Oklahoma football: Top-rated WR commits to Sooners for 2022
By Chip Rouse
For the third time in four recruiting classes, Oklahoma football has landed a commitment from the country’s No, 1 wide receiver.
Over the weekend, Talyn Shelton, rated as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2022 class by ESPN, committed to the Sooners. Oklahoma didn’t have to go far to recruit Shelton, who is a junior at Santa Fe High School High School in nearby Edmond, Oklahoma, a northern suburb of Oklahoma City.
Shelton is the third wide-receiver commitment in OU’s 2022 class, which currently numbers four and is ranked No. 4 in the 2022 Rivals class rankings. The No. 2 player overall in the state of Oklahoma joins fellow wide receiver prospects Luther Burden from St. Louis, Missouri, and Jordan Hudson from Garland, Texas, both highly touted recruits at their position.
Shelton, listed at 6 feet, 3 inches, 180 pounds, caught 65 passes for 956 yards and nine touchdowns as a high school sophomore last season.
OU sophomore Jadon Hasselwood was the nation’s No. 1 wide receiver and a member of the Sooners’ 2019 class, which featured three five-star receivers. And Mario Williams, a 2021 Oklahoma commitment is rated the No. 1 wide receiver in the class. Williams is joined in OU’s 2021 class by the country’s top-rated dual threat quarterback, Caleb Williams.
Gabe Brooks, the Midlands college football recruiting analyst for 247Sports had this evaluation of Shelton:
"“Big frame with good height and large catch radius. Lean athletic build. Productive receiver who has shown big-play vertical ability and short-to-intermediate volume. Plays fast, particularly in straight-line scenarios. Allows for big-play ability in deep passing game and as a kickoff returner.”"
Seven other Big 12 schools were interested in Shelton along with major programs such as Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Auburn and Nebraska.