This is going to be a piece of news that's going to infuriate Oklahoma Sooners fans for quite some time. When it comes to elite prospects who are homegrown, the last thing people want to see is for them to spurn Oklahoma to suit up elsewhere.
That's exactly what's going to be the case for 4-star wideout Mason James, a standout right from Norman. On Thursday, the in-state speedster officially shut down his recruitment. However, it's not the Sooners he'll be suiting up for at the next level. Instead, he has decided to play for the Washington Huskies:
2026 WR Mason James @MasonJames_1 (Norman North - OK) commits to Washington on the @247recruiting stream.
— Kevin Cacabelos (@SeaTownKev) June 12, 2025
After his official visit last weekend he told me he felt “loved” by UW’s staff and that his future “develop[ment]” and how “important wide receivers are to [UW’s] program”… pic.twitter.com/05rBkSQ1AJ
4-star in-state Oklahoma target Mason James has committed to Washington
There's no reason to try and mince words here - this is a big loss for Oklahoma and Brent Venables. It's one thing to see an Oklahoma product leave the state for a different powerhouse, but a playmaker who suits up for Norman North High? James has been on campus countless times.
However, he took a recent official visit to Washington and the Huskies did a tremendous job of making him feel like a top priority. Seattle is known for its amazing weather in June, so getting James in town before he makes his decision was huge for the Big Ten program.
The fact that Jedd Fisch and his coaching staff built a strong relationship with James and his family only helped send things over the top. Things could have been worse for Oklahoma, as Texas was also a finalist. Still, not hearing Oklahoma be the school he announced for live on 247Sports is a bummer for multiple different reasons.
Right after he committed to Washington, James said he felt like he was at home during each visit he made to Montlake. James is excited over this decision and he assured Husky fans that he's going to be a dog on the field. As for the Oklahoma faithful, they'll be left wondering what could have been had he committed to the Sooners.