Bates the Bully

After seeing Joshua Bates work out a couple of times the Sooners wasted no time in offering him after a June 22 camp in Norman. And though SCOOPHD was on hand to see Bates' offer-winning work in Norman we still want to take a look at just what sold Bill Bedenbaugh on the Sooners so early on. What does Oklahoma's 2023 center commitment bring to the table?

SoonerScoop.com Recruiting Editor Josh McCuistion: For a position that requires such a high technical aptitude it's impressive to see a player as young as Bates, in his sophomore tape, so far along. Whether it's his ability to turn a defender or how well he uses his feet to overwhelm defenders, Bates shows a lot of high upside ability.

And it's his feet that continually show up on tape. Again and again you can see his feet in near constant motion, particularly at contact - when so many young offensive lineman can let their feet go quiet. However, it's his ability to use those feet to redirect defensive lineman and let their own momentum take them out of the play.

Bates works well with his lower body and the knee bend and footwork allows him to play with great leverage which is why time and time again you can see him turning a defender's shoulders before putting him on the ground.

Though you don't see a lot of the pulling and variety of movement that Oklahoma offensive linemen are synonymous with but at the 1:36 mark you can see him slide easily and get a further feel for just how light Bates is on his feet.

As he continues to physically develop he'll only get more powerful in the run game and his athleticism and good length should hold up well in pass pro.

Player Comparison: He reminds me some of former Texas Tech standout Jack Anderson.