Social Media reacts as 5-star DL David Hicks chooses Texas A&M over Oklahoma
In a shocking turn of events, David Hicks, who had been trending toward the Oklahoma Sooners for the last several months, chose the Texas A&M Aggies when he made his commitment live on ESPN this afternoon.
Hicks, who was the No. 1 defensive lineman in the country, had been projected to Oklahoma for some time by 247Sports national recruiting director Steve Wiltfong.
It’s a huge loss for a Sooners recruiting class that was on the verge of breaking into the top three had they earned a commitment from David Hicks. This interior defensive line loss comes on the heels of missing out on four-star defensive lineman Jordan Renaud to Alabama just a few weeks ago.
Oklahoma still has some talent coming to Norman along the defensive line in Adepoju Adebawore, Colton Vasek, and Derrick LeBlanc, but missing out on Hicks still looms large. Losing out on a top 10 talent in the 2023 class that would have been the highest-rated commitment in your recruiting class hurts.
Here’s how social media reacted in the wake of David Hicks’ commitment to the Texas A&M Aggies.
100% Committed
100% committed #GigEm pic.twitter.com/PRBNJFIFhM
— David “DJ” Hicks Jr. (@DJ2g23) September 28, 2022
Huge loss for the Sooners
All signs pointed to Oklahoma. Instead, it’s Texas A&M for David Hicks. Monumental loss and the #Sooners’ stretch without that kind of DL recruit rolls on.
— Josh Helmer (@JoshOnREF) September 28, 2022
A&M does it again
David Hicks shocks everyone and chooses #Gigem.
This thing got crazy as it got down to the wire. A&M pulled off a stunner.
— Brandon Drumm (@BrandonDrumm247) September 28, 2022
Absolutely Incredible
Add it to the commitment stories to never see the light of day, like Camar Wheaton and Tristan Leigh and whole bunch more over the years https://t.co/Y4XG0pDXuG
— Bob Przybylo (@BPrzybylo) September 28, 2022
So he knew yesterday?
David Hicks told me yesterday a big part of why he was choosing Texas A&M was that it was close to home and the relationships he had built with the coaching staff. He said he made his decision three days ago. #Aggies
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) September 28, 2022
Us to Mr. Vasek
💔
— Colton Vasek (@ColtonVasek) September 28, 2022
We're all Kristi
wtf just happened?
— ✨kristi✨ (@OUkristi) September 28, 2022
Just shocking
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) September 28, 2022
It's been a rough week
Waiting for the rioters and looters. pic.twitter.com/hemE3j852i
— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) September 28, 2022
Huge Miss
Oklahoma misses out on No. 1 2023 DL David Hicks
Hicks commits to Texas A&M #Sooners pic.twitter.com/byVrdVcnBz
— Josh Callaway (@JoshMCallaway) September 28, 2022
That defensive line is going to be stacked
David Hicks makes it *six* five-star defensive linemen for Texas A&M over the past three cycles
— Griffin McVeigh (@Griffin_McVeigh) September 28, 2022
Would have been a huge add for OU
Good luck to Hicks going to A&M. Would've been a banner addition to OU, though. 😔
— Monica Evers (@MonicaEvers1) September 28, 2022
Some perspective and optimism
With David Hicks, Oklahoma would have won conference championships and competed for national championships.
Without David Hicks, Oklahoma will win conference championships and compete for national championships. #Sooners— Douglas Miles (@douglasmilesCRG) September 28, 2022
Several names Oklahoma was targeting in addition to Hicks
No one is recruiting the DL position better than Texas A&M and it’s not close.
2022:
Walter Nolen (1 NATL, 1 DL)
Shemar Stewart (7 NATL, 3 DL)
Lebbeus Overton (12 NATL, 4 DL)
Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (13 NATL, 5 DL)
Anthony Lucas (42 NATL, 6 DL)2023:
David Hicks (9 NATL, 1 DL)— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) September 28, 2022
Speak it into existence
David Hicks is still announcing at the Under Armour All-American game, that’s where he flips to Oklahoma
— Dryfit Venables (@DryfitVenables) September 28, 2022
NIL influencing a lot of decisions over the last couple of years
And that is not necessarily specific to this recruitment. Just in general, obviously Texas A&M's success last year irked Saban. But the Aggies are far from the only ones with dramatically improved recruiting results of late. Worth monitoring in new recruiting world.
— Andrew Nemec (@AndrewNemec) September 28, 2022
Anyone want to hide with us?
Got clowned hard today. No getting around it. I'm going to go play in the hurricane now.
— Mr. Pilkington (@Onikuno) September 28, 2022
Not mad, just disappointed
I know Oklahoma fans pissed off about David Hicks committing to Texas A&M.
There were a lot of predictions for the Sooners to land the 5 Star DL.
— Saturday Gameday (@SaturdayGameday) September 28, 2022
To be a fly on the Wall
Nick Saban didn’t stutter this summer. And if #Bama GOAT got that angry about A&M $NIL, Brent Venables must be spitting tacks about now. And, OL coach lost COMMITS to Horns $50K/, Bates loses Hicks for much greener pa$ture$ than that. And other future #Sooners grabbed 💰 @NEWS9
— Dean Blevins (@DeanBlevins) September 28, 2022
It's going to be ok
Mood. #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/8H4es9gHBd
— 𝕆𝕂𝕃𝔸ℍ𝕆𝕄𝔸-𝕍𝕊-𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕎𝕆ℝ𝕃𝔻 (@soonergridiron) September 28, 2022
We're going to be okay
📍 Steve Bullard has marked himself safe from a recruiting loss ruining his life.
— Steve Bullard (@stevebullard) September 28, 2022
The one that got away
Take care of him @AggiesWire
— Sooners Wire (@SoonersWire) September 28, 2022
[listicle id=72424]
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.
