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OT Payton Kirkland Picks Texas Over Oklahoma and Others

The highly touted offensive tackle recruit from Orlando verbally committed to Texas on Saturday.

Ryan Chapman

OT Payton Kirkland Picks Texas Over Oklahoma and Others
OT Payton Kirkland Picks Texas Over Oklahoma and Others /
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Another top offensive tackle is off the board.

Payton Kirkland, a 6-foot-7, 345-pound prospect from Orlando, committed to the Texas over Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, Miami and Michigan State on Saturday.

Kirkland was in Norman for an official visit during the ChampU Family BBQ in June, but opted to go in a different direction.

With the class Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has put together, the Sooners won’t have to lose much sleep over the decision.

Elite tackle Cayden Green headlines the current crop of o-line commits, alongside Joshua Bates, Heath Ozaeta and Logan Howland.

The four offensive line commitments verbally pledged in the 2023 class matches the total number of high school offensive lineman the Sooners have signed in the past two recruiting cycles.

As a result, Bedenbaugh has had to repeatedly turn to the transfer portal over the past two offseasons to bring in quality depth.

The Sooners still have more opportunities to close out July on a high, as Oklahoma has earned seven commitments already this month. 

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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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