As Oklahoma Preps for Cheez-It Bowl, Orlando Will be Flush With Future Sooners
There are 13 members of Oklahoma’s 2023 recruiting class that are planning to enroll for the upcoming spring semester. But four newcomers will get a jump on the rest.
Defensive linemen Ashton Sanders and Derrick LeBlanc, running backs Kalib Hicks and Chapman McKown are officially with the Sooners in Orlando as OU begins preparations for next week’s Cheez-It Bowl against Florida State.
“Time to clock in,” Sanders told AllSooners, “and get to work.”
Per NCAA rules, they’re not eligible to play in the game, but they will participate fully in bowl practices as members of the team. They’ll even be allowed to suit up and watch from the sidelines.
Sanders is a 3-star prospect from Los Angeles, Hicks is a 4-star from Denton, TX, McKown is a walk-on from Norman and LeBlanc is a 4-star from nearby Kissimmee, FL, a suburb of Orlando.
A number of others from OU’s 2023 recruiting class are expected to be in Orlando at the same time as their future teammates and coaches.
Four-star defensive back Makari Vickers (Tallahassee), 4-star linebacker Lewis Carter (Tampa), 4-star wide receiver Keyon Brown (Tallahassee), 4-star linebacker Phil Picciotti (IMG Academy in Bradenton) and 3-star defensive lineman Markus Strong (Lake Butler) all live in Florida (Picciotti is from New Jersey).
Also, eight future Sooners are signed up to be in Orlando for the Under Armour All-American Game at Camping World Stadium on Jan. 3. That roster includes Carter, LeBlanc, 5-star defensive defense P.J. Adeboware, 5-star quarterback Jackson Arnold, 5-star safety Peyton Bowen, 4-star offensive tackle Cayden Green, 4-star athlete Jacobe Johnson and 4-star wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway.
NCAA rules prevent all-star game participants from officially attending bowl game practices and don’t allow college coaches to visit the recruits’ all-star practices. The NCAA dead period for football prohibits in-person contact and runs Dec. 19 through Jan. 12.
Green told AllSooners the timing just wasn’t right for him to attend the OU-FSU Cheez-It Bowl.
“I figured I’m just gonna see them again in like two weeks anyway,” Green said.