Cowboys, Sooners sign initial 2020 class

National signing day provides optimism to each program when the classes are announced as fans hope their favorite programs reload with the next crop of future stars.

Oklahoma finished Wednesday in a close race with Texas for the top class in the Big 12, but also suffered some loss with long-time commit Jase McClellan flipping and signing with Alabama.

BREAKING: Jase McClellan signs with #Alabama over #Oklahoma https://t.co/DkIaB0nbeR pic.twitter.com/RZ7ENmpGfe

— Hank South (@HankSouth247) December 18, 2019

Oklahoma finished Wednesday signing 10 offensive players, 8 defensive players and 2 athletes to make an initial class of 20.

The Sooners continued to stock the trenches with Nate Anderson, Anton Harrison, Noah Nelson, Aaryn Parks and Andrew Raym on the offensive line. Nelson, Parks and Raym will all enroll in January and get a head start in the program.

Anderson and Raym were the top two recruits in this class so far.

On the other side of the line, OU nabbed Noah Arinze, Joshua Ellison and Perrion Winfrey for the defense. Winfrey and Ellison are junior college transfers. Winfrey is 6-foot-4 and 306 pounds.

Three defensive backs and two linebackers closed out that side of the ball for OU, including the highly touted in-state recruit in OLB Brynden Walker from Bishop McGuinness in Oklahoma City.

At the offensive skill spots, the Sooners brought in 4-star running back Seth McGowan, the third ranked Sooner in the class along with 4-star tight end Jalin Conyers and 4-star wide receiver Marvin Mims from Lone Star in Frisco. Mims was one of three receivers signed on Wednesday.

OU signed two athletes to be assigned to positions later. Those two are Davon Graham II and Mikey Henderson.

The Sooners failed to sign a 5-star player per 247 rankings.

Oklahoma State

The Cowboys also did not sign a single 5-star player and got just one 4-star in the class of 18 that it signed Wednesday. OSU got 9 offensive signees, 8 defensive and one athlete.

The backbone of the class, much like OU, was the four offensive linemen. Cade Bennett, Monroe Mills, Eli Russ and Trent Pullen all go at least 6-foot-4 and 275 with Russ coming in already more than 300 pounds.

A potential question mark for the Cowboys was the lack of a class on the defensive line with Tyren Irby and Grant Mahon as the only signees in the trenches on that side.

OSU got two 6-foot-1 cornerbacks in Bixby’s Jordan Reagan and Korie Black from Waco Connally. They added a safety in Nick Session.

Oklahomans Cole Thompson and Jeff Roberson would have made it a solid linebacking class for OSU, but the signing day addition of Mason Cobb from Provo High in Utah put that position in a good place heading into 2020.

On offense at the skill spots, OSU brought in a cowboy back with Quinton Stewart at 6-foot-4, 230 pounds and a trio of talented receivers with diverse skillsets. Matt Polk is a 6-3 receiver with the ability to play the “Z” position, Rashod Owens provides depth at a couple receiver spots and Brennan Presley can do it all. Gundy compared Presley’s skillset to that of Tyreek Hill.

The athlete in the class is Zach Middleton, who could be a running back, receiver or defensive back for the Pokes.

No running back will be a concern for fans, especially if Chuba Hubbard opts for the NFL.