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Seven Incoming Freshman Will Participate in Oklahoma's Alamo Bowl Practices

The newest Sooners won't be able to play in the bowl game, but they're getting their college careers underway well before the spring semester starts.
John E. Hoover|
Seven Incoming Freshman Will Participate in Oklahoma's Alamo Bowl Practices
Seven Incoming Freshman Will Participate in Oklahoma's Alamo Bowl Practices

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Oklahoma Sooners

Seven Oklahoma freshman are getting a jumpstart on their college football careers.

One-quarter of the Sooners’ 2024 recruiting class, who signed their binding National Letters of Intent on the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday, have begun practice for the Alamo Bowl.

Defensive back Eli Bowen, defensive tackle Jayden Jackson, defensive end Nigel Smith, defensive end Wyatt Gilmore, defensive back Jaydan Hardy, quarterback Michael Hawkins and running back Xavier Robinson are all practicing for the Sooners’ Dec. 28 bowl game against Arizona.

“Decided to get that work in,” Hardy said in an OU promo video posted on social media.

Incoming freshmen are not eligible to play in bowl games, but the Sooners’ “First Seven” will practice all week with their future teammates.

Head coach Brent Venables said last week the Sooners are expecting 20 or so early enrollees for the spring semester, and all will participate in spring practice.

But only seven will take part in bowl prep.

Last year, four Sooners — running backs Kalib Hicks and Chapman McKown and defensive linemen Ashton Sanders and Derrick LeBlanc practiced in Orlando for the Cheez-It Bowl. 

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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