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To this point, Lincoln Riley and staff have secured 15 commitments for the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2020 recruiting cycle. In comparison to previous years, the 2020 recruiting class will be relatively light, with somewhere in the neighborhood of 22-24 commitments and letters of intent being signed. The ChampU BBQ is Saturday, July 27 — and conveniently, Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies are hosting their own barbecue the on Friday for which many of the young men attending the Sooners’ event also have an invite. Regardless, this big recruiting weekend is intended to establish relationships with staff, and it should be no shock to anybody if Riley tweets eyeball emojis within the next 72 hours.
COMMITMENTS (2020)
Running Back
Jase McClellan (attending ChampU BBQ)
Seth McGowan (attending ChampU BBQ)
FB/H-Back
Michael Henderson (attending ChampU BBQ)
Wide Receiver
Davon Graham II (attending ChampU BBQ)
Trevon West
Brian Darby (attending ChampU BBQ)
Tight End
Jalin Conyers (attending ChampU BBQ)
Offensive Line
Nate Anderson (attending ChampU BBQ)
Noah Nelson (attending ChampU BBQ)
Andrew Raym (attending ChampU BBQ)
Defensive Line
Perrion Winfrey
Linebacker
Edgerrin Cooper (attending ChampU BBQ)
Brynden Walker (attending ChampU BBQ)
Defensive Back
Ryan Watts
Bryson Washington
TARGETS
Quarterback
Programs typically take one quarterback per cycle, but Oklahoma currently sits without a scholarship QB in the fold for the 2020 class. If Tanner Mordecai transfers after the 2019-20 season, that would potentially leave the Sooners with redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler and no other scholarship quarterbacks. Needless to say, Oklahoma will find its guy at some point, but it’s currently a matter of waiting for a name to emerge.
Wide Receiver
Oklahoma is pretty full at the wide receiver position. The Sooners are likely to only be interested in taking one more receiver with the presumed early exit of CeeDee Lamb.
-Rome Odunze (attending ChampU BBQ)
-Gary Bryant Jr.
Offensive Line
Bill Bedenbaugh has made a name for himself in the college football world as an elite talent developer (see Joe Moore Award, most recent NFL Draft). Bedenbaugh also happens to be an ace recruiter, and it just gets even more unfair when has has all of these sales pitches at his disposal. In short, Bedenboss gets what he wants.
-Jonah Monheim (attending ChampU BBQ)
-Brady Ward
Defensive Line
Oklahoma may need to start from scratch on the line, and we will know more as the season progresses. The defensive front for the Sooners is a major concern after departures like Tyrece Lott, Ron Tatum, and Addison Gumbs (last fall) along with an injury to Jordan Kelley. Combine those with the graduations of Neville Gallimore, Kenneth Mann, Marquise Overton, and Dillon Faamatau, and it leaves Alex Grinch and the Sooners’ defensive line gasping for air. The OU coaching staff has one heck of a job ahead of it over the next seven months to restock and rebuild a unit that’s seen quite a bit turnover.
-Princely Umanmielen
-Noah Arinze (attending ChampU BBQ)
-Tyler Baron
-Alfred Collins
-Justin Jackson (attending ChampU BBQ) *Committed to Colorado— JUCO
-Quay Mays (attending ChampU BBQ) *Committed to West Virginia— JUCO
Defensive Back
According to Grinch, the most disappointing part of accepting the job at Oklahoma was getting in the DB room and seeing the amount of depth diminished. In his first recruiting cycle, Alex Grinch has seen quite a bit of success at revamping the Sooners’ DB position for the future, only to find that the commits are not as solid as he’d hoped. Most of it is based upon negative recruiting in relation to the very poor DB play since 2014. However, positive displays of defensive growth and production should be cause enough to regain the commitment of formerly decommitted prospects.
-Dontae Manning
-Jacobe Covington
-John Humphrey
Oklahoma certainly has its work cut out for it on the defensive side of the ball — specifically the defensive line and defensive backs — as many recruits are taking a “wait and see” approach to the Sooners’ defense. However, names along the defensive line and defensive backfield will become apparent as the season progresses into the Fall.