Meet Oklahoma’s early enrollees
Take a look at the 10 members of the 2018 class that moved into Norman this weekend to begin their collegiate football careers.
Over the weekend, 10 members of the 2018 class moved into Norman to begin their collegiate football careers. A year ago, 12 of 24 commitments arrived on campus for the spring semester. All but one of the enrollees have already signed with the Sooners; fivestar cornerback Brendan Radley-Hiles committed after the signing period. Half of this year’s early enrollees are defensive backs, providing an instant infusion of competition to the maligned secondary.
Starrland Baldwin CB, 5-10, 170, Houston (Texas) Cypress Falls
Baldwin chose OU over offers from Oklahoma State, Oregon and TCU and is Rivals’ No. 29 cornerback in the class. The four-star prospect also played wide receiver and safety and was a factor in the return game. The Sooners had a pretty toothless return game in 2017, and Baldwin could find a spot there next season with his speed. At The Opening Regional a year ago, Baldwin ran a 3.85 laser-timed shuttle.
Jaquayln Crawford
Ath., 5-10, 163, Rockdale (Texas)
Crawford ended his high school career with a monster game, He had 158 yards of total offense and three touchdowns — catching two passes for 82 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown; nine rushes for 57 yards and a touchdown; and a 19-yard touchdown pass to lift his team to the Texas Class 3A Division I title. That wasn’t even Crawford’s biggest contributions in that game, as he earned Defensive Most Valuable Player honors. Crawford is expected to play either wide receiver or cornerback at OU.
Miguel Edwards
CB, 6-0, 165, Deerfield Beach (Florida)
The four-star safety is one of five defensive backs to sign with the Sooners in the 2018 class. He’s ranked as the No. 44 prospect in the state of Florida. At 6-foot, 165-pounds, Edwards is one of the leaner defensive backs in the class. He played both cornerback and safety in high school, and his versatility will be a big benefit to a secondary that enters 2018 in flux.
Patrick Fields S, 6-0, 190, Tulsa Union
Fields, one of the earliest commitments in the 2018 class, has already established himself as a vocal leader. He’s not as quick as Baldwin, but he’s shown a solid ability to track the ball. He’s ranked as Rivals’ No. 11 prospect in the state of Oklahoma, and he’s a teammate of fellow 2018 signee Jordan Kelley.
Tramonda Moore
OT, 6-6, 330, Independence CC (John Marshall)
Moore signed with Oklahoma State out of John Marshall High School but had to go the junior college route due to academics. Moore committed to the Sooners in June, the same day he was offered. He was injured some this season but figures to provide a versatile piece for the Sooners, as he can play both tackle and on the interior.
Ronnie Perkins
DE, 6-4, 260, St. Louis (Mo.) Lutheran North
One of the top recruits in Missouri, Perkins considered staying home for college, but the lure of Norman was too much. He had offers from around the country and his profile continued to rise during his senior season, which he finished with 85 tackles and 15 sacks, earning St. Louis Post-Dispatch All-Metro Defensive Player of the Year honors.
T.J. Pledger IV
RB, 5-9, 190, West Hills, Calif. (IMG Academy)
Pledger is one of two IMG Academy standouts to join the Sooners. He was tempted by UCLA late in the recruiting process after Chip Kelly came aboard but ultimately stuck with the pledge he made in March and signed with the Sooners. He ultimately became one of the key recruiters for the Sooners at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl when he helped convince IMG standout cornerback Brendan Radley-Hiles to commit.
Brendan Radley-Hiles
CB, 5-10, 187, Calabasas, Calif. (IMG Academy)
Radley-Hiles is the crown jewel of Riley’s first signing class as head coach. The first five-star prospect to commit to Oklahoma since Caleb Kelly, Radley-Hiles, who goes by “Bookie,” is projected to give the secondary an instant boost with his reputation as a lockdown defender. He was originally committed to Nebraska, but reopened his commitment after turnover in the coaching staff. Before announcing his commitment at the Army All-American Bowl, the IMG Academy product grabbed five interceptions in his senior season.
DE, 6-3, 235, Midwest City
Redmond hasn’t been playing football for very long but improved by leaps and bounds this season, registering 87 tackles and 19.5 sacks for the Bombers. During his 20-game high school career, Redmond had 169 tackles and 49 sacks. Against Lawton, Redmond wrapped up the game with back-to-backto-back sacks, including a fumble recovery on the final one to seal the win.
Delarrin Turner-Yell
S, 5-10, 165, Hempstead (Texas)
The Rivals three-star prospect picked Oklahoma over offers from Houston, Nebraska and Utah. He enters a crowded group of early enrollees vying for playing time at safety. He originally committed to Baylor, but flipped to the Sooners in August after attending the ChampU BBQ over the summer.
BROOKE PRYOR AND RYAN ABER, STAFF WRITERS