The Oklahoma Sooners have been working overtime to build a defensive line class that can help lay the foundation for their move to the SEC.
A strong defensive line is how Brent Venables had success at Oklahoma. It’s how he helped Clemson win national championships. And the Sooners are looking to stockpile as much talent along the defensive front as they can.
The plan got a bit of a boost on Tuesday evening when Horns 247’s Jordan Scruggs issued a crystal ball prediction favoring the Oklahoma Sooners in the recruitment of four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith.
247Sports joins Rivals and On3 in favoring the Oklahoma Sooners in this top-100 recruitment.
Along with the Sooners, the Texas Longhorns are one of the teams that are on the shortlist for Smith. A list that also includes Ohio State, Penn State, Texas A&M, and Rutgers.
Smith is the No. 84 player in the country according to the 247Sports composite rankings and is the No. 12 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle.
At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, Smith has the size to be a force at multiple spots along the defensive line. He’s an athletic player that plays with really good technique and a motor that won’t quit. Smith is quick off the line of scrimmage, using a great first step to work through the offensive line to make plays in the backfield.
Oklahoma currently has a pair of defensive linemen committed to the 2024 class. Wyatt Gilmore and Jayden Jackson are just the first in a grand plan set forth by Brent Venables, Todd Bates, and Miguel Chavis to construct a blue-chip defensive line through the 2024 class.
In addition to Smith, they’re currently the favorites to also land Williams Nwaneri and David Stone. Oklahoma is also in hot pursuit of Danny Okoye, Dominick McKinley, and Zina Umeozulu.
There’s no telling if they’ll land all eight of their defensive line targets in the cycle, but with the way things are trending, the Sooners could add as many as six of these blue-chip talents.
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