Tag: Oklahoma Sooners recruiting

Sooners predicted to land 3-star offensive tackle out of Colorado

Oklahoma Sooners favored to land 2026 offensive tackle out of Colorado.

The Oklahoma Sooners have honed in on another offensive target for the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag]. After hosting several sessions of the Brent Venables Football Camp, the Sooners made a number of offers to prospects over the next several recruiting cycles.

One of the players to receive an offer was 2026 three-star offensive tackle Deacon Schmitt. Schmitt camped with the Sooners in June and received his offer later in the month. Now it looks like Oklahoma has the inside track to land the promising offensive tackle prospect.

Out of Severance, Colorado, Schmitt is an athletic prospect with great size. He’s 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds and looks to have good arm length. He moves well, showing an ability to pull across the formation and work in space. Schmitt’s a physical player, looking to overpower his assignment on every snap.

His offer sheet is largely a regional one. Colorado State, Nebraska, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Washington State and the Sooners in pursuit. Much like we saw with Ryan Fodje last summer, don’t be surprised if that offer sheet grows.

Though only rated by 247Sports, he’s considered the No. 7 player in the state of Colorado and the No. 55 interior offensive line prospect by the recruiting service.

Rankings aside, if the Oklahoma Sooners are pursuing Schmitt, he has something to offer.

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Oklahoma near the top of ESPN’s top recruiting classes for 2026

Oklahoma Sooners have one of ESPN’s best recruiting classes for the 2026 cycle.

Recruiting hasn’t been a problem for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his staff since taking over in Norman. In fact, it’s been better than his predecessor. The Sooners have earned three top 10 classes in a row since Venables arrived, and it looks like they’re headed for another top-10 finish in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

The recruiting success and a 10-win season in 2023 have the Sooners off to a fast start in the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], already picking up three commitments. Interestingly for the defensive-minded Brent Venables, Oklahoma’s three commits for 2026 are blue-chip prospects on the offensive side of the ball.

The Sooners have pledges from running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Ryder Mix[/autotag] and quarterback [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag]. Each prospect is considered a four-star player, so it is no surprise OU has ESPN’s No. 2 class at this point in the 2026 cycle (ESPN+).

The Sooners’ past four four-star quarterback pickups have all come out of Texas, including 2023 signee [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag]. For the 2026 class, they have traveled a different path, pulling [autotag]Jaden O’Neal[/autotag] out of California. Among the most physically talented QBs in the class, he could be the player to replace five-star Arnold if he meets expectations. O’Neal has a strong arm with a smooth release and also can adapt well and do a nice job of changing arm angles.

The Sooners returned to the familiar recruiting ground of Texas to land ESPN Junior 300 running back [autotag]Jonathan Hatton Jr[/autotag]. He has a nice blend of size (6 feet, 205 pounds) and speed. As a sophomore, he rushed for more than 1,200 yards. – Craig Haubert, ESPN

There’s slightly less than 18 months until the 2026 early signing period, but Oklahoma has hit the ground running. It trails only Florida State and is in front of the USC Trojans. Syracuse comes in at No. 4 and Texas rounds out the top five.

There’s a long way to go, but if these last few years are any indication, the Sooners aren’t going to slow anytime soon.

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Oklahoma Sooners offer 2026 blue-chip cornerback out of California

The Oklahoma Sooners inserted themselves into a national recruiting battle for one of the nation’s best players in the 2026 cycle.

The Oklahoma Sooners have built really good depth in the defensive backfield under safeties coach Brandon Hall and co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Jay Valai. And the Sooners are hoping to add to that depth in the [autotag]2026 recruiting class[/autotag], offering a big-time prospect out west.

On Tuesday, Oklahoma offered Rancho Cucamonga, California four-star cornerback R.J. Sermons. Sermons is a consensus four-star prospect ranked and considered a top 15 cornerback prospect across the board. ESPN and On3 see him as the No. 2 cornerback in the country for the 2026 cycle.

He’s currently listed at 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds and has 19 Power Four offers, including notable offers from Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCLA, USC, Utah and Washington.

Sermons took to social media to announce his offer from the Oklahoma Sooners Tuesday evening.

The Sooners have inserted themselves into a big-time recruiting battle with this offer. Valai has done a great job on the recruiting trail since joining the Sooners.

It won’t be easy earning a commitment from one of the top 100 players in the class, but Brent Venables and his staff have done an excellent job recruiting across the country. Sermons has the talent to be a priority for this coaching staff in the 2026 cycle.

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Four-star safety Omarion Robinson commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up a commitment from four-star safety out of Arkansas, Omarion Robinson.

Brandon Hall has been a force on the recruiting trail since he took over the safeties position, and that ability to recruit showed itself again on Saturday.

Oklahoma landed its 21st commit of the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] when four-star safety [autotag]Omarion Robinson[/autotag] committed to Oklahoma over offers from Oregon, Arkansas and LSU.

Robinson is a dynamic player on the back end of a defense. He’s 6 feet and 171 pounds, and he has the footwork to play a number of roles in the secondary. He’s competitive and unafraid to be physical. He can also play in man-to-man coverage, a trait many safeties struggle with early on.

Robinson has been on the Sooners’ radar for a while. They offered him in January 2023.

Hall, Venables, and the rest of the defensive staff have prioritized Robinson since the beginning. They have successfully recruited the state of Arkansas this cycle, earning a commitment from [autotag]Marcus Wimberly[/autotag] this year.

In Robinson, Oklahoma landed yet another physical defensive back with the versatility to play in multiple spots. He dominated the Rivals Five-star camp, where he was named DB MVP. He was MaxPreps Freshman All-America second-team selection in the secondary in 2021.

Oklahoma is likely done recruiting defensive backs for the class and will focus more on the offensive and defensive lines to wrap up their 2025 recruiting class.

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Oklahoma Sooners favored to land 2025 LB Christian Jones

OUInsider’s Parker Thune issued a Rivals FutureCast favoring the Sooners in the recruitment of 2025 four-star linebacker Christian Jones.

The Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] is looking really good as the calendar turns to July. There are 20 prospects committed to the class, and the program could add a couple more this week with blue-chip prospects [autotag]Omarion Robinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag] nearing their commitment dates.

It’s a star-studded class on both sides of the ball, but if there’s an area where the Sooners need to make a splash, it’s at linebacker. They took their shot with [autotag]Elijah Melendez[/autotag] and looked on the verge of pulling off a flip of the Miami commit, but he chose to stay with his pledge to the Hurricanes. Then the Sooners missed on [autotag]Mark Iheanachor[/autotag], who chose the ACC-bound SMU Mustangs.

But their linebacker pursuits don’t stop there as they’re in the mix for 2025 four-star prospect [autotag]Christian Jones[/autotag]. Jones is considered the No. 58 player in the class and No. 7 linebacker by Rivals.

Though Nebraska is heavily in the mix for the Omaha native, Oklahoma may have picked up some momentum in their recruitment of Jones.

Parker Thune of OUInsider at Rivals issued a futurecast favoring the Sooners in Jones’ recruitment on Tuesday morning.

Jones spent time on an official visit with the Sooners on June 21, and, as they’ve done a number of times, they made significant strides with the blue-chip prospect while on campus.

The Sooners still have to contend with the hometown Cornhuskers and a number of other schools, but if they can pull off this recruiting win, it would be significant for [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] and his defensive staff.

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4-star edge C.J. Nickson commits to the Oklahoma Sooners

Four-star defensive end C.J. Nickson chooses the Oklahoma Sooners over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] is coming together as we reach the middle of the summer, less than six months away from the early signing period.

After adding a pair of four-star wide receivers over the last week, it’s the defense’s turn. Four-star defensive end [autotag]C.J. Nickson[/autotag] committed to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Nickson chose the Sooners over Bedlam rival Oklahoma State. He’s a legit two-sport star who plans to play basketball for Porter Moser and the men’s basketball squad.

ESPN and 247Sports consider Nickson a top-100 prospect in the 2025 class and consider the Weatherford, Oklahoma, native the No. 1 player in the state of Oklahoma.

With his ability on the hardwood, Nickson flashes elite athleticism and playmaking off the edge.

Here’s what we had to say about Nickson in April.

His length is a problem for offensive tackles and he has the quickness and agility to be a plus pass rusher at the collegiate level. He plays both ways for Weatherford, also starring at wide receiver, where he racked up 604 yards and eight touchdowns on 36 receptions in 2023. – Williams, Sooners Wire

The Sooners are building a blue-chip defensive front and the edge group Miguel Chavis is putting together added a difference-maker in Nickson.

Nickson joins a defensive line class that includes defensive tackles [autotag]Ka’Mori Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Trent Wilson[/autotag] and defensive end [autotag]Alexander Shieldknight[/autotag]. The Sooners are still working to add a four-star defensive end from North Dakota, [autotag]Kade Pietrzak[/autotag].

With 18 commitments in the cycle, the Sooners have the No. 5 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

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Oklahoma Sooners 4-star target Max Granville commits to Penn State

Oklahoma misses out on 2025 four-star linebacker Max Granville, who commits to Penn State.

After a weekend of official visits for the ChampU BBQ, it looked like the Oklahoma Sooners had gained some serious momentum in the recruitment of 2025 four-star edge rusher [autotag]Max Granville[/autotag].

Steve Wiltfong of On3 issued a prediction favoring the Sooners on Sunday. While everything looked to be going OU’s way, the tide turned on Monday as the Penn State Nittany Lions earned Granville’s commitment with a late push.

In Granville, the Nittany Lions add one of the best pure pass rushers in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. His quickness off the line of scrimmage and array of pass rush moves are going to create problems for Big Ten schools.

For Oklahoma, they’ll continue their pursuit of in-state four-star prospect [autotag]C.J. Nickson[/autotag], who has long been projected to land with the Sooners. Oklahoma also likely pivots to [autotag]Smith Orogbo[/autotag], a four-star edge, and the No. 26 prospect, according to On3.

Who’s next to join [autotag]Alexander Shieldknight[/autotag] and the Oklahoma Sooners at defensive end? That will be something to watch in the coming months.

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Oklahoma Sooners receive commitment from 4-Star WR Emmanuel Choice

Oklahoma Sooners add another four-star wide receiver, earning a commitment from Emmanuel Choice.

The Oklahoma Sooners and wide receivers coach [autotag]Emmitt Jones[/autotag] just continue to add big-time playmakers. After adding [autotag]Marcus Harris[/autotag] to the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] last week, the Sooners picked up another commitment from On3 four-star wide receiver [autotag]Emmanuel Choice[/autotag] on Sunday.

The No. 36 wide receiver in the country, according to On3, chose the Sooners over offers from Nebraska, TCU, Texas A&M, and USC. He also held offers from Missouri, Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee.

This summer, Choice took official visits with USC, Missouri, Texas A&M, and most recently, Oklahoma on June 21.

Choice is a playmaker in every sense of the word for Lancaster High in Texas. He does a great job of using his 6-foot-4 frame and wingspan to go above the rim to beat cornerbacks in 50-50 situations. He’s a fluid route runner who has the ability to create yards after the catch due to his size and physicality.

Emmanuel Choice represents the 17th player committed to the Oklahoma Sooners 2025 recruiting class and the fourth wide receiver, joining [autotag]Gracen Harris[/autotag], [autotag]Elijah Thomas[/autotag], and Marcus Harris.

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5-star offensive tackle includes Oklahoma Sooners in Top 3

The Oklahoma Sooners were included in five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood’s top 3.

Offensive line recruiting is the biggest storyline across the country in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. The Sooners are in the mix for a number of blue-chip offensive linemen, hoping to add to their group up front that includes four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] and three-star prospect [autotag]Owen Hollenbeck[/autotag].

Though it looks like he’s been trending away from the Sooners, five-star offensive tackle [autotag]Ty Haywood[/autotag] included Oklahoma in his top three schools as his recruitment roars on. The Sooners were included alongside Alabama and Florida State.

There was a time the Sooners were considered the favorite before Texas A&M made a strong push, and more recently, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

SoonerScoop and On3’s Josh McCuistion put in an On3 prediction favoring the Crimson Tide. Haywood is considered the No. 2 offensive tackle in the On3 industry rankings and the No. 9 overall prospect.

At the moment, it may look like Haywood is trending away, but don’t count the Sooners out just yet. They’ve recruited really well over the course of Brent Venables’ tenure at Oklahoma.

Even if they can’t land a commitment from Haywood, the Sooners are still very much in the mix for five-star prospects [autotag]Michael Fasusi[/autotag] and [autotag]Andrew Babalola[/autotag], four-star tackle [autotag]Lamont Rogers[/autotag], and Rivals four-star prospect [autotag]Darius Afalava[/autotag].

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On3’s Steve Wiltfong predicts Oklahoma to land 2025 4-star linebacker

On3 director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong predicts the Sooners in the recruitment of four-star linebacker Max Granville.

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking for their first linebacker commitment of a star-studded [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. Though much of the attention in recent weeks has been on four-star prospect [autotag]Elijah Melendez[/autotag], the Sooners have created momentum for a player they’ve been recruiting for some time.

On3 director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong issued a prediction favoring the Oklahoma Sooners for four-star linebacker [autotag]Max Granville[/autotag].

Out of Sugarland, Texas, Granville is considered a top 200 prospect in the class by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN, which has Granville as the No. 109 prospect in the class. He’s ranked as one of the top 25 players at his position and as high as the No. 9 linebacker in the cycle by Rivals.

Granville was a late addition to the visitor list for the Sooners, spending time with the coaching staff and with a number of players who are already committed in the class.

He’s a 6-foot-2, 225-pound prospect with a fantastic motor. Granville is a natural pass rusher who displays a great spin move, stutter step and swim move. Though he might be considered a linebacker, he looks like a player who could be a natural cheetah in [autotag]Zac Alley[/autotag]’s defense.

The Sooners’ main contender for Granville appears to be the Texas A&M Aggies, but with Wiltfong’s prediction, it looks like the Sooners have taken a significant lead.

Update

A few hours after Wiltfong’s prediction for On3, Landyn Rosow, who covers Texas A&M recruiting for Rivals, issued a futurecast favoring the Sooners.

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