How Jalil Farooq Committing to Oklahoma Impacts Ohio State, Emeka Egbuka

Sooners landed 2021 wide receiver Sunday afternoon, likely impacting the future decision of Egbuka.

Lincoln Riley and the Oklahoma football program landed class of 2021 wide receiver Jalil Farooq (Upper Marlboro, Md.) Sunday afternoon, now giving the Sooners three at the position in this current cycle.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Farooq, out of Dr. Henry Wise High School, chose Oklahoma from his list of 30 offers that included multiple powerhouses. Ohio State, Clemson, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Penn State, Tennessee and others had offered.

Farooq’s commitment doesn’t come as much of a surprise to those who followed his recruitment. He played with Sooner quarterback commit Caleb Williams, the top overall player in this 2021 cycle, in middle school. Many felt that Farooq was “silently committed” to Oklahoma for months, as he now officially joins fellow wideouts Mario Williams (SI Rank: 23) and Cody Jackson (SI Rank: 91) in Riley’s class.

Three at the position likely takes Oklahoma out of the running for heralded prospect Emeka Egbuka, the No. 1 ranked wide receiver by SI All-American and slotted 10th in the Preseason SI99. But, as we recently said, it appeared Oklahoma was fading anyways for the elite target. Egbuka (Steilacoom, Wash.) has not made a visit to Norman and did not attend the “Sooner Summit” mass-recruiting event in August.

Emeka Egbuka

Ohio State seemingly remains the favorite to land Egbuka, but west-coast schools such as USC, Stanford, Oregon and his hometown Washington Huskies hold interesting cards in terms of proximity and lighter depth charts.

So, while it’s positive for the Buckeyes that Oklahoma may be out of the running, other formidable challengers still exist here in this ongoing dynamic.

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