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Linebacker James Nesta commits to Oklahoma

Bob Przybyloby:Bob Przybylo•06/20/23•

BPrzybylo

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Oklahoma coach Brent Venables smiles on the field during one of his team's games on Sept. 24, 2022. (Brian Bahr / Getty Images)

OK, Oklahoma football fans can breathe again. The first commitment from #ChampUBBQ weekend is officially in.

Fittingly enough, it’s defense. Cornelius (N.C.) Amos Hough linebacker James Nesta announced his commitment to the Sooners on Tuesday evening.

OU won the battle in a final three of North Carolina, Miami and the Sooners. Nesta took an official visit to all three schools in back-to-back-to-back weekends this month.

The last visit? Yep, to Norman to see the Sooners. Nesta is 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds and is ranked No. 246 overall by On3 and the No. 19 linebacker.

Nesta becomes the first commitment for OU in nearly two months. He clearly won’t be the last, but it was crucial to see some good news. The last month saw some OU targets head elsewhere, and you could sense the mini-panic going around. Patience is tough in the recruiting game.

Head coach Brent Venables and the Sooners loaded up for the annual BBQ event. No immediate commitments Sunday or Monday left some fans crushed. You can see the relationships being built, though, much like last year. Once again, things getting stronger by the day that will lead to nights like Nesta making his OU decision.

Venables remarked last week there were going to be 28 monsters on campus, and Nesta was indeed one of those guys.

You could start to read between the lines with actions made by other linebackers that OU was in a good spot. The Sooners had done exactly what they needed to do to win this race.

Nesta becomes the seventh overall commitment for OU’s 2024 class. He also marks the first linebacker to join the group.

OU jumped to the top of On3’s recruiting prediction machine. Even as the Heels and Hurricanes took their shot, Nesta would remind everyone he hadn’t lost contact with OU. The first one is in for the Sooners. Let the fun begin.

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