Oklahoma Lands Defensive Line Commitment

Florida product Alton Tarber became Brent Venables' first defensive line commit since taking over as OU's head coach.

Ryan Chapman | Dec 14, 2021

The Sooners are picking up traction headed into Wednesday’s Early Signing Period.

Brent Venables landed the commitment of defensive tackle Alton Tarber on Tuesday morning, Tarber announced on Twitter.

A 3-star prospect from Deerfield Beach, FL, Tarber represents a detraction from Alex Grinch’s “Speed D” philosophy.

Standing 6-foot-1 and 305 pounds, Tarber is a big body who will be tough to move off the line of scrimmage at the heart of the Sooner defense.

Tarber also represents the first defensive recruit to hop aboard OU’s 2022 class who wasn’t previously committed before Lincoln Riley departed the Oklahoma program for USC.

Previously, Tarber was committed to Georgia Tech, but he backed off his verbal pledge to the Yellow Jackets on Dec. 12.

The defensive tackle also held offers from Iowa State, Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Penn State and others.

Tarber’s commitment brings Oklahoma’s total in the 2022 class up to 15, and the Sooners are hoping to pick up a few more before signing day gets rolling on Wednesday morning.

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Published Dec 14, 2021

RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK.