Joe Jon Finley secures his first Sooner commitment.

Joe Jon Finley has secured his first commitment as an official member of the Oklahoma Sooners coaching staff as Kaden Helms, a flex tight-end from Bellevue, Nebraska, has announced his intention to continue his athletic and academic career in Norman. The athletic pass catcher has chosen OU over programs such as North Carolina, Auburn, Arizona State and Miami.

At Bellevue (Neb.) West High School, Helms plays a “tweener” role between being a receiver and a tight end. With that in mind, if I had to compare him to a previous Sooner I would say he seems like a taller Grant Calcaterra. Built with a 6’5, 222lbs frame, Helms often flips between playing on the inside and outside because of his athleticism. At this point of his progression, he’s still very much a finesse pass catcher with the tools to become a great blocker, but the amount of upside in his game within a Lincoln Riley offense is fun to imagine. I imagine that Helms likes to try to model his game after George Kittle, a former Norman resident (and Pro Bowl TE), who signed with Iowa at a frame of 6’4, 230lbs. What jumps off at the film is his athleticism and speed in the open field along with his basketball skills of high pointing the ball well after sealing off his opponent from the ball.

Helms is Oklahoma’s 15th commitment for the 2022 recruiting cycle and the second TE of the class. According to 247Sports Composite, Kaden Helms is the No. 3 player from the state of Nebraska as well as the No. 15 overall TE. Riley’s Sooners haven’t really had a consistent pass catcher and blocker at tight end in the lineup since Kyler Murray was throwing the ball to Grant Calcaterra and that is no fault to either Austin Stogner or Calc because of their own health struggles. Once both Helms and Llewellyn enter the Bennie Wylie training program, both have the capability of being dynamic playmakers in Riley’s offense as tall, long armed, athletic tight ends.

The Sooners start their 2023 recruiting off with a bang in the form of a commitment from a talented running back.

The Oklahoma Sooners have started a big recruiting weekend with a bang, as four-star 2023 ATH Treyaun Webb has announced his commitment. Webb, a standout at Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Fla., is the first name on the board for the class of 2023 as Lincoln Riley continues to make in-roads to different regions in the USA — and particularly Florida as of late. Webb has chosen Oklahoma over other programs such as Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and a plethora of others.

Webb is a talented defensive back, he but is being recruited by Demarco Murray and many others as a running back. Standing at a frame of 6’0” and 188 pounds, he is elite running off-tackle and bouncing to the outside. He is also quite good at absorbing contact, making his yards-after-contact numbers look attractive, especially when he’s always falling forward. Interestingly enough, some analysts have compared Webb to another talented Sooners running back — Kennedy Brooks. As of now, he doesn’t always have the breakaway speed to separate himself, but that’s not to say he doesn’t have incredible burst out of the backfield.

Webb is Oklahoma’s first commitment for the 2023 recruiting class cycle. According to 247Sports Composite Rankings, he is the No. 4 athlete in the country, the No. 9 overall player from the state of Florida, and the No. 46 player overall. Murray has been able to secure Raleek Brown and Gavin Sawchuk in the 2022 class, and he’s only elevating the talent level with the addition of Webb in 2023. It is definitely a huge pickup for Lincoln Riley and the Sooners, but the weekend has just begun.