All Sooners

Oklahoma Lands First 2023 Offensive Line Commitment

Durango, CO, center Joshua Bates chose the Sooners over Colorado, USC and Oregon on Friday.

Ryan Chapman

Bill Bedenbaugh has done it again.

The Oklahoma offensive line coach chalked up another win on the recruiting trail on Friday, earning the verbal commitment of interior offensive lineman Joshua Bates.

Bates, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound lineman from Durango, CO, is rated a 3-star recruit in the 2023 class by 247 Sports.

He picked the Sooners over offers from USC, Oregon, Michigan State, Colorado and Colorado State.

Playing center for Durango High School, Bates caught the eye of Bedenbaugh and the coaching staff at an OU offensive line/defensive line camp late in June, and the Sooners may be done recruiting the center position for the 2023 class with his addition.

Bates moves bodies at the heart of the line, battling well into plays until his opponent on the other side of the football is driven all the way into the ground. He has quick feet as well, which allow him to quickly pick up his assignment and fire off the football after snapping to the quarterback. Expect more national attention to fall on Bates after the commitment, as he’s flown pretty under the radar up to this point.

Oklahoma already has the No. 1-ranked 2023 class by both Rivals and 247 Sports, and the addition of their first offensive lineman will do nothing to harm their standing. Bates joins 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson, 5-star athlete Makai Lemon, 4-star tight end Luke Hasz and 4-star running back Treyaun Webb as OU’s five verbal commits for 2023. 

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Ryan Chapman
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. 

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