‘Crootmas in July continues for the Sooners, as Four-star defensive end Derrick LeBlanc announces his commitment to Brent Venables and Oklahoma. The Kissimmee, FL native chose the Sooners over the home-state Florida Gators, and Penn State.

The 6’5, 265 pound lineman is the No. 18 commit in the 2023 class for Oklahoma, and the No. 9 commit in the month of July. Our partners at Rivals have LeBlanc ranked as the No. 58 player in the state of Florida, and No. 27 DE in the country. LeBlanc held 46 offers out of Osceola High School.

In an interview with Rivals.com’s Ryan Wright, LeBlanc expressed how much relationships meant to him. His relationships with head coach Brent Venables and defensive line coach Todd Bates played the biggest role in his decision. At the Oklahoma Spring Game in April, LeBlanc spent a solid 10 minutes with former Sooners WR Tristen Ross, DT Steven Coleman, and myself talking straight ball. I won’t go into detail on the discussion but LeBlanc is one of the examples of a “football guy”, a guy who eats, breathes, and sleeps the game. He fits the core values of a Brent Venables program.

LeBlanc visited Oklahoma 5 times before making a move, most recently at the Champ U BBQ in June. One of the first things that pops out when you look at him is his wing-span, which is over 6’10. The question remains whether LeBlanc will play somewhere like a 5-tech or a 3-tech. He impress both on the interior of the line and at the end. He excels in playing both the run and passing game, showing solid power at the point of attack in the pass rush. His quickness and hands are some of the first things that pop out when you turn on the tape. LeBlanc finished the 2021 season with 38 tackles and 8 sacks.

There’s no question that LeBlanc will need time to develop at the next level, but with a coach like Todd Bates, you can imagine that won’t take long. The Sooners now have the No. 10 class in the country (Rivals.com)