All-American Bowl: Five-star WR Jadon Haselwood picks Oklahoma
SAN ANTONIO -- Oklahoma put the finishing touches on what might be the best wide receiver class in the history of Rivals.com on Saturday when it landed a commitment from five-star wide receiver Jadon Haselwood during the annual All-American Bowl on NBC.
Haselwood committed to the Sooners over Georgia, Miami and several others, ending a dramatic recruitment that saw all three schools feel confident over the past few months. Haselwood was long committed to Georgia -- for nearly 18 months actually -- but backed away from the Dawgs at the end of the summer.
He joins fellow five-star wide receivers Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges in the Sooners' 2019 class.
WHY IT'S BIG FOR OKLAHOMA
This is a major addition for the Sooners on several different fronts, but most importantly on the field. Haselwood is an instant-impact player, bringing elite wide receiver skills while also being dangerous as a returner on special teams. He and Wease have jockeyed back and forth for the No. 1 wide receiver spot in the country throughout the process and as it turns out, that won't matter to Oklahoma as they will have both in the fold next season. From a perception standpoint, it doesn't get much better than this for Oklahoma. The Sooners recent successes on the national stage have expanded the school's recruiting footprint to the point where it is now reaching into the backyard of SEC power programs and stealing prospects away. It can't be understated how impressive that is and is truly a sign of Oklahoma's arrival as a national recruiting power.
WHY IT HURTS FOR GEORGIA, MIAMI
Other schools might have had hats on the table but make no mistake, this was always a Sooners, Bulldogs, Hurricanes battle. Haselwood seemed to bleed Georgia red for most of his recruitment so even when he de-committed from the Bulldogs, most thought he would end up back in Athens. The fact that it didn't happen is a big blow to UGA, especially because he would have injected some much-needed playmaking ability at the wide receiver position following the losses of Mecole Hardman and Riley Ridley this week. Even though the writing has been on the wall for the last month, this one still stings Georgia fans now that it's official. As for Miami, the Hurricanes were one of the main reasons Haselwood decommitted in the first place and he was a regular in Coral Gables over the past six months. But the team's quarterback struggles combined with Mark Richt's retirement saw the school bow out, despite being the favorite in the fall. It's another rough loss on the recruiting trail for Miami in what has been a very forgettable year.
