Oklahoma Early Enrollees: How Josh Bates Can Follow Creed Humphrey's Path

The Sooners' new center certainly looks up to Humphrey, but OU's original member of the 2023 class has been on a similar track for a while now.

Editor’s Note: This is Part 3 of a 14-part series on Oklahoma’s early enrollees in the 2023 recruiting class.

Many times, graduating high school early and launching one’s college football career pays off. Many times, it doesn’t.

While early enrollees are navigating new realms of pain and commitment, a lot of their friends are back home — playing basketball, running track or just hanging out and taking full advantage of the affliction known as “senioritis.”

In Oklahoma’s case, 14 newcomers have chosen to make that sudden transition from boys to men. Jerry Schmidt’s winter workouts might seem impossible at first, and then the summer grind is even harder. In between, the coaching staff takes over, and spring football practice puts them ahead of their summer counterparts.

In this series, AllSooners examines each of the 14 newcomers and projects their impact on Brent Venables’ football team in 2023.

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Creed Humphrey is the new standard for centers at Oklahoma.

A former 4-star recruit out of nearby Shawnee, Humphrey redshirted in 2017, then emerged as a star for the Sooners, blocking for Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and Spencer Rattler as the Sooners won three straight Big 12 titles and made two playoff appearances behind their three-time All-Big 12 center.

In the NFL, Humphrey has continued that trajectory with all-rookie honors last year and All-Pro accolades this year for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Joshua Bates believes he can follow a similar path playing for Humphrey’s old coach, Bill Bedenbaugh.

“He’s a great coach,” Bates told AllSooners. “I can’t wait to be developed into hopefully another Creed Humphrey. That’s the goal.”

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C Joshua Bates

• 6-3, 290
• Durango, CO
• 247 Sports: 4-star, No. 370 overall, No. 20 int. OL
• Rivals: 4-star, unranked overall, No. 3 C
• On3: 3-star, unranked overall, No. 75 int. OL
• ESPN: 3-star, unranked overall, No. 4 C

Background: Bates is the Sooners’ lone holdover of the 2023 class from the Lincoln Riley era. A three-time Colorado All-State selection and track and field athlete, Bates has the mean streak, the attitude and the toughness to play college football. But during the past year or so, he’s also shown uncommon patience and intelligence, too.

2023 Projection: Andrew Raym is the Sooners’ center. He’s a three-year starter and is a strong candidate to play a long time in the NFL. But versatile and valuable backup Robert Congel has graduated. Raym has one more year, so it’s imperative Bates spend his first season of college football learning as quickly as he can and getting bigger and stronger, because next year the job should be his.

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In addition to simply playing the same position, there are other parallels between Humphrey and Bates. For example, when the 6-foot-4, 301-pound Humphrey was a recruit, his 247 Sports player rating was .8962. Before arriving in Norman this week for his first semester of college, the 6-3, 305-pound Bates’ player rating was .8958. Both played in the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.

You want synchrony? Bates and Humphrey first crossed paths in 2021 in Norman as each one’s career was transitioning to the next level.

“I met Creed on one of my first or second visits there,” Bates said. “That was a shock. He was there and he was awesome. He was a big reason why I wanted to make my decision. I committed right as he was drafted. He was drafted that year and I was able to see that and see how successful he was as a rookie. He should have been a Pro Bowler his rookie year.

“But seeing how well he did, and how Bedenbaugh developed him over a span of a couple years is really impressive, and something that really caught my attention. And he’s pretty awesome to talk to. I shot questions at him playing at Oklahoma. He was a big help.”

It’s Bates who was a big help in rebuilding Oklahoma’s 2023 class. After Lincoln Riley left for USC, Bates was the only member of the 2023 class who didn’t decommit. The new coaching staff appreciates his determination and his patience.

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Oklahoma’s 2023 early enrollees

• Jan. 19: DE P.J. Adebawore
• Jan. 20: QB Jackson Arnold
• Jan. 21: C Joshua Bates
  
• Jan. 22: Peyton Bowen
• Jan. 23: CB Kendel Dolby
• Jan. 24: OT Cayden Green
• Jan. 25: RB Kalib Hicks
• Jan. 26: DE Derrick LeBlanc
• Jan. 27: DB Erik McCarty
• Jan. 28: LB Phil Picciotti
• Jan. 29: DT Ashton Sanders
• Jan. 30: RB Daylan Smothers
• Jan. 31: DB Makari Vickers
• Feb. 1: CB Jasiah Wagoner

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I get here, Josh is committed already,” said offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby. “He’s been incredible. His family’s been incredible. But I think the thing that’s really unique about him, I’d been here about a month and Josh sends me a text of him watching tape and kind of the breakdown of our offense and how we operated at Ole Miss. So this dude’s sitting in the film room at the house, just watching ball non-stop. So he’s a junky. He’s ate up with it —and a great addition.”

Bates said he’s a student of the game, and explained why he thinks it’s something that comes naturally.

“If you know me as a player, I’m very smart when it comes to the game of football,” Bates said. “I’ve just been gifted. Like, from an aerial standpoint, I can kind of see myself and see everyone else and know where they’re going; I’ve just always clicked like that, and I use my mental toughness in the game to set an advantage (against) my opponent.”