Oklahoma lands four-star OL Demetrius Hunter
THE SITUATION
Lincoln Riley and Bill Bedenbaugh came up with a quality victory on the recruiting trail by landing a commitment from four-star West Orange-Stark (Texas) offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter.
The Sooners edged out Texas A&M for the nation's No. 2-ranked center by way of the Golden Triangle. Colorado, Houston and Oklahoma State were also contenders for the 6-foot-3, 300-plus-pounder.
Hunter is the first lineman to pledge to the Sooners' 2022 recruiting class, which also includes fellow Texans such as Rivals250 wide receiver Jordan Hudson and linebacker Kobie McKinzie. Oklahoma also recently added three-star Aledo tight end Jason Llewellyn to the fold.
Oklahoma's 2022 class entered the day ranked No. 5 in the country on Rivals.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
"I have a great relationship with the coaching staff. Coach (Lincoln) Riley has been nothing but good to me over the past year. Coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh has been genuine and straight up with me from the start. I really appreciated how they texted me every single day ... I could really see how much the coaches wanted me."
"I see myself being a successful student-athlete at Oklahoma and plan to make my dreams of being a NFL lineman come true. I never thought I’d be at Oklahoma because my family is made up of Texas fans every since my cousin Earl Thomas played there ... but the coaches (at Oklahoma) told me I have a chance to be a pro athlete and that they would get me there."
"The decision was hard simply because all of the great schools I had to pick from. Schools like Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Houston, and Colorado were pushing really hard, but I think Oklahoma is the right school for me because they are just on-point in all aspects."
RIVALS REACTION
An All-District offensive lineman out of Southeastern Texas, the 6-foot-3, 300-plus-pound Hunter plays right tackle for West Orange-Stark and projects as an offensive center for the Sooners. He plays a physical brand of football and is light on his feet with the ability to make a initial move and consistently finish.
Hunter flashes playing right tackle. He's asked to pull, kick out, make blocks in space and pass protect -- all of which he does seamlessly. He has light, nimble feet that consistently extends his arms and can block on the move effectively.
Where Hunter shines is driving through defenders and consistently negating one key defender from a given play. He's equally as effective in pass protection as he is coming around the edge or making a quick reach-block. With his brute power, improved hand placement and the ability to play even lower, Hunter should be in good hands under Bedenbaugh's watch.