Oklahoma football: Sooners pick up another top recruit for 2023

The Oklahoma football recruiting effort is gaining traction for 2023, with a top-rated athlete committing to the Sooners.

Less than 24 hours after announcing the commitment of TE Luke Hasz as part of the 2023 class, Southern California high school star Makai Lemon has committed to Oklahoma. He announced his verbal commitment on Saturday on CBS Sports HQ.

Lemon is a high school teammate of Malachi Nelson, the No. 2 quarterback prospect in the 2023 class, who committed to the Sooners on July 18, and the second five-star prospect for OU in that class. That brings to four the number of OU commitments for 2023. The group includes two five-star prospects Nelson and Lemon) and two four-stars (RB Treyaun Webb and TE Hasz).

That moves Oklahoma to the top of the 2023 class rankings.

Lemon chose Oklahoma over his four other finalists: Alabama, USC, Arizona and Arizona State.

Rated by the 247Sports Player Composite as the No. 1 athlete in the class and the No. 33 player overall, Lemon is a two-way high school player who stands out at both wide receiver and defensive back. He has 100 catches for 1,540 yards and 14 touchdowns as a wide receiver and eight interception and 40 tackles on defense in his two high school seasons.

Asked during his announcement on CBS Sports HQ what kind of player Oklahoma can expect to get, Lemon said:

"“They’re getting a leader on and off the field, and they’re getting a straight dog.”"

Lemon said he fell in love with the campus and the coaching staff and that Lincoln Riley is a championship-caliber coach.

Greg Biggins, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports described Lemon as “a very good looking young player with a ton of upside. He’s a two-way athlete who shows elite upside as a receiver or a defensive back.”