Oklahoma football: Updating OU 2021 recruiting with early signing two weeks off

As we enter the final month of this difficult year, college football recruiting, including the Oklahoma football 2021 class, will begin taking final form.

With the early signing period just two weeks off, Lincoln Riley and his OU coaching staff will be pulling double duty, preparing to finish out the 2021 season in winning style while also ensuring that the recruiting pipeline is flush with top talent.

The Sooners’ 2021 class currently stands at 15 commitments, including one five-star prospect (No. 1 overall quarterback recruit Caleb Williams) and 14 rated as four stars. Many, if not all of those are expected to sign letters of intent during the early signing period, which starts Dec. 16.

Prospects who do not sign during the early signing period will have another chance to do so on National Signing Day, Feb. 3.

Steve Wiltfong, director of recruiting for 247Sports, believes Oklahoma is one of the blue-chip schools in position for a big finish in the 2021 recruiting cycle. The Sooners are currently ranked 11th in the 247Sports 2021 College Football Class Rankings.  By comparison, Rivals ranks the 2021 OU class 13th, and ESPN currently has the Sooners ranked 15th.

The Sooners’ current 2021 commitments include nine defensive players, five offensive players and one athlete.

According to 247Sports and others, the Sooners are among the two or three finalists for several blue-chip prospects that they hope to land between now and National Signing Day.

Savion Byrd, offensive tackle

Byrd is a four-star prospect out of Duncanville, Texas. He is a top-20 prospect at his position and the 48th prospect overall, according to 247Sports. Byrd reportedly plans to declare his commitment on Dec. 16, the first day of the early signing period, which at present is believed to be between Oklahoma and SMU. LSU is also in the mix.

Emeka Egbuka, wide receiver

Egbuka is a five-star recruit and rated as the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2021 class, according to 247Sports and several other national recruiting services. Ohio State is believed to be in the lead position for the native of Washington state, although he said he was trying to visit Oklahoma before making a commitment. The University of Washington also has an outside chance of landing Egbuka.

Several national sources are reporting this week that Egbuka plans to attend the OU-Baylor game this weekend. He has also been talking with Caleb Williams, the country’s top 2021 quarterback recruit, who has already committed to the Sooners.

Bryce Foster, Offensive guard

Sooner coaches have been working hard to get Foster, rated by both 247Sports and Rivals as a top-five offensive guard in the 2021 class, to come to Oklahoma. Foster, who is from Katy, Texas, has made three official visits to Oklahoma, all prior to the coronavirus pandemic.

Tristan Leigh, offensive tackle

Leigh is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2021 class. He has listed Oklahoma, LSU and Ohio State as his three finalists, but Clemson and Florida are also believed to be ramping up their pursuit of the five-star offensive line prospect.

It is a little uncertain of when Leigh will make his final decision. It was originally reported that he would make his declaration as part of the All-American Bowl game in early January on NBC. He recently told 247Sports, however, that he wasn’t sure if he would sign early, wait to go public during the NBC broadcast or wait until National Signing Day on Feb. 3.

Camar Wheaton, running back

Wheaton, from Garland, Texas, is rated as the No. 1 or 2 running back in the 2021 recruiting class, depending on which national service you follow.

The 6-foot, 1-inch, 190-pound running back has made two recruiting visits to OU, and is also good friends with Sooner commit Caleb Williams, who has been working on him to sway his decision toward Oklahoma.  Wheaton’s top three choices are Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU, and he his believed to be leaning toward OU, with Alabama a close second.

This has been a most difficult year on many fronts. We can be thankful we have had a college football season, albeit a very different one, under these unusual circumstances.

College recruiting has been dramatically altered. Since the pandemic first hit in March, official on-campus visits and in-person contact by coaches with recruiting prospects has been prohibited. Many times, it is the on-campus visits that end up sealing the deal, but that won’t be the case this recruiting cycle.

The Sooners have an additional hand on deck as a recruiting influencer during this tough time with COVID concerns and recruiting restrictions. Caleb Williams, OU’s top 2021 recruit and the No. 1 QB in the class overall, has been active since July, talking with top  prospects who he also considers good friends and trying to convince them to join him in Norman.

Williams indicated this week, in the “All on the Line” blog he writes for Sports Illustrated, that he has asked several top prospects, including several of the players listed above, to join him for the Sooners 2020 home finale against Baylor this Saturday. (Let’s hope that game gets played.)

The recruiting battle lines have been drawn, and things should get really interesting over the next 60 days as Oklahoma vies with other major college programs for the country’s top uncommitted prospects.