COLUMN: Oklahoma Recruiting: The Rich Just Got Richer
COLUMN
What a weekend for Oklahoma.
Lincoln Riley and his coaching staff continued to cash in on ChampU BBQ — and beyond — by dunking on the rest of college football with the addition of three offensive playmakers, the latest a verbal commitment Sunday evening from 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson.
Nelson, one of the top two QBs in the 2023 class (he’s vying for top overall honors with Arch Manning; 247 Sports has Manning ranked No. 1, Rivals has Nelson at the top) has long been presumed to be a future Sooner coming behind the odd-year commits of Spencer Rattler (2019) and Caleb Williams (2021), who also were ranked No. 1 nationally in their respective classes.
Malachi Nelson
Sports Illustrated All-American
Nelson made it unofficially official on Sunday when he pledged his non-binding commitment to play for Riley and the Sooners two years down the road.
“It was just a special place,” Nelson told CBS Sports HQ during his announcement interview. “When I finally got on campus, I felt really comfortable with the staff, the environment, just the vibe on campus. In the end, it felt right.”
On Saturday, OU landed verbals from 2023 running back Treyaun Webb and 2022 tight end Kaden Helms.
Nelson’s addition — especially if he signs in December 2022 as planned — keeps Riley’s offensive train rolling.
It also sends a message — to rival schools and to top-shelf recruits around the country — that Oklahoma’s recruiting, as good as it’s been, is only getting better.
Webb, for instance, told SI All-American the group he hung out with the most at ChampU BBQ included several coveted offensive playmakers who have yet to decide their school.
Malachi Nelson at ChampU BBQ
Malachi Nelson via Twitter
“Me, (Nelson), (Brandon Inniss), Makai Lemon, DeAndre Moore, we all spent some time together,” Webb said. “We just talked and we just kind of connected.”
Inniss is widely regarded as the No. 1 overall receiver in the class of 2023. Moore is ranked No. 3, according to 247 Sports. Lemon, high school teammates with Nelson in Los Alamitos, CA, is 247 Sports’ No. 1-ranked athlete.
As promising as this weekend was, it might be just the beginning.
OU’s 2022 class currently ranks fifth nationally and first in the Big 12, according to 247 Sports.
With two commitments in the 2023 class — yes, it’s early — the Sooners now rank No. 1 for the time being, according to Rivals.
If there was an offensive ranking, Riley’s class might somehow rank even higher.
For one, Helms said he was eager to add to Riley’s offensive legacy at Oklahoma.
“Here at Bellevue West we like to win a lot of football games, and we like to do it in a scoring fashion,” he told KETV in an announcement interview Saturday. “I just thought Oklahoma was the best play for me to continue to do that at the next level, and dominantly at the next level.
“I would say I’m bringing just an athletic tight end, can go up and get the ball, do different things in space, block, just do whatever the coaches need me to do.”
Meanwhile Webb, a 4-star prospect from Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, FL, and the Sooners’ first commitment in the 2023 class, has been recruited as an athlete but intends to play running back at Oklahoma.
He told On3Sports that his relationship with Riley and OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray just felt natural.
“When I went up there, I just loved it. My family loved it,” he said. “I had a feeling it was gonna be them for a while, like going through the COVID period, I was communicating with them constantly (on) zoom calls. My family felt good about them, and that trip (ChampU BBQ on June 18) just kind of sealed it.
Webb said he initiated a three-way call with Riley and Murray and seemed a little surprised by their reaction.
“I just told them I wanted to be a Sooner. I felt like it was time,” he said. “They were excited, jumping for joy. I think coach Murray almost crashed his car, he was so happy. They loved it. A couple minutes later, coach Riley made little tweet, like ‘Today was a good day.’ That shows a lot (from) the head coach.”
Similarly, Nelson’s placement in the pecking order of Riley’s elite quarterbacks has no doubt left Riley pumping his fist.
“I’m gonna finish out these next couple years of high school,” Nelson told CBS Sports HQ, “and I’m excited to get out there in Norman. We’re gonna make a move, and we’re gonna make something special.”
