Commitment breakdown: Rivals250 DL Kelvin Gilliam commits to Oklahoma
Oklahoma continued its assault on the East Coast with the addition of Rivals250 defensive lineman Kelvin Gilliam Jr. The Highland Springs, Va. star started picking up offers a few years ago and accumulate a lengthy offer sheet before narrowing his choices down to the Sooners, Penn State, and South Carolina.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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WHAT OKLAHOMA IS GETTING:
The addition of Gilliam to this Oklahoma recruiting class is a major upgrade on the defensive line. He is the highest rated defensive line commitment for Lincoln Riley’s squad so far this cycle. Gilliam brings a great blend of power, speed, and technique to the field and he should help Oklahoma in a variety of ways. He has the frame and skillset to turn into a dominant interior defensive lineman. The Oklahoma strength and conditioning staff will work to build out Gilliam’s frame but will try to keep his quickness, which will make him a mismatch against interior offensive linemen. The interior and edge abilities Gilliam will bring to Norman should help the Oklahoma coaching staff create a lot of mismatches and confusion on the offensive side of the ball. Expect to see Gilliam making plenty of big plays against the run and in the backfield on passing downs.
WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE SOONERS:
Oklahoma should be very happy about this commitment for a couple reasons beyond what Gilliam can do on the field. The efforts by the other players in the recruiting class to effectively pitch and reel in other major recruits is plainly obvious now. Caleb Williams and Damond Harmon, Gilliam’s teammate, worked hard to get Gilliam in the fold. Defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux has been recruiting Gilliam for a long time and did a good job building a strong relationship. The virtual tour Oklahoma put on for Gilliam this offseason also played a big role in the Sooners landing this standout defensive lineman.