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Four-star Xadavien Sims commits to Oregon over Oklahoma

headshotby:George Stoia•05/20/23•

GeorgeStoia

Xadavien Sims
Xadavien Sims (Scott Schrader/WeAreSC)

Xadavien Sims has committed to Oregon over Oklahoma, the four-star defensive lineman announced C4Sports oro day Saturday in Durant, Okla.

The 6-foot-4, 280-pound defensive lineman from Durant High School was a top in-state target for the Sooners in the 2024 class. Defensive line coach Todd Bates has led the charge in recruiting Sims and visited him on Friday before his announcement. 

“I felt like before (visiting) Oregon, I was already committed to OU in my mind,” Sims said Saturday. “So it was really like a big flip in my head for me. We were this close to canceling the trip to Oregon and staying here to go to OU’s spring game.”

Still, Sims chose the Ducks on Saturday. Oregon has been hot on the recruiting trail, sitting ninth in On3’s 2024 team recruiting rankings before Sims’ commitment. Oklahoma is currently 15th with only six total commitments. The Ducks are no strangers to battling with Oklahoma, going toe-to-toe last year over safety Peyton Bowen, who chose Norman.

For Sims, his recruitment has been a rollercoaster thus far and it’s likely not over. Michigan State was once considered the heavy favorite until just a few weeks ago when OU made a strong push. And in recent days, it flipped to Oregon. Though, Sims said he’s known it was going to be Oregon since he visited Eugene in April. And he said Saturday he intends to cancel all his official visits and that he’s “locked in” to being a Duck.

Oklahoma will still likely continue to pursue Sims, who has a close relationship with Bates. It might be a recruitment that could go all the way to signing day in December.

“That was one of the hardest things I had to do — call coach Bates,” Sims said. “In this process, you can’t make everybody happy. I just have to do what I have to do.”

For Oklahoma, it’s still looking to land one of the best defensive line classes in recent history. The Sooners are pursuing some of the top d-lineman prospects in the country in the 2024 class, including five-stars David Stone and Williams Nwaneri and four-stars Nigel Smith and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye. If OU can just land three of Sims, Stone, Nwaneri, Smith, and Joseph-Ajonye — and the Sooners intend to land more than three — it still would be regarded as one of the most talented defensive line groups to come through Norman. 

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