Why Ratings, Stars and Other Metrics Show 2023 is Oklahoma's Best Defensive Class in Years

It's the first time the Sooners have signed more than one 5-star, and the numbers show Brent Venables and his staff are serious about recruiting defense.

It took a while, but Oklahoma finally reeling in Peyton Bowen has elevated the Sooners’ 2023 class to new heights.

The narrative going into National Signing Day — his first full recruiting cycle as head coach — Brent Venables signed OU’s best defensive class in at least the last 10 years.

Now, with Bowen’s signature coming in on Thursday, the data supports that narrative.

Venables’ class of 25 total players includes 15 defenders. That’s the most since the 2018 class included 15, and is just off the 2015 class’ number of 16.

Using the 247 Sports rankings, the Sooners’ average player ranking in this year’s class — defense only — is .9185 (a perfect score is 1.000). That’s actually a notch below the 2021 class’s per-player average of .9210.

But that year, Lincoln Riley only signed 10 defensive players.

Included in that 2021 class were eight 4-stars and zero 5-stars. This year’s class includes eight 4-stars, but also features two 5-stars in Bowen and edge rusher P.J. Adeboware.

Peyton Bowen (22) :: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News-Imagn Content Services, LLC

Defensive backs Makari Vickers, Jacobe Johnson and Jasiah Wagner, defensive lineman Derrick LeBlanc and linebackers Sammy Omosigho and Lewis Carter came in as highly rated recruits. DBs Daeh McCullough, Kendel Dolby and Erik McCarty, linebacker Phil Picciotti and defensive linemen Ashton Sanders, Taylor Wein and Markus Strong fill out a well-rounded class of versatile athletes who, Venables said, play with "violence" in their game.

"We’re looking for runners," Venables said. "We’re looking for guys that like contact. You can’t ever go wrong when you’re talking about defensive players, guys that can run and hit."

This year also represents the first time in the modern era of online recruiting rankings that the Sooners have landed two 5-stars on defense in the same year.

Oklahoma’s defensive 5-stars in the last 25 years, according to 247 Sports, are Tommie Harris (2001), DeMarcus Granger (2005), R.J. Washington (2008), Gerald McCoy (2006), Moe Dampeer (2003), Chris Patterson (2004), Jamarkus McFarland (2009), Tony Cade (2003), Caleb Kelly (2016), Zach Latimer (2002) and Marcus Walker (2004).

The Sooners’ average per-player ranking for defenders in the 2018 class was high, too — .9128.

But OU signed seven defenders in this year’s class with a 247 Sports ranking of .9300 or higher. That’s way more than the three OU signed in 2021 and the four the Sooners landed in 2018.

Venables’ defensive chops — and his staff of dynamic recruiters — are paying dividends. One full recruiting class shows that Venables is already making headway as the Sooners begin the transition to the Southeastern Conference.

"I'm really proud of our staff and all the people internally," Venables said. "J.R. Sandlin and Lee Davis, amongst others, Drew Hill and J.P. (Losman). They just did an outstanding job. They were relentless in their work to finding the right guys that are going to fit the profile that we're looking for here at Oklahoma." 

Combining numerous metrics, including sheer quantity and varying degrees of quality, the 2023 class stands as Oklahoma’s best in at least a decade.

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