No. 1 recruit in Oklahoma names OU to top six
In-state 5-star athlete Gentry Williams named his top six schools on Tuesday, and the Oklahoma Sooners made the cut.
The 6-foot-0, 170-pound athlete from Booker T. Washington narrowed his top schools to Oklahoma, USC, Florida, LSU, Missouri and Arkansas.
In his freshman and sophomore seasons, Williams’ play at both quarterback and defensive back caught the eyes of coaches across the nation, as he has accumulated over 15 Power 5 offers, spanning coast-to-coast.
Adding to his dominant play on the field, Williams is also a track champion, putting his open-field speed up there with the elite in the Class of 2022.
Despite the attention and accolades, Williams hasn’t let his rising star off the field shade his focus and play on the field, he told SI Sooners last August.
READ MORE: 2022 Oklahoma target Gentry Williams says he's transitioning to wide receiver
READ MORE: Sooners looking to keep 2022 ATH Gentry Williams within state borders
“At the end of the day, I still gotta go play football," he said. "The rankings mean something, but at the end of the day, they don’t mean nothing on the field. So I gotta go out there and play to the best of my ability.”
Headed into 2020, Williams looked at add another trick to his bag, as he looked to learn a new position.
“I’m playing a little more receiver now," Williams said. "They’ve kind of moved me to that position. I like it; I feel like I’ll be more explosive there in more space. I like that part.”
Unfortunately, Williams’ 2020 campaign was cut short by an ACL injury in September.
In his two games of action before the injury, Williams still caught eight passes for 70 yards, as well as rushing for 71 yards and a touchdown on just five carries.
One of the benefits of recruiting an in-state playmaker like Williams are the relationships he has built with other players across the state. Williams has a relationship with Oklahoma’s 2021 signee Jordan Mukes and 2022 verbal commit Talyn Shettron already.
READ MORE: Top center Demetrius "Pancake" Hunter commits to the Sooners
READ MORE: Tight end Jason Llewellyn knew in his gut OU was the right school for him
“It’s been good, just talking to Talyn and being able to talk to Jordan too," Williams said. "We’re all in-state kids trying to do something special here in Oklahoma.”
OU’s 2022 class already has a pair of 5-star commitments in wide receiver Luther Burden and running back Raleek Brown. Oklahoma has also picked up the verbal pledges of the aforementioned Edmond Santa Fe standout wide receiver Shettron, linebacker Kobie McKinzie, wide receiver Jordan Hudson, the No. 1-rated center Demetrius Hunter, and 3-star tight end Jason Llewellyn.
