OU Adds, Loses Top Recruits

It has been a mixed bag of news on the recruiting trail for Oklahoma and head coach Lincoln Riley this past week, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

It usually does not take a long time for the cryptic Tweets from Riley to be uncovered and this time it was no different during the Fourth of July holiday.

Those fireworks starting early for the Sooners!!!!!
Boom? #OUDNA

— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) July 5, 2019

That Tweet came within minutes of the news that Bryson Washington, the No. 5 safety in the 2020 recruiting class, had chosen the Sooners. Perhaps even sweeter for OU fans, Washington picked the defending Big 12 champs over rival Texas.

Riley and his staff have now beaten the Longhorns for a recruit and flipped Brynden Walker from Oklahoma State.

I Would Like To Thank My Family, My Friends, And God For Putting Me In The Position I Am In Today✍? pic.twitter.com/QTukjy6Nkc

— ¹⁵ Bryson Washington (@ChasingDream8) July 5, 2019

However just two days later, the mood would sour slightly as the top recruit for Alex Grinch’s defensive class, Dontae Manning, decided to reopen his recruitment.

Manning is the No. 2 cornerback in the 2020 class according to the ESPN 300 list. He announced on his Twitter he will still consider the Sooners.

Please respect my decision… pic.twitter.com/AbujRqEklh

— CraZ ? (@dontaemanning_8) July 6, 2019

Manning is the overall No. 23 player in next year’s class. OU and Grinch still have two ESPN 300 defensive players, including Washington.