The Oklahoma Sooners added a potential key piece to future defensive lines with the commitment of Houston (Texas) Cypress Falls defensive tackle Du'Vonta Lampkin, who announced his pledge via Twitter:
2015 defensive tackle Du’Vonta Lampkin commits to the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma now has their third 2015 pledge.
Verbally Committed to University of Oklahoma! #Boomer
— January 7th (@DeeChilllin) November 26, 2013
Now the third pledge in the 2015 class for head coach Bob Stoops and staff, Lampkin joins offensive guard Trey Wariboko and tight end Bobby Evans, an Oklahoma legacy, in the 2015 class.
All three are consensus four-star prospects. Lampkin is rated as the No. 21 defensive tackle nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings and the No. 21 player in the state of Texas. The Sooners represented his only offer in a recruitment that was oddly a little bit slow to get started in earnest despite the positive opinions of the services and his pledge to Oklahoma was rather expected, as all six predictions in the 247Sports Crystal Ball were in favor of the crimson and cream.
The 6’3, 280-pound Lampkin plays three-technique defensive tackle at Cypress Falls, as well as some defensive end. If Lampkin ends up growing, he could end up as a nose tackle in the current 3-3-5 scheme employed by Oklahoma, but his best position is probably as a three-technique defensive tackle in a conventional 4-3, though he could conceivably play a 3-4 end position if he maintains his current weight.
A standout at the Dallas NFTC with his play in the trenches, Lampkin has limited highlights available, but does show the ability to use his hand placement to control and then separate against the run, especially from the defensive end position, where his size and strength are too much for most opposing linemen. When he’s unblocked, his first step and overall short-area quickness are impressive.
As with most players of his age, it would be nice to see more pass-rushing moves from Lampkin, though it’s hard to tell if he doesn’t have them or if there just isn’t film of it at this time.
The Sooners are having some depth issues along the defensive line, making the commitment from the player currently rated as the second-best defensive tackle in the state of Texas for 2015 a truly significant addition.
