First Summer Surprise

If it has been said once, it’s been a hundred times this month regarding Oklahoma recruiting. The Sooners are sitting very pretty in July, and a few surprises could come their way.

One of those surprises just hit Saturday with Tampa (Fla.) Catholic athlete Lewis Carter announcing his commitment to the Sooners.

Carter visited Clemson, North Carolina, OU and Auburn in the last couple of months and felt like it would be a battle between the Sooners and Auburn.

This is a surprise on a couple of fronts. To start with, it goes to show again how OU fans have to really pay attention to offers being made in the state of Florida. The relationships that first-year head coach Brent Venables has built there is already paying off, with Carter being viewed as a linebacker. Venables was recruiting Carter back when Venables was at Clemson.

Secondly, it’s just the timing. Carter had been pretty consistent in saying he was going to announce his decision before his senior season, but nobody really knew.

He bypassed the top five, top three list and went straight to the commitment and another shot in the arm for the Sooners.

Carter becomes the sixth four-star commitment for OU since July 4 and the second one of the week to go with running back Daylan Smothers’ choice Thursday.

Venables and linebacker coach Ted Roof had zero linebacker commitments June 30. Now less than three weeks later, and OU has three with Samuel Omosigho, Phil Picciotti and now Carter.

Carter took his official visit June 10 weekend, which has been a sneaky great weekend for the Sooners when you include the commitment from running back Kalib Hicks.

And we’ll say it again. OU, now with 16 commitments, is not done yet in July. It’s the month that will keep on giving.