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    James Nesta Hi-Lites

    Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Beginning to see Results of ChampU BBQ

    The past week has been busy for the Sooners, who picked up two commitments and a handful of projected recruiting wins.

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    Oklahoma Sooners
    Oklahoma Sooners

    Brent Venables and company are preparing to enter the final stretch in their 2024 recruiting efforts. 

    With National Signing Day in December, a good portion of the upcoming recruiting class has already begun to announce their commitments. The majority of rising seniors will have their future home decided in the coming months, making it a crucial time for the Oklahoma coaching staff to secure a few more big commitments in the 2024 cycle.

    Between commitments and recruiting rumors over the past week, the Sooners have seemed to be on the verge of gaining a huge amount of momentum on the recruiting trail.

    Commitments

    On Tuesday evening, OU received its first two commitments in the 2024 cycle in nearly two months. William Amos Hough (NC) linebacker James Nesta and Keller Timber Creek (TX) wide receiver Dozie Ezukanma announced their pledges to Oklahoma within minutes of each other, giving Sooner fans a double dose of good news after many were beginning to worry about the pace of the 2024 class.

    Nesta is a 4-star linebacker from Cornelius, NC, one of the top 20 linebackers in the nation according to On3. The 6-foot-4 hard-hitting defender is also one of the top 10 players in North Carolina, per On3 and 247Sports.

    Nesta was in Norman for the ChampU BBQ and told reporters that Oklahoma earned multiple silent commitments over the weekend.

    A dual-sport athlete, Nesta will also play baseball for OU after choosing the Sooners over Miami and North Carolina.  

    Ezukanma is a 3-star wideout from Fort Worth, who caught 42 passes for 587 yards and six touchdowns as a junior at Timber Creek. Ezukanma's older brother, Erik, played receiver for Texas Tech before being selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

    Listed at 6-foot-4 and 185 pounds, Dozie has racked up 15 offers from schools around the country, choosing the Sooners over Oregon, TCU, Miami and Texas A&M. 

    Predictions

    Coveted 2024 prospects Taylor Tatum of Longview, TX, and Wyatt Gilmore of Rogers, MN have both received a flurry of predictions in the last five days projecting the two 4-star athletes to pledge their commitment to Venables and company. 

    Tatum is the No. 1 running back and No. 33 player in the country, per 247Sports Composite rankings. As a talented prospect on the diamond, Tatum also is hoping to play both football and baseball in college.

    The dual-sport athlete was reportedly deciding between Michigan, USC and OU, with the Wolverines supposedly dropping out of the race after receiving verbals from two running backs in the 2024 class. USC was then believed to be in the lead for Tatum, but after the Texan's time at the ChampU BBQ, he seems to favor the Sooners. 

    Since June 20, 15 predictions across On3, Rivals and 247Sports have been placed for Tatum to commit to Oklahoma. The impressive ability of DeMarco Murray and Skip Johnson to demonstrate how OU has successfully handled dual-sport athletes in the past seems to have put the Sooners' in the lead, with Tatum's decision likely coming soon.

    Gilmore, who wrapped up his final official visit this week, has had seven different reporters place a formal prediction that he will end up in Norman. The star edge rusher was also in town for the ChampU BBQ and seemingly liked what he saw. 

    The Sooners are in a battle against Kansas State, Minnesota, Miami and Oregon to win Gilmore's services after the Minnesota native set his top five late last month. Since then, Gilmore has taken trips to all five schools with Oklahoma and Oregon rounding out the bunch.

    Gilmore is one of the top 20 edge players in the country and the No. 1 player in Minnesota according to 247Sports.

    Important Dates

    A number of Sooners' targets also set their commitment dates and released their top schools lists recently.

    Xavier Robinson, a 3-star 2024 running back from Carl Albert High School (OK), is set to commit on Tuesday, June 27 at 5 p.m. While the in-state standout is expected to end up in Norman, Murray and company are still fighting Iowa State, Notre Dame and Oklahoma State in Robinson's recruitment. 

    On Friday, June 30, 3-star 2024 defensive lineman De'Andre Cook is scheduled to announce his decision. The Washington, DC, native is projected to commit to Penn State, with OU, Rutgers, Boston College and North Carolina also believed to be in the mix for the Friendship Collegiate Academy product.

    Justin Denson, a 3-star defensive back from La Salle Academy (RI), is slated to make his pledge on July 1. Recently, the 6-foot-2 safety cut down his list of schools to five, with Oklahoma, Alabama, Michigan State, Florida and Texas A&M making the cut. 

    Denson was in Norman for the ChampU BBQ and has tweeted about the Sooners multiple times since his visit.

    A week later, 4-star offensive lineman Marques Easley will choose between Tennessee, Alabama and OU. At 6-foot-7 and 325 pounds, the Kankakee (IL) product is a highly coveted prospect, rated No. 205 in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.

    Easley was in Norman the weekend prior to the ChampU BBQ, alongside a slew of other talented recruits. 

    Also on July 8, 4-star tight end Davon Mitchell of Los Alamitos High School (CA) is set to announce his commitment. Mitchell, the No. 1 tight end in the nation according to ESPN and Rivals, is widely believed to heavily favor the Sooners. 

    Mitchell was in Oklahoma for the ChampU BBQ, posting multiple photos of himself on campus since the Sooners' big weekend. 

    Additionally, 4-star 2024 Tulsa Union defensive back Devon Jordan announced his top 10 schools on Sunday evening with OU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, Alabama, TCU, Kansas State, Missouri, Miami, Vanderbilt and Iowa State making the cut. 

    Offers

    The Sooners' also extended two offers this week, with one 2026 prospect picking up an offer from Venables and company and one 2024 recruit receiving a preferred walk-on offer.

    Sharroid Whitehead, a rising sophomore athlete from Ocean Springs, MS, was offered by OU last Sunday. The stellar 2026 prospect now holds four offers, with Florida State, Virginia Tech and Penn State already expressing interest in the speedy playmaker.

    Wyatt Bell, a rising senior lineman from Rogers, MN, was offered a preferred walk-on spot by Miguel Chavis and company this week. Bell is teammates with Sooners' target Wyatt Gilmore at Rogers Senior High School (MN).

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