Stormin in Norman
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Oklahoma football: Sooners gain 2021 commitment from 4-star DE

By Chip Rouse

NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 01: Members of the Oklahoma Sooners spirit squad perform during the game against the Houston Cougars at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2019 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Cougars 49-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
NORMAN, OK - SEPTEMBER 01: Members of the Oklahoma Sooners spirit squad perform during the game against the Houston Cougars at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on September 1, 2019 in Norman, Oklahoma. The Sooners defeated the Cougars 49-31. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /
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The Oklahoma football 2021 recruiting class grew by one more with the commitment on Wednesday by a four-star defensive end out of Oregon.

Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge becomes the fifth defensive player among the Sooners eight commitments in the 2021 class and the third defensive end as defensive coordinator continues to bring in talented prospects to strengthen the Oklahoma defensive unit going forward.

The 6-foot, 7-inch, 248-pound defensive end was heavily recruited by a majority of the Pac-12 teams. Ironically, he had previously committed to Washington State to play basketball. He had never played organized football until 2019, and once he did, the attention paid to him as a prime football prospect took a meteoric jump.

Stanford appeared to have the edge in the recruitment of Rawlins-Kibonge, but in the end it was the persuasive pitch of OU defensive coordinator Alex Grinch that won over the highly touted defensive prospect.

“Boomer Sooner,” said Rawlins-Kibonge in announcing his decision on Wednesday and cited by Sports Illustrated OU insider Parker Thune.

"“I weighed every option, looked at every school, and eventually the decision came down to them (Oklahoma), Arizona State and Stanford,” said the Portland, Oregon, native.“Coach Grinch told me I could either come there (to OU) or watch them play in the Playoff. I was like…wow, I don’t really want to be doing that.”"

Rawlins-Kibonge took a virtual recruiting visit with the Oklahoma coaching staff and took an immediate liking to what he saw.

"After the visit with Oklahoma, “I felt like if I went to Stanford, I’d fall back on my Plan B,” he said. “Going to Oklahoma, I feel like I want to get to the NFL.”"

Oklahoma is currently ranked 35th in the Rivals 2021 Recruiting Team Rankings, but that could change very quickly following the expected announcement on July 4 by the nation’s No. 1 2021  quarterback recruit, Caleb Williams. Williams is thought to be leaning toward Oklahoma over LSU and Maryland, and he has said he has been working to bring some of his other talented friends with him wherever he decides to land.

Sooner fans are hoping for plenty of fireworks — the celebratory kind — as Fourth of July will be a boom or bust day for OU’s 2021 class.

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