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Oklahoma Recruiting Roundup: Grinch makes a pair of early evaluations

As the Sooners got back to work preparing for 2021, the OU coaches sent out a trio of scholarship offers, identifying under appreciated talent across the country
Ryan Chapman|
Oklahoma Recruiting Roundup: Grinch makes a pair of early evaluations
Oklahoma Recruiting Roundup: Grinch makes a pair of early evaluations

The scholarship offers once flying out of Norman slowed down a bit this week compared to the end of January.

With Lincoln Riley and his staff focusing on getting back to business with the 2021 Sooners, they were still at work ensuring a bright future for the program.

This past week, OU issued three scholarship offers, a pair in the 2022 class and a highly rated athlete already making noise for 2023:

Kristopher Ross, DL, Class of 2022

In his short time at Oklahoma, Alex Grinch has garnered a reputation for getting in early on guys with offers before a bunch of the big-hitters around the country. Houston, TX, defensive tackle Kristopher Ross could soon be another player addd to that list. Standing 6-foot-2 and 263 pounds, Ross fits the mold of a slimmer, speedier player Grinch likes on the inside while still having room on his frame to grow. 

The North Shore High School tackle is quick off the line of scrimmage, using his speed to sniff out plays in the backfield before they get started. The Texas Longhorns offered Ross two days after the Sooners, joining Arkansas State, Baylor, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, SMU and UTSA in pursuit of his signature.

Kelvin Banks, OL, Class of 2022

Bill Bedenbaugh set his sights on one of the most highly sought after offensive tackles in the country, Kelvin Banks. A 6-5, 300-pound prospect out of Humble, TX, Banks is a rated 4-star recruit and the No. 36 player overall in the 247 Sports 2022 player rankings. An absolute mauler in the run game, Banks is already experienced with Bedenbaugh’s bread and butter, the guard-tackle counter play. Summer Creek High School utilizes Banks in space with the counter plenty, a look OU deploys multiple times a game. Banks is also sturdy in pass protection, and has played at both left and right tackle. Alabama, Oklahoma State, Auburn, Baylor, Florida State, Houston, LSU, Missouri, Ole Miss, Oregon, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC and Utah have all joined the Sooners in offering Banks a scholarship to date.

DaKaari Nelson, DB, Class of 2023

Tucked away in Selma, AL, DaKaari Nelson is a phenomenal athlete who projects as a difference maker in the secondary. Playing both ways for Selma High School, Nelson has shown he has a nose for the football and is a dynamic playmaker in the open field. The 6-2, 176-pound Nelson would fit right into Grinch’s ideal mold in the secondary — lengthy frames with the ability to turn on the jets in the open field. The Sooners are early to the party again, as Nelson only holds offers from a few other programs, including Tennessee, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Duke and Kansas. 

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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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