If the Oklahoma Sooners' No. 1 2027 recruiting class wasn't already enough evidence, OU is getting its money's worth out of general manager Jim Nagy, especially from things not even in his job description.
Just after landing five commitments in one weekend and ahead of the Sooners starting spring practices on March 25, Nagy spoke to media on Monday about a busy offseason in Norman, which has included recruiting wins, coaching changes and an impressive showing by OU players at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Sooners benefitting from Jim Nagy's NFL experience
The latter is an underrated reflection of Nagy and the work he's doing for the Sooners. Nagy got to Oklahoma just over a year ago after serving as executive director of the Senior Bowl for six years. Before that, he spent 18 years in NFL front offices in multiple scouting roles with the Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins.
Past experience immediately set expectations for Nagy to be able to find talent and get it to OU. In a new position to college football, that was really the baseline standard for general managers: scout and recruit. But in a year's time, Nagy has set a new standard for a GM and the impact a great front office can have on a program immediately, and it's been the unnoticed contributions that have set Nagy apart.
Considering he's been through the process from the other side, Nagy knows exactly what NFL franchises are looking for in draft prospects and has all the connections needed. During Monday's press conference, Nagy revealed that OU already did mock combine interviews, which are infamous for being grueling and off-the-wall, for next year's NFL Draft prospects, including quarterback John Mateer and linebacker Kip Lewis.
This year's set of prospects also already benefited from Nagy's expertise despite his later arrival to their process. A program-record six OU players were invited to the Senior Bowl, where Nagy used to work, and 10 Sooners earned invites to the NFL Combine, which was tied for the fifth-most from a program.
Once there, OU players turned heads left and right. The obvious were the measurable numbers as multiple players proved to be one of the most athletic prospects in their position groups, but Nagy said he got the most compliments from NFL front-office personnel about how well OU players did during the interview process behind closed doors.
Just how much those Sooners impressed won't be known until the 2026 NFL Draft in April.
Read more: NFL Combine explosion suddenly has Gracen Halton climbing draft boards
Even though NFL prospects are onto contributing to new teams, there's still a benefit for the future of the Sooners. For most top recruits, college football is just the road to the NFL. As OU sends more and more to the next level, every recruiting pitch can boast Oklahoma is a four-lane highway to the NFL. And talent wins football games, which is the ultimate goal.
Nagy is playing chess, not checkers. He's been meticulous with every move. He's even gotten backlash from other fan bases about how much he speaks to media. But guess what? They know who OU's GM is because of it, and so do recruits.
There's been a method to Nagy's madness, and between a trip to the College Football Playoff, a No. 1 recruiting class and a strong NFL Combine showing, OU fans are realizing just a year later that Nagy has always had a plan and every move benefits the Sooners.