Boom News! | ’23 OL Joshua Bates commits to Oklahoma!
Posted on: August 13, 2021
The Sooners stay hot on the recruiting trail as the summer wears on! 2023 offensive lineman Joshua Bates has verbally pledged to Bill Bedenbaugh and Oklahoma!
Bates is the first lineman to join a star-studded start to the ’23 class for OU as he joins RB Treyaun Webb, QB Malachi Nelson, TE Luke Hasz, and WR Makai Lemon in the nation’s number one class!
Bates (6’3 280), out of Durango, Colorado, received his offer from the Sooners during an unofficial visit following an appearance at their camp on June 22nd.
He chose the Sooners over offers from Oregon, Michigan State, and USC and his list will undoubtedly grow in the future.
I caught up with Bates earlier this week to get his thoughts on his decision to commit to Coach Bedenbaugh and the Sooners.
When I asked him why the Sooners and why now, Bates told me ‘OU is everything I want in a program. The culture and tradition are exactly what I am looking for”. He continued by saying “I’m super excited to build my relationship with Coach B and Coach Riley over the next two years and I cannot wait to get to work”.
Joshua comes from a tight-knit family. I asked him what their thoughts on the commitment were. He said ‘My family is really excited. They always tell people if you know me very well, then you know Oklahoma is the spot for me.” He added, “Both of my visits to OU really showed my family what OU is all about and they are super excited to see what my future holds in Norman”.
When I asked him about the other guys in the class, Bates said ‘Malachi and Treyaun have both hit me up about Oklahoma. I am very excited to help pave the way to the endzone for them!”
The class of ’23 is moving along at warp speed for the Sooners and if things go according to plans, it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down in the near future!
