooners’ targets in the class of 2018. First on defense, DeShaun White, a three-star linebacker from Richland, Texas, let folks know via Twitter this weekend that his commitment could be coming soon, and we’re already keeping our eyes peeled.

OU offered White on April 30, and the 6-1, 203-pound, linebacker also holds offers from Texas A&M, TCU, Arkansas and Oklahoma State, among others. He primarily plays outside linebacker but also lined up a fair share of snaps at free safety in high school. Most of the crystal ball predictions on 247Sports currently point to OU as his destination, for now.

The Aggies are OU’s prime competitors in the DeShaun White sweepstakes, and either school would greatly benefit from his talents. White is a big, physically-imposing player. At his size, he fits the mold of today’s hybrid linebacker who is great in coverage and still aggressive and instinctive enough to wrap up and tackle in the box or in the open field.

White looks like a big-time hitter with solid closing speed and could be built to attack the plentiful spread attacks in the Big 12 and around the country. He is very active and seems to have the type of instinct to make play after play and fill up a stat sheet. Possessing good speed and agility, he will definitely need a little more bulk to consistently see the field among the talented young linebacker core that is developing into a beast in Norman.

But White appears to have a strong foundation to develop into a solid contributor or a real playmaker once he does add to his frame. He has the type of talent to be deployed all over the field and displays a real knack for creating havoc and making plays.

White recently congratulated Sooners’ wide receiver commit Jaylon Robinson out of nearby Fort Worth on his commitment to last week. We’re hoping this means White’s eyes could also be pointed toward Norman, as well.

Although it’s no certainty how things shake out here and there’s still a long way to go until National Signing Day, but the Sooners appear to be in a good spot. This would be another nice get in the Lincoln Riley era, which is clearly off to a blazing start, and mark the first linebacker commitment in the class of 2018.

The Sooners could also soon be hearing from 2018 athlete/wide receiver target Jaquayln Crawford out of Rockdale, Texas. Crawford took to Twitter last week to set the stage for what I assume could be his commitment announcement.

With OU already securing the commitments of 2018 wideouts Kundarrius Taylor, Treveon Johnson and Jaylon Robinson, Crawford would add yet another key piece to the set with his dynamic talents and prowess in the slot, at corner and on special teams. His Jalen Saunders-type frame and skill set would play a huge factor in the return game, as it’s his sleek, stylish elusiveness that truly stands out in his game.

Crawford also excelled as a cornerback in high school and offers Lincoln Riley an outstanding talent who could deliver in multiple ways and provide fans with plenty of excitement for years.

I wrote about Crawford prior to his visit to Norman in May, and his interest in the Sooners hasn’t seemed to dissipate. His commitment is likely to come soon, and OU fans certainly hope it could be during his next visit to campus, which he has scheduled for later in July.