As if losing the best running back in a recruiting class from their grips wasn't already bad enough, the Micah Rhodes nightmare is about to get even darker for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Rhodes on Wednesday decommitted from the Sooners, and only a few days later, all signs are pointing toward Rhodes staying on his side of the Red River and committing to the Texas Longhorns after originally planning to be a Sooner.
Micah Rhodes leaning Texas days after decommitting from Sooners
Multiple reports have surfaced the last few days that the Longhorns were early favorites to get Rhodes with his recruitment back open, then On Texas Football revealed on Friday that Texas is not only "a top school" for Rhodes, but that he made his decision to decommit after visiting Austin just last weekend while still pledged to OU. Rhodes even shared On Texas Football's post on X to confirm.
When Rhodes made the announcement of his decommitment, he made it clear it was mostly because OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray left to take the same role with the Kansas City Chiefs. He had also already said that he would visit other schools after Murray's departure.
"Coach DeMarco Murray and our relationship meant a lot to my decision, and with him moving on, I feel it’s best to reopen my recruitment," Rhodes wrote in a post on X.
According to the 247Sports Composite, Rhodes is the No. 28 prospect in the 2028 class as the top running back in the country. He's also the No. 2 player in the state of Texas out of Klein Oak High School.
Rhodes became the Sooners' first 2028 addition after choosing OU over final options that also included in-state Texas and Texas A&M. His other offers included Alabama, Florida State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon and more.
The best-case scenario was that the Sooners could still get Rhodes to Norman after new running backs coach Deland McCullough built a relationship, but now the worst-case scenario seems more likely with Rhodes wearing burnt orange instead of crimson and cream.