Why Ratings, Stars and Other Metrics Show 2023 is Oklahoma’s Best Defensive Class in Years

It took some time, however Oklahoma lastly reeling in Peyton Bowen has elevated the Sooners’ 2023 class to new heights.

The narrative going into Nationwide Signing Day — his first full recruiting cycle as head coach — Brent Venables signed OU’s finest defensive class in no less than the final 10 years.

Now, with Bowen’s signature coming in on Thursday, the information helps that narrative.

Venables’ class of 25 complete gamers consists of 15 defenders. That’s essentially the most because the 2018 class included 15, and is simply off the 2015 class’ variety of 16.

Utilizing the 247 Sports activities rankings, the Sooners’ common participant rating on this 12 months’s class — protection solely — is .9185 (an ideal rating is 1.000). That’s really a notch beneath the 2021 class’s per-player common of .9210.

However that 12 months, Lincoln Riley solely signed 10 defensive gamers.

Included in that 2021 class have been eight 4-stars and nil 5-stars. This 12 months’s class consists of eight 4-stars, but in addition options two 5-stars in Bowen and edge rusher P.J. Adeboware.

Defensive backs Makari Vickers, Jacobe Johnson and Jasiah Wagner, defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc and linebackers Sammy Omosigho and Lewis Carter got here in as extremely rated recruits. DBs Daeh McCullough, Kendel Dolby and Erik McCarty, linebacker Phil Picciotti and defensive linemen Ashton Sanders, Taylor Wein and Markus Robust fill out a well-rounded class of versatile athletes who, Venables mentioned, play with “violence” of their recreation.

“We’re searching for runners,” Venables mentioned. “We’re searching for guys that like contact. You may’t ever go incorrect while you’re speaking about defensive gamers, guys that may run and hit.”

This 12 months additionally represents the primary time within the trendy period of on-line recruiting rankings that the Sooners have landed two 5-stars on protection in the identical 12 months.

Oklahoma’s defensive 5-stars within the final 25 years, based on 247 Sports activities, are Tommie Harris (2001), DeMarcus Granger (2005), R.J. Washington (2008), Gerald McCoy (2006), Moe Dampeer (2003), Chris Patterson (2004), Jamarkus McFarland (2009), Tony Cade (2003), Caleb Kelly (2016), Zach Latimer (2002) and Marcus Walker (2004).

The Sooners’ common per-player rating for defenders within the 2018 class was excessive, too — .9128.

However OU signed seven defenders on this 12 months’s class with a 247 Sports activities rating of .9300 or greater. That’s far more than the three OU signed in 2021 and the 4 the Sooners landed in 2018.

Venables’ defensive chops — and his workers of dynamic recruiters — are paying dividends. One full recruiting class exhibits that Venables is already making headway because the Sooners start the transition to the Southeastern Convention.

“I am actually happy with our workers and all of the folks internally,” Venables mentioned. “J.R. Sandlin and Lee Davis, amongst others, Drew Hill and J.P. (Losman). They only did an excellent job. They have been relentless of their work to discovering the appropriate guys which can be going to suit the profile that we’re searching for right here at Oklahoma.” 

Combining quite a few metrics, together with sheer amount and ranging levels of high quality, the 2023 class stands as Oklahoma’s finest in no less than a decade.

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