Oklahoma football: Grading Sooners 2021 recruiting class

Here are grades for the Oklahoma football 2021 recruiting class, as Lincoln Riley and the Sooners hope to continue dominating the Big 12.

Oklahoma football took a circuitous route to get to the Big 12 Championship Game in 2020, but the fact that head coach Lincoln Riley has owned the conference since taking over the Sooners program remains undeniable. And it’s also true when you look at how he’s recruited in Norman.

That hasn’t changed when looking at the 2021 recruiting cycle. Whether or not the Sooners beat Iowa State for the Big 12 title, they’ll have the leg up on the Cyclones and the rest of the conference moving forward.

Taking that into account, let’s assess the Oklahoma football 2021 recruiting class as a whole before handing out a grade for the Sooners. Note: All rankings are via the 247 Sports Composite.

Top Oklahoma football commit for 2021: Caleb Williams, QB

It’s pretty perfect that Caleb Williams is going to play in a Riley offense. With elite speed for his position to go with top-tier arm strength, the young signal-caller has the ability to make any throw, especially when his current accuracy problems are mitigated. He has some development ahead, but his tools in a quarterback-friendly offense give Williams Heisman potential from the moment he gets to Oklahoma.

Strengths, weaknesses for the Oklahoma football 2021 class

Williams coming to the Sooners as the top dual-threat quarterback is obviously huge, but the defensive line is the big winner of this 2021 recruiting class. With four 4-star defensive ends entering the fray, that could give OU a big shot in the arm on that side of the ball.

Unfortunately, the linebacker group is lacking in this 2021 cycle. Oklahoma has often had great players at the position and a deep group is already in house. But bringing in just one 3-star prospect to help there is a bit of a concern.

Diamond in the rough for the Oklahoma football class: Cullen Montgomery, OG

Because he played a lot of right tackle in high school, Montgomery might have some transitioning ahead to move inside. But his frame suggests he could play right away at guard, and with his ability to be a nasty run-blocker, he could help open up the Sooners rushing attack that has sneakily been a key ingredient in their secret sauce.

Where does Oklahoma football rank in the 2021 recruiting cycle?

Oklahoma comes in as the best recruiting class in the Big 12 and the No. 7 overall in college football. The Sooners continue bringing in top-level talent to Norman.

Oklahoma football 2021 recruiting grade: A

Though No. 7 isn’t as high as it could be, the fact that they have such a dominant hold on the Big 12 is to the credit of Riley and the Sooners, which is why they get high marks with this grade.

For more NCAA football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.