Tag: Oklahoma Sooners recruiting

4-star wide receiver Jaden Nickens decommits from the Oklahoma Sooners

2025 wide receiver prospect, Jaden Nickens decommits from the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag] started to come together during the spring and summer as a number of local prospects pledged to the Sooners.

Four-star wide receiver and Millwood (Oklahoma City) product [autotag]Jaden Nickens[/autotag] was one of those in-state prospects to commit, joining the Sooenrs recruiting class in August. On Wednesday, Nickens announced he would explore other options and decommitted from the Oklahoma Sooners.

Citing a desire to explore options and play basketball in addition to football, Nickens wrote on X:

“First I want to give thanks and all glory to my Father God above for even giving me the opportunity to play this game.

“Second, I will like to give love and thanks to the University of Oklahoma! Thank you to Coach (Brent) Venables, Coach (Emmett) Jones, and the rest of the staff that took me in as family and showed nothing but love. Thank you Sooner Nation for believing in me and giving me the best support from a college fan base.

“With that being said, I will like to announce I will be decommitting from the University of Oklahoma. This decommitment is all about me and my dreams. I want to experience the process more and explore with my options open. And for the colleges locking back in, I’m looking to play both sports. I want to be a duel-sport student athlete! I have faith in myself and God that this is part of his will. AGTG.”

Nickens is the No. 106 prospect in the country and the No. 9 wide receiver according to 247Sports.

Nickens was one of four players projected to play wide receiver for the Sooners. Despite the loss of Nickens, the Sooners have Elijah Thomas, Trynae Washington and Gracen Harris in the recruiting class.

Nickens’ decommitment also opens the door for the Sooners to reengage with blue chip prospects Andrew Marsh, Cooper Perry or Emmanuel Choice.

Emmett Jones continues to load the Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver room with talented prospects. He’s done a fantastic job restocking the wide receiver depth chart with talented players.

More: 2025 Oklahoma Sooners commitment tracker

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Sooners 2025 OT commit Ryan Fodje sees big jump in latest 247Sports rankings update

Sooners offensive tackle commit Ryan Fodje earns a huge bump in 247Sports updated rankings.

When Cypress offensive tackle [autotag]Ryan Fodje[/autotag] committed to the Oklahoma Sooners, it kind of came out of nowhere. It wasn’t surprising that he committed to OU, but that he committed just as his recruitment was beginning to take off.

In the weeks leading to his commitment, the Power Five offers began to roll in. But his relationship with the Sooners was enough to make Fodje sure about where he was heading.

In the summer of 2023, Fodje spent time at Brent Venables football camp, catching the eye of the Sooners coaching staff, who later would become the first to offer the talented offensive tackle in August.

When he committed to the Sooners, he was considered a three-star prospect and the No. 304 prospect in the nation, according to 247Sports. In about a month, he’s jumped to the No. 80 player in the country and is a solid four-star offensive tackle. His rise has been impressive, and Fodje is now the top-rated player in the Sooners [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag].

Cypress (Texas) Bridgeland’s Ryan Fodje leaps into the top 100 nationally thanks to just how well his junior tape stacked up among the elite offensive tackle prospects across the country. Tall, long, relatively lean, and agile, Fodje — not 17 years old until mid-summer — played right tackle primarily this past fall, but flashes the functional athleticism and bend of a potential blind-side protector in the long run. We are excited to learn more about the Oklahoma pledge this spring. – Gabe Brooks, 247Sports

The rest of the country is catching up to what offensive line coach [autotag]Bill Bedenbaugh[/autotag] saw last summer when he was an unrated prospect.

Much like [autotag]Adepoju Adebawore[/autotag] did in the 2023 recruiting cycle, Fodje could ultimately join the ranks of five-star players in the 2025 class. He’s got elite athleticism and refined technique for a junior in high school. And while a pair of Oklahoma offensive tackle targets are currently rated higher than Fodje, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Fodje to catch them in the rankings over the next year.

The Sooners have an elite prospect on their hands with Fodje, a player that could develop into another Bedenbaugh future first round NFL draft pick.

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Sooners pick up another prediction for 5-star OT Ty Haywood

The Oklahoma Sooners picked up another prediction for 2025 five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood out of Denton Ryan.

The Oklahoma Sooners have some serious momentum in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag]. There’s a chance this could be their best offensive line class in the modern recruiting era.

They already have a pair of offensive linemen committed in Owen Hollenbeck and Ryan Fodje and look like the trending favorite for another. On Tuesday, the Sooners earned an On3 prediction from Texas recruiting insider Justin Wells for five-star offensive tackle Ty Haywood. Late Tuesday night, Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop.com’s and On3 joined Wells with a prediction favoring the Sooners.

Haywood, out of Denton Ryan High School is a talented prospect that moves really well. He’s got great size heading into his junior year and he knows how to use his frame. Haywood’s a physical player at the point of attack and once he latches on defenders have a difficult time getting free. He’s not simply looking to block his guy, but put him in the ground.

In addition to his strength and physicality, Haywood displays really good footwork. He churns his feet to move defenders off the line of scrimmage and continues to block well after the running back is beyond the line of scrimmage. His highlights are a masterclass in “finishing your block.”

Haywood looks to have built a strong relationship with the Oklahoma Sooners and Bill Bedenbaugh at this point. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the Sooners have a pair of former Denton Ryan stars in Billy Bowman and Kalib Hicks on the roster to aid in their recruitment of Haywood.

With the Sooners about to have watch an offensive tackle taken in the first round of the NFL draft for the second straight year, it’s not surprising to see Bill Bedenbaugh creating a lot of positive momentum in offensive line recruiting.

More: Recruiting Profile: 2025 5-Star Ty Haywood

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Sooners earn another crystal ball from 247Sports director of football recruiting for in-state star

The Oklahoma Sooners latest crystal ball comes from 247Sports director of football recruiting Steve Wiltfong

The Oklahoma Sooners have made significant headway in the recruitment of 2024 four-star edge [autotag]C.J. Nickson[/autotag]. Nickson, out of Weatherford, Oklahoma, is considered one of the best prospect in the state and is the No. 46 prospect in America according to 247Sports.

And it looks like the Sooners have opened a significant lead in Nickson’s recruitment.

Brandon Drumm of OUInsider, Josh McCuistion of SoonerScoop and Collin Kennedy of Sooners Illustrated have each issued a prediction favoring the Sooners. That’s one from each of the major recruiting sites that covers the Oklahoma Sooners.

On Monday, 247Sports director of football recruiting Steve Wiltfong joined the local experts with a crystal ball of his own favoring the Sooners.

Nickson is a consensus four-star prospect and if the Sooners are able to land his commitment, it would give OU eight prospects from the state of Oklahoma in the [autotag]2025 recruiting cycle[/autotag].

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After two predictions, Sooners are gaining momentum with four-star DT Kole Briehler

Oklahoma Sooners received two projections to land 2025 defensive tackle Kole Briehler.

Aside from the warmer weather and the fact we inch closer to the Oklahoma spring game, March is a pivotal month in the college football calendar. Players who have been recruited, gone on visits and received offers are inching ever closer to deciding where to play their college ball.

There’s been a flurry of top school lists as most of the upcoming senior class is slowly whittling their recruitment.

We’re also likely to see increased projections and predictions from recruiting insiders as pictures become clearer.

For the Sooners, that’s precisely the case. Oklahoma is looking like the team to beat for Rivals four-star defensive lineman [autotag]Kole Briehler[/autotag] out of New Jersey.

Briehler is a tough football player with plenty of size and a frame that could add more to allow him to be a mainstay in the teeth of the Sooners’ defense.

Briehler has adequate play strength for a high school student, and it shows on his tape already. He has enough size to play defensive tackle in four-man alignments and defensive end in three-man fronts.

Up front in the [autotag]2025 recruiting class[/autotag], Oklahoma has earned pledges from defensive tackle [autotag]Ka’Mori Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Shieldknight[/autotag].

At this point it looks like the Sooners are the trending favorite for the New Jersey defensive tackle from the Hun School, the same school that 2023 offensive lineman [autotag]Logan Howland[/autotag] hails from.

Early Monday morning, Richard Schnyderite and Parker Thune of Rivals dropped in a futurecast for Briehler to land with the Sooners.

No decision is imminent, but Briehler has already visited Norman. He also visited Michigan and has a trip to Ohio State on deck in a few weeks. The Sooners are in a good spot, but this race is far from over.

Kole Briehler’s Recruiting Profile

Film

Hudl

Oklahoma top 10: Updated look at the top 15 in 2025 team recruiting rankings

A look at the top 15 teams in the 2025 recruiting cycle according to 247Sports.

The Oklahoma Sooners are off to a blazing start in the 2025 recruiting class. Their 10 commitments put them way ahead of the pace from 2024 when they didn’t get their first commitment until late March before the signing class.

Headlined by a group of Oklahoma products, the Sooners currently rank inside the top 10. They should see significant movement if the current predictions for blue chip prospects Jonah Williams, Tory Blaylock, and Cobey Sellers come through with commitments.

The Sooners are also in great shape with a number of highly-regarded targets like offensive tackle Michael Fasusi and tight end Nate Roberts.

With more than nine months before the early signing period and Oklahoma about to transition into spring ball, recruiting is about to heat up. The Sooners are well situated to maintain their recruiting floor in the top eight but could push the 2023 recruiting class for the best of the Brent Venables era.

Here’s a look at the top 15 programs in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings, the number of blue-chip prospects for each school, and their highest-rated prospect.

Sooners earn prediction for talented in-state 2026 CB Evenson Malaska

Oklahoma predicted to land commitment for 2026 CB Evenson Malaska.

Cornerback has been a revitalized position since [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was hired. Oklahoma has changed the caliber of athletes and the type of cornerbacks they have recruited.

Venables’ hire of [autotag]Jay Valai[/autotag] to take over as the cornerbacks’ coach has paid off in spades. The depth and talent in the room have been elevated tremendously in just a couple of years. This upcoming year may be the biggest test yet as this proves to be year three in this defense. Not only do the Sooners have talent, but they also have depth and multiple guys with real game experience.

Their 2025 recruiting efforts have not been fruitful at cornerback, but they expect that to change soon.

In the 2026 class, things have barely materialized in terms of their prospect board, but one name has popped out enough that Josh McCuiston of Sooners Scoop has placed an On3 prediction favoring the Sooners to land 2026 prospect Evenson Malaska out of Bethany, Oklahoma.

Malaska has ties to the Sooners. Malaska’s brother, Jocelyn, transferred to Oklahoma this winter after beginning his college career with the Utah Utes.

The older Malaska cited his relationship with Jay Valai as essential in transferring back to his home state to play for the home team. Valai’s influence and connection have moved on through the bloodline and resonated with Evenson.

Evenson camped with Oklahoma last summer and received his first college offer after showing out. He played his freshman season with 2023 Oklahoma signee Taylor Heim, too. So Oklahoma has a plethora of influences that are pulling the athletic sophomore defender to Norman.

Things have yet to progress enough to a commitment, but it’s hard to imagine that Oklahoma won’t be a leading contender for Malaska’s services until he commits.

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Sooners offer Amari and Xavier Sabb, brothers of Michigan transfer Keon Sabb

The Oklahoma Sooners offer Amari and Xavier Sabb, brothers of Michigan transfer Keon Sabb.

The Oklahoma Sooners made a couple of offers today to a family that they’re very familiar with. The Sooners offered Amari Sabb, an athlete in the 2026 recruiting class. His younger brother Xavier Sabb also received an offer and is a wide receiver in the 2027 class.

Neither Amari or Xavier have evaluations yet, but each player has a number of Power Four offers that include Michigan, Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and other top programs from around the country.

Amari is a dynamic playmaker with elite change of direction ability, often making defenders miss in the open field from both the wide receiver and running back position. He shows good ball skills and tracks the ball well in the air.

Watch Amari Sabb’s sophomore highlights

Via Hudl

Xavier Sabb is an incredibly dynamic player with the ball in his hands. As a kick and punt returner, he displays fantastic ability to change direction, make defenders miss in the open field, and run away from the opposition. Xavier displays great hands and the ability to make plays after the catch, using his size and physicality to break tackles in addition to his elite change of direction. As a freshman, he stands 6-feet tall and already weighs 180 pounds.

Watch Xavier Sabb’s sophomore highlights

Via Hudl

Both Amari and Xavier will be impact players at the collegiate level. And as the Oklahoma Sooners get the ball rolling on their 2026 and 2027 either player would be fantastic additions on the offensive side of the ball.

Brent Venables’ familiarity with the Sabb family dates back to the 2022 recruiting cycle when Keon Sabb committed to the Clemson Tigers in July of 2021.

According to 247Sports, Venables and Mickey Conn were his primary recruiters at the time. On December 5, [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] was announced as the next head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners. A day later, Keon decommitted from Clemson, ultimately landing with the Michigan Wolverines.

Keon entered the transfer portal on Friday after playing two seasons for the Wolverines at safety. He played 360 snaps this season, including 61 in Michigan’s national championship win over the Washington Huskies. He made five tackles, including two stops, according to Pro Football Focus. Sabb was targeted seven times, allowing three receptions for 28 yards. He earned the second highest grade from Pro Football Focus in the national championship game.

While Oklahoma’s safety room is deep, Brent Venables and his staff won’t shy away from adding more competitive depth.

None of this means the Sooners will add any of the Sabb brothers, but it’s clear there’s interest from Brent Venables and his staff to add Keon, Amari, and Xavier Sabb.

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Sooners earn Rivals Futurecast for 2026 QB Dereon Coleman

Oklahoma Sooners are the trending favorite for 2026 quarterback Dereon Coleman.

Oklahoma’s quarterback situation is in fantastic shape for the next few years.

Jackson Arnold takes the reigns in 2024. Michael Hawkins and Brendan Zurbrugg came on board this spring. The Sooners have a commitment from Kevin Sperry and that doesn’t look like it’ll change.

The Sooners have been active in the 2026 quarterback market and it looks like they’ve zeroed in on a talented prospect out of the state of Florida, Dereon Coleman.

Not long after his offer was made public, the Sooners received a prediction from OUInsider’s Parker Thune. They’ve added another on Friday from Rivals national recruiting expert John Garcia.

Here’s what Sooners Wire’s Bryant Crews had to say about Coleman.

Coleman is a smaller quarterback prospect, standing at six feet. He throws a nice tight spiral and showcases some arm strength, ripping passes over the middle of the field. He also showed the ability to buy time with his athleticism while simultaneously looking down the field to make plays with his arm. – Bryant Crews, Sooners Wire

Coleman hasn’t received an evaluation from any of the recruiting services at this point, but he has the skills that could make him a four-star prospect when the 2026 rankings updates come through.

More: 2026 QB Dereon Coleman recruiting profile

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Oklahoma among teams with the most players in 247Sports Top247

Oklahoma put together a great recruiting class in 2024, finishing among the teams with the most Top247 signees in the country.

The Oklahoma Sooners put together arguably their best class of the [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] era in 2024. It wasn’t ranked higher than the 2023 class, but because of the defensive talent it is bringing in, it makes a strong argument for the top spot.

A great way to show the strength of a class is to look at how many blue-chip prospects a team signed. Blue-chip prospects are defined as four- and five-star prospects. To show how important that is, according to the blue-chip ratio, programs need to sign more four- and five-star recruits than two- and three-star players over the previous four recruiting classes (better than a 1:1 ratio) to have a shot at a title.

To go further, three of the four College Football Playoff teams this past season met the blue-chip ratio criteria heading into the season, including the eventual national champion. Every national champion has met the blue-chip ratio criteria dating to the tool’s inception in 2013. So, how did Oklahoma fare compared to other teams in the 2024 class? Turns out, quite well.

The Sooners were among the top 10 teams that signed the most prospects from the 247Sports Top247 player rankings.