Caught in the hysteria and hype of Oklahoma’s pursuit of five-star defenders, the Sooners are currently in a major recruiting battle for another blue chip defensive lineman.
Four-star defensive lineman Nigel Smith Jr. is an exceptional talent in his own right. While Oklahoma’s pursuits of David Stone and Williams Nwaneri have been covered relentlessly, Smith, a top 100 player, is another priority recruitment for the Sooners.
As his recruitment winds down. Friday, Smith took to social media to offer an update on his recruitment.
This declaration, in particular, signals a decision has likely been made. It’s also probably fair to infer that Smith would like to focus on his responsibilities as a student-athlete for the remainder of the summer.
He plans to commit on September 8, the day of his season opener for Melissa. He also announced his recruitment is closed and doesn’t plan on doing any interviews or taking any more visits until after his commitment.
“I will be committing on September 8,” Smith said via social media. “From the point on I will be closing my recruitment and not doing any interviews until after the date along with not taking anymore college visits.”
I will be committing on September 8. From the point on I will be closing my recruitment and not doing any interviews until after the date along with not taking anymore college visits.
— Nigel Smith 2 (@nigel2mith) August 4, 2023
Most notably, a visit to Texas is no longer happening for Smith. Texas and Texas A&M appear to be the biggest contenders to Oklahoma securing a commitment from Smith. Penn State and Ohio State have also been notable schools pursuing the talented defensive line prospect.
It remains to be seen if that will matter in the long run. However, with him shutting down his recruitment, having that last little bit of contact would surely help. Oklahoma likely feels comfortable and has remained steady in this recruitment since last year. The projections from 247Sports, On3, and Rivals all favor the Sooners for Nigel Smith.
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