Does Nussmeier's Commitment Mean Caleb Williams to Oklahoma is a Done Deal?

With Garrett Nussmeier headed to Baton Rouge, LSU no longer needs a quarterback from the class of 2021

Yes, the Sooners earned a commitment from three-star linebacker Danny Stutsman on Monday, but their biggest win of the day didn't have anything to do with that.

Though many may have overlooked or missed it entirely, the most encouraging news of the day for Sooner Nation came from Flower Mound, Texas.

I wrote Monday morning that Sooners fans should monitor Garrett Nussmeier's status closely, as his commitment could end up being the domino that kicked off a Rube Goldberg machine on the recruiting trail. Caleb Williams had just narrowed his recruitment down to three schools, naming Oklahoma, Maryland, and LSU to the short list. 

The way I saw it, Nussmeier was a mortal lock to commit to LSU, and if the Tigers landed the state of Texas' top pro-style quarterback, they would naturally drop out of the Williams sweepstakes. That would leave Oklahoma as the obvious choice for Williams.

Mere hours later, it became official: Nussmeier is headed to Baton Rouge.

So here's the skinny: LSU just landed their Class of 2021 quarterback, Maryland stands no chance of competing for national titles in the immediate future, and Lincoln Riley might as well pop open the champagne. If Caleb Williams to Norman wasn't a foregone conclusion already, it sure looks like it now. 

Williams' affinity for Lincoln Riley and the Sooners is well documented. He's been open about his bond with the Oklahoma head coach, and the two have studied film together over the quarantine period. Ever since the Sooners lost Brock Vandagriff's commitment in January, Riley has been all-in on luring Williams to Norman, and his investment in the young five-star field general is primed to yield massive returns.

It's an open secret that there's a legion of 2021 prospects waiting on Williams' commitment. Wherever he goes, other elite recruits will follow. Who those players are (and how many there are) is less clear, although circumstantial evidence would suggest that four-star Plant City, FL wideout Mario Williams is among them. 

Plenty of other names have been floated (Korey Foreman, Maason Smith, Christian Leary, Kelvin Gilliam, etc.), but for the most part, the identities of those among Caleb Williams' silent coalition remain a matter of speculation. But with Nussmeier now a Tiger and the Terrapins in disarray, the speculation may not have to endure much longer. Nor may the Sooners' two-decade championship drought, assuming Williams arrives in Norman with the expected army in tow.

Ed Orgeron and Steve Ensminger got their guy in Nussmeier.

Mike Locksley and his staff are still sweeping up the shards of D.J. Durkin's regime in College Park.

It's safe to say that it's a matter of when - not if - Caleb Williams is officially a Sooner.

To get the latest OU posts as they happen, join the SI Sooners Community by clicking “Follow” at the top right corner of the page (mobile users can click the notifications bell icon), and follow SI Sooners on Twitter @All_Sooners.