Oklahoma football: Sooner 2024 recruiting steps up its finishing kick
By Chip Rouse
With 25 commitments in hand, the 2024 cycle of Oklahoma football recruiting is entering the homestretch and in a strong position for a second straight year to cross the finish line with a top-five class nationally.
Although the vast majority of the Sooners’ 2024 class tendered their verbal pledge before Oklahoma had registered it first win of the 2023 season, the fact that Oklahoma is off to a 6-0 start that includes a dramatic Red River Rivalry win over a top-five Texas team is a giant selling point as the Sooner coaching staff tries to close the deal on several top targets that have OU on their list of finalists.
This week, Oklahoma landed — both literally and figuratively — a big offensive line addition in Daniel Akinkunmi out of the NFL Academy in London, England. There were a number of name schools interested in Akinkunmi, who is listed a 6-foot-five, 310 pounds, but he chose the Sooners.
Another commitment announcement of high interest to Oklahoma is scheduled next week. Four-star defensive player Michael Boganowski, the No. 1-rated player in the state of Kansas, out of Junction City, is schedule to announce his commitment. Boganowski, is rated as a linebacker but is also being recruited as a potential safety. He is ranked as a top-40 linebacker in the 2024 class by 247Sports and is expected to decide between the Sooners, Kansas State and Kansas.
Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports has issued a crystal ball projection favoring Oklahoma. The significance of that projection is that Wiltfong has a high percentage of accuracy on his crystal ball picks.
As previously reported Brent Venable and Company are also working hard to earn commitments from a pair of three-star offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis, out of Tampa, Florida, as well as Grant Brix from Logan, Iowa. Pierre-Louis is rated as the No. 11 interior offensive lineman nationally, and Brix is ranked the No, 5 offensive tackle in the national class. Wiltfong has also issued an OU crystal ball projection for Pierre-Louis.
Neither Brix or Pierre-Louis have announced a commitment date.
If the Sooners were successful in getting commitments from both Brix and Pierre-Louis, it would make six offensive line commitments for offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh in Oklahoma’s 2024 class.
While Oklahoma is working hard to close on the aforementioned 2024 targets, something else for Sooner fans to keep in mind. Even though OU lost out in the commitment of five-star D-linemen Williams Nwaneri to Missouri and Dominick McKinley to Texas A&M, you better believe the Sooners are still talking with both prospects and have not yet turned the page on whether either could end up as Oklahoma Sooners when all is said and done in the early signing period in December or on National Signing Day in February.
OU’s 2024 class currently ranks 5th in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings, 6th according to Rivals, 8th by ESPN and10th by On3.