When a major program loses a key recruit, Rivals.com takes a look at how big of a blow it is to the respective school, analyzing it from a local and national level. To quantify the “sting” of each decommitment, we assign a score from one to 10, with one being no big deal and 10 being a catastrophic hit.
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THE STORYLINE
Talyn Shettron is not only the top prospect in the state of Oklahoma, but he was an early pledge to the Sooners at a position where so many would die to play in Norman: Wide receiver.
There were some early comparisons to CeeDee Lamb. At the Rivals Camp in Dallas in April, Shettron said he needed just one look at the offense to know he wanted to play for Oklahoma.
Everything seemed to be perfect. Except, Shettron really wanted to play with his brother, Tabry, and he did not have an offer from the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State offered, though, and in recent days the Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe star receiver flipped his commitment to the Cowboys and his brother committed as well.
Shettron and fellow four-star receiver Jordan Hudson have now decommitted from the Sooners, and Missouri and others are trying to flip five-star WR Luther Burden.
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LOCAL REACTION
At first look, Talyn Shettron's flip from Oklahoma to Oklahoma State is a tough one. It's one thing to lose a Rivals100 in-state commitment but to lose him to your rival is just salt in the wound. That said, it's at one of the positions that Oklahoma has recruited, for quite some time, at a nationally elite level and having Burden still committed certainly softens the blow.
Perhaps the most difficult part of the situation is that Oklahoma had closed the door on a number of elite prospects and will have to either start all over with some new names or make up for lost time with names like Brenen Thompson, Evan Stewart and others. – Josh McCuistion, SoonerScoop.com
Sting Factor: 7
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NATIONAL REACTION
Losing someone with Shettron’s talent is never a good thing. Oklahoma seemingly had him locked up and he was going to be a big-time outside threat for the Sooners. Now he’s flipped to the in-state rival and there’s no getting around that it causes some pain.
But while Shettron is a very talented player, I didn’t see the Lamb comparisons, and Oklahoma is going to be just fine at the receiver position. There has been some turnover, and now keeping Burden is even more important, but there are elite receivers left and right that would jump at the chance to play not only in Lincoln Riley’s offense but with a seemingly nonstop train of five-star quarterbacks.
It’s a big loss, especially with an in-state kid who’s going to play in Stillwater. But will Shettron’s de-commitment sidetrack the Sooners from putting up major passing yards and points, winning the Big 12 and competing for national titles? No way.
Sting Factor: 6
