All Sooners

Elite 2024 DL Target Discusses Official Visit to Oklahoma

A big-time Sooners d-line target was on campus this weekend for an official visit and seemingly enjoyed his time in Norman.

Randall Sweet

Nigel Smith II via Twitter
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Nigel Smith II says he had quite the time on his official visit to Oklahoma last weekend.

The coveted defensive lineman from Melissa, TX, joined a slew of talented recruits in Norman for what is known as the ChampU BBQ, and came away impressed.

“It was like, kicking it, talking. Just catching up with each other and regular conversation while we’re eating,” the 4-star defender told AllSooners on Monday. “(The weekend) was great. I enjoyed it. … I got along really well with the recruits and all of that.”

The 2024 athlete is a big target for the Sooners, who are still in contention for a number of highly touted trench players. Smith could be a huge pickup for Oklahoma, who hopes that the talented Texan would be part of an historic defensive line class in Norman, potentially joining multiple 4- and 5-star defenders. 

He also said that his parents, grandfather and younger brother were able to make the trek to Norman with him.

“(My family) loved it,” he said.

Smith, whose father was a 6-foot-10 basketball player at SMU, also mentioned that he was able to watch film with the Sooners’ coaching staff, saying that he fits very well with Brent Venables’ defensive scheme. Smith added that he speaks with Venables, Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis “almost every day.”

Smith also said that he’s visited Norman numerous times before the barbecue, and was able to discuss his recruitment with the coaching staff more in-depth on those trips.

At 6-foot-5, Smith is rated the No. 85 player in the nation and is one of the top-10 defensive lineman in the 2024 cycle, according to Rivals. He holds over 35 offers from schools around the country, including Ohio State, Alabama and Georgia.

While Oklahoma seems to be in a good place with Smith, the Dallas-area star still has official visits slated to Texas A&M and Texas. Smith also took official visits to Ohio State and Penn State prior to the ChampU BBQ.

“Name brand speaks for itself,” Smith said when discussing Ohio State. “Coach (Larry) Johnson is arguably one of the best d-line coaches in the country, or ever to do it. … All five of these schools I feel I fit really well into their defense.”

Smith added that he always enjoys his time in College Station and that he likes how large their alumni base is. Smith also mentioned that a close friend of his is a student at Texas and that he has a great relationship with the coaching staff at Penn State.

What the Sooners have to offer that other programs don’t, however, is the SOUL Mission, a program designed to help Oklahoma football players build their life after football. This program includes mentoring from former Sooners and Saints linebacker Curtis Loftin as well as  former OU players Caleb Kelly, Josh Norman and others.

Smith raved about the SOUL Mission, saying it was one of the things he likes the most about Oklahoma.

“I love (OU’s) SOUL Mission program. They’ve got a lot of great things going on, a great staff put together with that,” Smith said. “That helps a lot with one of the things I’m looking for in college, life after ball. Their SOUL Mission program gives everyone really good oportunities and internships, things like that during your college career so you can kind of figure out what you like and if you already know what you like, it really helps with getting a jumpstart on your career after football.”

Smith also said that he likes Oklahoma because of the defensive staff’s track record for developing NFL talent, saying, “I could be the next one.”

The star pass rusher told AllSooners that he plans to announce his commitment on Sept. 8, leaving Sooner fans anxiously waiting to see how things shake out. By the time Smith makes his choice, OU will likely have a much better idea of what its 2024 recruiting class looks like.

If Oklahoma is able to land a pledge from Smith, the 2024 class would get a major boost, adding one of the most coveted defensive prospects in the Lone Star State. By then, the Sooners’ could have also earned commitments from multiple other high-profile recruits, making Smith the icing on the cake in what could be an historic defensive line group for OU. 

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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