Oklahoma transfer offensive lineman Joshua Bates commits to SMU

Oklahoma transfer offensive lineman Joshua Bates committed to SMU on Wednesday evening, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Bates was invited to the 2023 All-American Bowl and earned 2022 All-Colorado Team honors from the Denver Post.

The Durango, Colo. native has three years of eligibility remaining.

Bates recently finished off his redshirt freshman at Oklahoma where he started two of the four games he played at center. Bates was teammates with former Oklahoma and now SMU offensive lineman Savion Byrd in 2023. The 6-3, 309-pounder appeared in one game in 2023.

As a 2023 recruit, he chose OU over Colorado, Michigan State, Oregon, USC and others.

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Bates was the No. 39 overall interior offensive lineman in the country.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter/X account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Joshua Bates is joining SMU as they are on the rise

SMU had a historic 2024 campaign, making it all the way to the ACC Championship Game against Clemson. The Mustangs will face off against Penn State in the first round of the upcoming College Football Playoffs. That one is on December 21st. The Mustangs currently sit at 11-2 overall on the 2024 campaign.

Oklahoma will face off against Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl. That one will be played on December 27th, 2024, and kickoff is slated for 12:00 PM. Oklahoma has made quite the splash this offseason, landing two different coaches from Washington State, plus their quarterback, John Mateer. Mateer was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in all of college football this year, rushing for over 800 yards and throwing for over 3,000 yards.

On3’s Billy Embody also contributed to this article.