All Sooners

Oklahoma Lands Commitment from Juco All-American CB

Kendel Dolby, who was the defensive player of the year in his conference, was so impressed with his visit last weekend that he committed to OU on the spot.

John E. Hoover

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NORMAN — Another day, another verbal commitment for Oklahoma’s class of 2023.

The Sooners added yet another dynamic prospect in the aftermath of last weekend’s gigantic recruiting weekend as junior college defensive back Kendel Dolby on Wednesday gave his pledge to play for OU.

Dolby, a junior college All-American and the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference, was among those recruits in town for the festivities as the Sooners beat Oklahoma State 28-13. In all, more than three dozen prospects were in town — spanning four recruiting classes.

OU already landed commitments from 2023 defensive linemen Ashton Sanders and Taylor Wein, and now Dolby has joined them.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Dolby hails from Springfield, OH, and played two seasons at Northeastern A&M College in Miami, OK.

Dolby played in seven games in 2021 and finished with 24 tackles and two interceptions (one he turned into a touchdown), with six passes defensed. Last season, Dolby played in five games, collected 19 tackles, his first career sack and four passes defensed.

Last year, Dolby was named All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honorable mention at cornerback.

OU offered Dolby on Nov. 2, a day after Oklahoma State and almost two weeks before Arkansas.

Dolby also holds offers from Washington, Washington State, Boise State, Houston, Mississippi State, Missouri and others.

Dolby told AllSooners he will graduate in December and intends to sign with the Sooners on Dec. 21 and will enroll in the spring semester.

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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