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OU's mid-year enrollees have arrived

As Oklahoma is still finding out exactly who from the transfer portal will be joining it in Norman, the Sooners do know about their mid-year enrollees for the 2021 class.

Nine of the 16 members of #LincUpXXI arrived over the weekend, without any drama or any complications whatsoever.

So who are the newest Sooners?

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The story: Coe is the only junior college member of this year’s class, and it made a lot of sense for him to enroll early. His season was canceled, and he said he lost 15 pounds because of the fall semester. Reunited with Perrion Winfrey as the two were juco teammates two years ago, Coe is someone who absolutely has the ability to make an impact right from the jump. A season without the game has definitely given Coe an appreciation for this chance.

The story: A bit of a surprise mid-year enrollee, even for Downs. His late decision meant he had to take a semester’s worth of high school classes in three weeks last month, but he did it. Downs’ motivation for enrolling early stems from getting in the weight room and getting on a steady diet plan. It remains to be seen whether Downs will be a defensive end or a defensive tackle, but the quicker he finds out how his body responds to everything, quicker he’ll know. Downs was a dynamic playmaker as a senior.

The story: Wide receiver is always an interesting one because it always looks as though the Sooners are loaded until some weird things happen. Jackson was one of the anchors for the 2021 class, and if ever there’s a chance to build a bond with your quarterback right out the gate, you have to jump on that. Caleb Williams is enrolled early, and so is Jackson, and it will be interesting to see how his frame changes in Norman.

The story: You could argue McCutchin was the biggest get of the 2021 class and a recruit that OU in the past never would have had a realistic shot in landing. McCutchin checks all the boxes for size, speed, length in an Alex Grinch defense, and he certainly doesn’t lack for confidence. OU is starting to build a nice little group of young cornerbacks, but you know McCutchin believes deep down that by enrolling early, he’s got a chance to move up the depth chart quicker than anticipated.

The story: At the time of his commitment, Mukes seemed like a huge risk for OU because not much was known. Following a standout senior season, you can breathe a little easier in realizing Mukes can make plays at this level. For Mukes, enrolling early is about learning the game. As simple as that sounds, he only has two years of playing experience, so any bit of workouts and film watching will add value. The ceiling is crazy high because of his size and length, getting a head start was an easy call.

The story: Not one visit to campus before arriving for good this weekend, but Rawlins-Kibonge doesn’t sound as though he’s too concerned. He also didn’t have a senior season. For him, the biggest challenge was picking football over basketball as it appeared the hardwood was going to be his future. Instead, he’s ready to see what defensive ends coach Jamar Cain can do. Cain was Rawlins-Kibonge’s first offer when Cain coached at Arizona State, and the relationship was a key reason in Rawlins-Kibonge’s choice.

The story: Smith was already on the radar as a breakout performer entering his senior season, but he took it to a whole different level. The 2020 season saw the rebirth of the RUSH linebacker spot, and Smith fits that mold incredibly well. With Jon-Michael Terry transferring, it makes a lot of sense for Smith to come in early and get to work. He’s got a great mentor to look up to in Nik Bonitto, and it’s a position OU fans shouldn’t be worried about at all for years to come.

The story: No single recruit tried as hard as he did to make the class as good as it could be, and that’s the sort of attitude Williams brings to the table. Things opened up in a hurry with the transfers of Chandler Morris and Tanner Mordecai, in terms of getting reps and really getting the most time possible to try to understand a Lincoln Riley offense. Not the lone newcomer as former Penn State QB Micah Bowens is in the room, too, but everybody is excited to see how quickly the future becomes the now with Williams.

The story: Rare for a five-star prospect to make a decision without having seen the campus, but that’s exactly what Williams did. There were always whispers of people wondering if Williams would look around, but he was always true to OU. Williams feels like a highlight waiting to happen every time he gets the ball, and there’s a lot of logic in enrolling early when Caleb Williams is, too. Time to start building that Williams-to-Williams connection.

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