You couldn’t ask for much more from Brent Venables in landing his first recruiting class.

The first Wednesday in February used to be something like a national holiday for college football fans as recruits around the country revealed where they were heading in the fall. Although the implementation of an early signing period in December has robbed the day of its sizzle, national signing day did hold some intrigue for the Oklahoma Sooners and their new coaching staff. Brent Venables and his assistants left a strong impression when all was said and done.

OU finished the day with the No. 8 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. It marked the program’s best finish since 2019. In 247Sports’ new blended rankings incorporating transfers, the Sooners checked in ninth overall.

For a transition class under a new head coach, you can’t ask for much better than that.

A few thoughts on Wednesday’s developments and Venables’ first crop of recruits:

*The 2022 class is missing the blockbuster signings that were a specialty of former coach Lincoln Riley. Defections after Riley left for USC included Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, a five-star defensive tackle who ended up at Texas A&M.

It doesn’t lack for depth, though. Of the 21 players who signed with OU in this cycle, 15 rated as four-star prospects. The other six all were ranked as three stars, but a few of them had four-star status from at least one publication.

*In terms of new additions in the late signing period, retaining in-state defensive back Gentry Williams out of Booker T. Washington (Tulsa, OK) has to go down on the staff’s biggest win.

Williams committed to the Sooners prior to Riley’s departure and held off on signing in December. Venables and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai brought him back to the fold in the interim period.

Aside from the possibility that Williams will end up as a rotation player at CB this fall, his signature gives OU a needed win in the Tulsa area. Green Country prospects have shied away from picking the Sooners in recent years.

*The other big story of the day: Flips. Two edge players pledged to other schools end up signing with OU Wednesday.

First, three-star Floridian R Mason Thomas jilted Iowa State in favor of the Sooners. Even though Thomas’ profile won’t raise any eyebrows, it’s tough to argue against a player who was a take for the Cyclones and master evaluator Matt Campbell.

Later on, Michigan commit Kevonte Henry switched from the Wolverines to OU. The news that Jim Harbaugh is staying in Ann Arbor apparently couldn’t sway the Californian to stick with UM.

*It seems fair to wonder if new defensive line coach Todd Bates might have landed another interior player if only given a little more time. As it stands, however, Gracen Halton (6-3, 270 pounds) out of St. Augustine (San Diego) makes for a strong addition to Alton Tarber and Cedric Roberts on the inside.

*Judging by the high school recruits in the ‘22 class, Venables and Co. clearly saw needs on the defensive side of the ball. Twelve of the 21 signees in the group are slotted as defenders. That includes four defensive backs – Williams, Robert Spears-Jennings, Jayden Rowe and Wednesday addition Jamarrien Burt. Four-star athlete Jaren Kanak also could see some time as a big nickel.

The staff’s opinion of the current DBs on the roster seems even lower when you factor in that three secondary players are joining the team via transfer. If you’re wondering where some of the inevitable roster attrition will come from in the offseason, start there.

*Offensive line constitutes one glaring area of concern going forward. OL coach Bill Bedenbaugh got signatures from two blue-chip players during the early period in The Two Jakes – Sexton and Taylor – but no one else hopped on board Wednesday.

Bedenbaugh needs to hit the trail hard for 2023. Another transfer or two in the coming months wouldn’t hurt, either.

*Keep an eye on the quarterback spot, too. Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby left no doubt that Central Florida transfer Dillon Gabriel will go into the coming season as the unquestioned starter behind center. Even so, rolling with a bench of true freshman Nick Evers, walk-on Ralph Rucker and lightly used Penn State transfer Micah Bowens sounds like trouble.

Lebby may find a veteran in the transfer market who is looking for one last ride before transitioning into coaching.

*Lastly, it almost goes without saying, but this recruiting cycle could have turned ugly fast for OU if Bob Stoops didn’t take charge after Riley’s departure. He calmed the waters around the program as the interim coach and gave recruits the assurances they needed to hear before Venables was hired.

Simply put, there is no way OU is looking at a top 10 recruiting class for ‘22 without Stoops’ intervention. Venables and the athletic department owe him a huge debt of gratitude.

Oklahoma Football has some answers about what next season’s team will look like.

Happy Hump Day, Sooners fans!

Today is the less-celebrated of the two national signing days, but with the Oklahoma Sooners in a transitional phase, this turned out to be an important day for this program.

The day began with the signing of four-star safety Gentry Williams out of Tulsa’s Booker T. Washington, who had been committed to OU since mid-October. Following Lincoln Riley’s untimely exit, Williams and his family wanted to get a feel for the new staff before signing an NLI. It’s safe to say that all of his questions were answered.

The Tulsa World’s Eric Bailey caught up with the Williams family, who gave some great details regarding the process and the decision. Riley and his USC staff tried to bring him out west, but the Williamses were not on board with that idea whatsoever.

OU would follow this up with commitment announcements from pass rusher R Mason Thomas, defensive back Jamarrien Burt, defensive lineman Gracen Halton and pass rusher Kevonte Henry, bringing the 2022 class all the way up to No. 8 in the final rankings per Rivals, 247 and On3. Considering the circumstances, this is an incredibly impressive feat for Brent Venables & Co.

• Henry, a Lawdale, Calif. native who had previously been committed to Michigan, sat down with 247’s Craig Biggins to discuss his reasoning for picking the Sooners. One of the primary factors was a desire to get away from home and challenge himself. It seems as though he’ll fit right in with the new culture in Norman.
• Speaking of fitting right in, here’s Halton announcing his decision live via 247:

• Thomas, who up until today was committed to Iowa State, was still considering sticking with the Cyclones as recently as this week. However, he tells On3 that he gave new DE coach Miguel Chavis the call on Monday.

• When asked about the 2022 roster, Brent Venables stressed that it is still a work in progress. Once the spring rolls around, the transfer portal will begin to rev up once again, creating some new opportunities for this staff on the trail.

• Jeff Lebby also had plenty to say today, notably that there will not be a fake QB competition this year. Hallelujah!

• According to this report from Pete Thamel, OU is hiring former Buffalo Bills and Tulane QB JP Losman to a player personnel position. This further illustrates this regime’s commitment to building a stout support staff — similar to what one would see at an Alabama or a Clemson.

• The day we anticipated finally came to pass for the Oklahoma Sooners Football team. Caleb Williams has picked a destination for next season and it’s on the West Coast, rejoining Lincoln Riley at USC. Williams is the third player to leave Norman for LA, joining WR Mario Williams and CB Latrell McCutchin. ESPN’s Pete Thamel spoke with Williams about the decision, while Barry Tramel explores the effects the Transfer Portal is having on players and fanbases. The Tulsa World’s Guerin Emig explains how Williams finally moving on is actually good for the Sooners fanbase.

• More news as 2023 4-star wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. out of Los Alamitos, CA has de-committed from OU. Moore wants to be able to talk to other schools and explore his options, while Oklahoma would like to assess the WR a little bit more before they honor the previous offer.

• Also, on Monday’s Hot Links we talked about the Oklahoma ties to Super Bowl LVI. The Oklahoman’s Jenni Carlson dives a bit deeper into what this game means for the Sooner State.

OU Men’s Basketball

• Oklahoma Men’s Basketball has lost six of their last seven games, after starting the season 12-3. Barry Tramel shows us how the Sooners recent play might be seriously jeopardizing their postseason hopes.

Other OU Sports

• OU Softball is a unanimous preseason No. 1 in every poll you can imagine. Should be another memorable season for Coach Gasso and the ladies.