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Published Jun 14, 2022
Offers aplenty at OU camps
Bob Przybylo  •  OUInsider
Staff Writer
Twitter
@BPrzybylo

OK, so now we know what an Oklahoma camp is going to look like under head coach Brent Venables. They’re going to be dates to circle, that’s for sure.

Venables said in December satellite camps were going to be a thing of the past for the Sooners, saying recruits need to come to Norman.

They did. All four days featured elite performers, big-time unofficial visitors who might have not camped but showed up, and made the event an easy success.

Now about those offers, 18 have been given to recruits who showed up and/or camped in Norman during one of the four days. Two for the 2023 class, 11 for 2024 and five for 2025.

A recap.

Day 1

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Keys stood out immediately after the first couple of reps. It became pretty obvious midway through the initial session that Keys was going to end up with an offer. He did, and then he actually returned to Norman this last weekend to make it two trips in 10 days.

That first day was short-changed just a little bit because of the weather as the rain halted things right when the one-on-one competitions would have gotten in full swing. Regardless, Wormley had already done enough to walk home with the offer.

Riggins and Keys made it very hard for any other linebacker to look the part. Even as a 2025 recruit, Riggins had the mindset of walking out of Norman with the offer. He was too good to be denied and ended up doing just that.

Marsh was an intriguing prospect coming in because you didn’t know if he was going to be a wide receiver or defensive back. He was the best receiver for the first day, and it took less than an hour after the camp’s conclusion for him to get the offer.

DAY 2

The poster boy for saying camps still matter. Brown was sensational during his one-session run and earned the offer very shortly after. Just a few days later, that included a standout showing at Alabama, Brown decided to commit to OU. That’s how it works.

That first session was full of elite defensive linemen in the 2024 class with Xadavien Sims and David Stone. But Hill didn’t take a backseat to them. He fared very well and definitely looks the part at tackle. It took a little more than a week, but the offer came Monday afternoon.

OU was the start for Tatum. Because ever since the OU offer, Tatum has gone from one camp to another and picked up one major offer after another. Another camper who only needed two hours to show the staff everything that was necessary.

There was a lot to like with Stubbs and that only increased when you learned he was for the 2025 class. A lot of kids came in from Florida during the two weeks and showcased what they can do. With his size, Stubbs will be a prominent name for the class.

Day 3

The only person to receive an offer without actually camping. Showing up, though, proved to be more than enough for Edwards. The coaches gravitated toward him immediately, and the offer has definitely made a big impression on him.

Next three up are all from the same prep school in Miami. Take your pick as to which Luman was more impressive as they both did a sensational job and put on a dominating performance in the trenches. With Howard, he has the frame that screams elite defensive back. He’ll need to continue to progress, but the potential is there and getting in the race now made sense for OU. A growing trend for the trio of going to a camp and earning an offer.

Venables was very familiar with the Woodaz name, having signed his older brother to Clemson for the 2022 class. Woodaz was the best linebacker in attendance, and it’s hard to go against Venables’ and Ted Roof’s eye for linebacker talent.

Not as many offers from offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh, at least not yet, so that tells you a lot about how good Poe was and what OU thinks of him. His versatility was on full display, as he looked comfortable in any setting presented to him.

Day 4

Maybe it feels wrong to rank offers, but any quarterback offer always feels a little bit different just because you know there aren’t going to be too many of them for a class. Van Buren was as advertised during both sessions, did what he needed to do and became the third offer for OU at QB for 2024.

Lane started the day at safety, and you could see glimpses of something special. He flipped to linebacker for the afternoon session and everything looked to come together. His position will be something to monitor going forward, but he easily did enough to earn the offer Sunday.

With all eyes on 2024 defensive lineman Nigel Smith, Nwaneri showed he’s no slouch in his own right. Being paired with an elite lineman actually made Nwaneri look even better as he was right there stride for stride. Mission accomplished after the initial session.

Mitchell was one of those guys where as long as he showed up in Norman, he was going home with an offer. Well, he did more than that. He put on a show during the first session, offered during the intermission and then returned to work out some more in the afternoon. Check and check.