A stellar calendar year for Mike Gundy and his staff culminated this month with an appearance in the Big 12 title game and the subsequent signing of one of the more decorated recruiting classes of the Gundy era since he took over the program nearly two decades ago.

The 17-man class is loaded with talent at skill positions, including some immense star power at receiver and running back, but it also fills some holes elsewhere with additions on both lines, a developmental QB with starter upside and more.

Here are five thoughts on the class and what it means.

1. Quality, quality, quality

The 2022 recruiting class ranks 26th nationally and third in the Big 12, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. This is despite the fact that only seven schools higher in the national rankings have 17 or fewer commitments (OSU has 17). That indicates OSU’s class is built on solid ground. And the numbers back that up, too.

With a 87.57 per-commitment average, OSU’s per-player ranking is higher than it’s ever been, and it stands right now as easily the best recruiting class of the Gundy era through this metric, too. The previous high was … last year. What really gets me is the per-player average from 2005-2021 was 85.26 — so this class is easily two points per player better on average in the rankings. Can you imagine how dominant OSU will be on the recruiting trail at this pace when Gundy is in his 70s? Look out, Saban!

2. The QB

Like most recruiting classes, fair or not, whether or not it is seen as a smash success may rest on the shoulders of the quarterback. But there’s extra intrigue surrounding QB signee Garret Rangel. OSU did not take a scholarship QB last cycle (it added Gunnar Gundy as a walk-on) in a move seen largely to go all-in on Rangel for this class. It worked. Now it has to hope Rangel works out.

I am very much on board. He’s a 6-foot-2 four-star recruit out of Lone Star in Frisco who seems to check every box: workable frame, rocket arm, lovable teammate. Everyone vibes with him. Type of humble star made in a Gundy lab.

I suspect it’ll take time for him to acclimate himself — a redshirt year as he fills out his body seems necessary — but his signing makes him in my book the most interesting long-term QB prospect on the roster. Important piece of the puzzle with Spencer Sanders entering his senior season in 2022.

3. Family ties

OSU hasn’t always hit on players with family ties to OSU — it missed on Caden Sterns and Damion Daniels, among others, in recent years — but this class was a smash. Here’s the quick rundown.

• Brothers Talyn (WR) and Tabry (TE) Shettron both signed. Talyn, a former OU commit, is seen as one of the best receiver prospects in the country (and a top-100 national recruit). Tabry a 6-foot-4 talent with starter potential at the cowboy back position.
• Braylin Presley, the younger brother of OSU receiver Brennan Presley, signed. Expected to play slot receiver. Best high school athlete in the state of Oklahoma.

4. Charlie Dickey reloads

OSU’s offensive line will no doubt see some shuffling in the offseason, but offensive line coach Charlie Dickey, as ever, is reloading with enough talent to feel good about the unit’s prospects entering 2022. The big addition is NMMI transfer Tyrone Webber, a 6-foot-5 tackle. But the high school additions look promising, too, including Austin Kawecki (6-foot-4 OT) and Calvin Harvey (6-foot-8 OT). These fellas are big.

5. More to come?

With only 17 signees, there is wiggle room to add more prospects to this class either via the transfer market or the high school ranks. OSU looks to be eyeing interior defensive line talents, having recently offered Jayson Jones (an Oregon transfer) and Seleti Fevaleaki (Snow College transfer). At this point it’s just fine-tuning and trying to juggle the portal, but I would expect there to be perhaps a few more additions in the coming weeks and months.

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