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Report: Oklahoma DL Target David Hicks Signs With Texas A&M

The Sooners were hoping to flip the talented big man from Texas, but he stayed with his original commitment and signed with the Aggies on Friday.

John E. Hoover

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Oklahoma’s hopes of landing the nation’s top defensive line recruit officially died on Friday.

David “DJ” Hicks, a 5-star prospect and the top-rated interior d-lineman in the 2023 recruiting class, has been verbally committed to Texas A&M since September, and he followed through with that by signing with the Aggies. The news was first reported by On3 recruiting insider Hayes Fawcett.

Fawcett's Twitter post was quickly retweeted by Hicks.

It’s the second year in a row the Aggies have landed the best defensive lineman in the country. Last year A&M landed 5-star Walter Nolen of Powell, TN. 

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Hicks played last year at Paetow High School in Katy, TX after playing his junior season at Allen, TX. He played his freshmen and sophomore seasons at Morton Ranch High School in Katy.

The Sooners could have used a boost on the defensive line, but still signed Ashton Sanders (6-1, 270), Derrick LeBlanc (6-5, 265) and Markus Strong (6-3, 265). OU’s class ranks No. 5 nationally in the 247 Sports team rankings and is No. 12, according to Sports Illustrated.

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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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