Sooners are trying to get ahead of their counterparts as they sent out an offer to an in-state player who’s not getting much ranking
The Oklahoma Sooners are a team that oftentimes finds players way before their rankings start blowing up, and the same can be said about Kenyon Sweat.
The Oklahoma Sooners are trying to get ahead of the curve in recruiting in-state talent, and their latest offer to wide receiver Kenyon Sweat from Cache High School signals exactly that.
Sweat, a rising sophomore for the Cache Bulldogs, put together a monster freshman season with 1,656 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns en route to a state championship. Despite those numbers, the national recruiting world hasn’t caught up to him yet. Rivals and ESPN don’t have a ranking or any recruitment info on him.
247Sports lists him as a 3-star, but not as a national prospect. Oklahoma doesn’t seem to care about the lack of national buzz. The Sooners extended the offer this summer and have since shaken things up in his recruitment.
Sweat’s recruitment so far
Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State currently make up Sweat’s offer list. Texas Tech and Tennessee have each hosted him for one visit. But Oklahoma seems to be the team to watch, considering the in-state connection. The Sooners gave the offer and quickly moved into a strong position with the touted in-state prospect.
Sweat made his feelings clear about the Oklahoma offer:
“The offer from Oklahoma means a lot to me,” Sweat told Rivals. “Growing up in Oklahoma, OU’s program I’ve always known about and respected, so having the opportunity to play for the Sooners and represent my home state would be special. I think the offer shows that the coaches believe in my ability and see me fitting into what they’re building over there.”
Sweat also mentioned that Oklahoma is already at the top for him if he’s being honest. That tracks. If you grow up in Oklahoma, you’re pretty much either an OU fan or an Oklahoma State fan, and most lean toward OU. He’s already cultivated strong connections with several members of the coaching staff, including Sooners wide receivers coach Emmitt Jones.
Why the lack of national attention?
Sweat’s freshman production speaks for itself. Over 1,600 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns as a true freshman, on a state championship team, is elite production regardless of classification. The reason he isn’t ranked higher nationally likely has nothing to do with talent. It probably comes down to the fact that the major recruiting sites don’t know where Cache, Oklahoma, is.
That will change. As Sweat takes on a more significant role in his sophomore and junior seasons, and as his team potentially continues to compete at a high level, the attention will follow. Right now, Rivals has a 98% prediction for the Sooners to land him.
What this means for Oklahoma
This is exactly the kind of recruiting win the Sooners need to be chasing. Getting ahead of a prospect before the rest of the country catches on is how programs build depth with high-upside talent. If Oklahoma lands Sweat, expect his ranking to climb quickly once other programs and evaluators start paying closer attention to what he can do.
The Sooners are trying to lock this one down before other teams realize just how good this kid is. Based on the early returns, they’re in a strong position to do exactly that.
