Thune's Tidbits from the Trail: Notes from the Week in Sooner Recruiting
Make it thirteen commitments in the 2021 class for Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma.
Damond Harmon, a three-star prospect and a member of the SI All-American Top 1000, announced his pledge to the Sooners Saturday evening, giving Oklahoma four defensive back commits in the 2021 class. Harmon joins Jordan Mukes, Latrell McCutchin, and Caleb Johnson.
The verbal from the Highland Springs (Va.) native is good news on more than one level for Oklahoma - it gives them an inside edge to land Harmon's best friend and teammate, Kelvin Gilliam. The four-star defensive end is set to announce his commitment Aug. 22, and is strongly considering the Sooners.
Meanwhile, at virtually the exact same time that Harmon made his decision, four-star defensive back Kendal Daniels committed to Texas A&M. The Beggs product is widely considered the top player in his class statewide, and it had long appeared evident that he was headed to Norman.
However, according to Daniels, the Sooner staff suddenly decided that they didn't want him.
This morning, The Oklahoman reported that Daniels was ready to commit to OU, but that the Sooners rescinded their offer to the lengthy safety at the eleventh hour. Less than two weeks before his commitment date, Daniels received news that he no longer had a scholarship to Oklahoma. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound phenom apparently wasn't the right fit for Alex Grinch's vision. Thus, to College Station he went.
In what universe does it make sense to pull an offer to your state's top recruit, especially when he clearly favors your school? To the casual observer, it doesn't. But let's give Lincoln Riley his due here - he knows plenty of things that we don't know. It could, however, be an indication that Oklahoma is in a good position to land Khyree Jackson, who will commit on Aug. 15. The 6-foot-3 juco defensive back has the Sooners among his final four schools.
Parker's Prospect Projections tracks all of my official predictions for where the 2021 Sooner targets will land.
Current success rate: 1.000 (10-for-10)
S Daymon David
Projection: Oklahoma, 5/4 ↔️
Status: Uncommitted
WR Mario Williams
Projection: Oklahoma, 5/12 ✅
Status: Committed to Oklahoma, 5/15
DE Clayton Smith
Projection: Oklahoma, 5/14 ✅
Status: Committed to Oklahoma, 5/15
LB Ian Jackson
Projection: Alabama, 5/26 ✅
Status: Committed to Alabama, 5/28
ATH Raheim Sanders
Projection: Arkansas, 6/7 ✅
Status: Committed to Arkansas, 6/8
DE Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge
Projection: Oklahoma, 6/14 ✅
Status: Committed to Oklahoma, 6/17
QB Caleb Williams
Projection: Oklahoma, 6/27 ✅
Status: Committed to Oklahoma, 7/4
WR Keon Coleman
Projection: Kansas, 7/2 ✅
Status: Committed to Kansas, 7/4
S Donovan McMillon
Projection: Florida, 7/18 ✅
Status: Committed to Florida, 7/18
S Kendal Daniels
Projection: Texas A&M, 7/31 ✅
Status: Committed to Texas A&M, 7/31
CB Damond Harmon
Projection: Oklahoma, 7/31 ✅
Status: Committed to Oklahoma, 8/1
Tantalizing Tweets tracks the most intriguing Twitter activity from Sooner commits and targets.
Four-star 2022 prospect Brenen Thompson was thrilled with his virtual visit to Oklahoma on Wednesday.
A retweet from Bryce Foster seemed to indicate that the four-star offensive lineman is leaning toward Oklahoma.
Barry Switzer threw some shade at the Sooners' foes across the Red River.
Four-star DMV-area wideout Jalil Farooq put the Sooners in his top seven.
And official offers went out August 1, much to the delight of Caleb Williams and the rest of the Sooners' 2021 pledges.
Stay up to date with SI Sooners for continuing coverage of what promises to be a busy month of August on the recruiting trail.
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