Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Big 12 Recruiting: National Signing Day 2016 winners and losers

By Nicholas Ian Allen

Feb 3, 2016; Aldine, TX, USA; Jeffrey McCulloch announces that he will be attending the University of Texas to play football at Benjamin Davis High School. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 3, 2016; Aldine, TX, USA; Jeffrey McCulloch announces that he will be attending the University of Texas to play football at Benjamin Davis High School. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A general view of Oklahoma Sooners helmets in the third quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; A general view of Oklahoma Sooners helmets in the third quarter of the 2015 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Oklahoma Sooners

It’s been several years since Oklahoma competed for the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, but the Sooners have still brought plenty of talented players to Norman during the past half-decade. However, following a 12-1 regular season and a Big 12 conference title, which resulted in the first College Football Playoff appearance for both the school and the league, you’d expect Oklahoma to a step forward instead of a step back.

Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners /

Oklahoma Sooners

The Sooners signed 19 players in their 2016 recruiting class, which – until late Wednesday evening – included seven four-star prospects. Oklahoma received a big boost by landing five-star linebacker Caleb Kelly, who is rated No. 25 overall and third in the nation among outside linebacker prospects.

The late addition helped the Sooners move up three spots to No. 20 in the national rankings and avoid a fourth-place finish in the Big 12 that would have been the worst for Oklahoma since 2000.

A major part of the problem was Oklahoma’s struggles in Texas. For decades, the Sooners have relied heavily on their neighboring state to build one of the most prestigious programs in college football history, but the 2016 OU class includes just three players from the Lone Star State: four-star wide receiver Mykel Jones and three-star wideouts Zach Farmer and Adrian Hardy. The rise of TCU and Baylor as playoff contenders and Texas’ strong finish certainly hasn’t helped.

Oklahoma returns several key pieces from last year’s semifinal roster, and the Sooners are sure to be in the mix for the 2016 Big 12 title, but a weak recruiting class (by OU’s standards) isn’t a great sign for the future.

Next: Iowa State

Home/Baylor Bears