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The defensive recruiting momentum for the Oklahoma Sooners continues to ramp up, as four-star defensive end Kelvin Gilliam has announced his intention to spend his college years in Norman.
This commitment was once a long shot because of the pull from Penn State, but it’s actually seemed like an inevitability for the last two months. Something very unique is that although Gilliam is now the fourteenth commitment for OU in the 2021 class, he is the second consecutive commitment from Highland Springs (Va.) HS where his teammate is also Sooner commit Damond Harmon. Although Highland Springs is two-plus hours from the DMV area (which is home to Caleb Williams and a number of other targets), it’s another instance of OU’s recruiting success in the talent-rich Mid-Atlantic.
The Sooners continue to stack quality blue chippers along the defensive line with the commitment of Gilliam, who has also received offers from Penn State, Florida, LSU, Michigan, South Carolina, Texas and several others during his recruiting process. He currently stands at a frame of 6’3, 250 pounds, and he’s another example of Alex Grinch finding athletic bodies with long arms and room to grow (one of the many keys for his “Speed D”). His motor is ALWAYS RUNNING and has the IQ to see the field early in Norman. Although he’s currently listed as a true defensive end, in Grinch’s scheme he’ll definitely be alternating between defensive tackle & defensive end, similar to Jalen Redmond.
Gilliam is now Oklahoma’s 14th commit of the 2021 recruiting cycle, and the OU class now sits at No. 14 in the 247Composite Team Rankings and No. 1 overall class in the Big XII. Currently, he is rated as the No. 104 overall prospect nationally, the No. 7 defensive end in the country and the No. 3 player in Virginia. The Sooners are well on their way to becoming an elite team on both sides of the ball, and the next step to winning an eighth national title starts with securing the right athletes on the defensive side.