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Oklahoma Hoping to Light Some Big Recruiting Fireworks Starting July 4

The holiday has become a big day in recruiting as of late for the Sooners, and 2022 is shaping up to be no different.
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma Hoping to Light Some Big Recruiting Fireworks Starting July 4
Oklahoma Hoping to Light Some Big Recruiting Fireworks Starting July 4

Lately, the July 4 fireworks have spilled over to the recruiting trail for Oklahoma.

This year, Independence Day expects to be no different.

The picture surrounding Brent Venables’ 2023 recruiting class for the Sooners will become more clear as the month unfolds. Major recruiting targets will start to come off the board as many rising high school seniors look to make their college decisions before embarking on their final high school football season.

A couple of familiar faces will get the ball rolling on July 4 itself.

Pennsylvania linebacker Phil Picciotti and in-state star Micah Tease are both slotted to announce their college commitments at 7 p.m. on Monday night.

Picciotti, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound prospect, is rated a 3-star recruit by 247 Sports and will be deciding between the Sooners, Auburn, Michigan and Nebraska.

The Perkaise, PA, product visited Norman back at the start of June, and would be the second linebacker to commit to the Sooners in the 2023 class after Texas product Samuel Omosigho.

Tease, a Booker T. Washington High School star and former teammate of current OU defensive back Gentry Williams, named the Sooners to his top 10 back in May, alongside Arkansas, Michigan, Notre Dame, LSU, Alabama, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Penn State and USC.

July 4 is only the beginning, however.

Top offensive tackle target Cayden Green has set his commitment date for July 8.

Wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway told On3’s Hayes Fawcett he’d be deciding between Oklahoma and Texas at some point this upcoming week, and offensive lineman Payton Kirkland is scheduled to announce his decision on July 23.

Defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc will follow Kirkland on July 28, and Oklahoma targets running back Daylan Smothers, defensive lineman Adepoju Adebawore and offensive lineman Logan Howland are all expected to pick a school soon as well.

Venables and the Sooners currently rank 40th in 247 Sports’ team rankings, but OU only has 10 players verbally committed at the moment.

The coming month will be a big opportunity for the Sooners to shoot up the rankings if they are able to land a few of the top targets on the board. 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is co-publisher at Sooners On SI and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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