Sooners are the last SEC team standing for elite DL recruit

The Oklahoma Sooners have been getting oh, so close a lot lately on the recruiting trail, but they're the last big dog left in the race for this big man.

Defensive lineman Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais recently announced his top-5 school choices, which included OU, Colorado, UCLA, Washington and North Carolina, leaving the Sooners as the last SEC team standing despite plenty of offers.

Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais includes OU in top 5

247Sports gave Umu-Cais four stars, while Rivals and On3 rated him as a three-star recruit. According to the 247Sports Composite, Umu-Cais is the No. 56 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and No. 4 overall prospect in the state of Colorado out of Cherry Creek High School in Englewwod. However, 247Sports, again being high on Umu-Cais, ranked him as the best recruit in Colorado and No. 38 defensive lineman in the country.

On3 ranked OU commit Deacon Schmitt, an offensive lineman, as the top prospect in Colorado.

Although OU is the final SEC program left on the table for Umu-Cais, he also had offers from Arkansas, Auburn, Tennessee and Texas. OU wasn't even on Umu-Cais early, offering him last June as the third SEC program to extend an offer. Texas was the last, three months after the Sooners.

The Sooners have already beaten out the SEC regulars they have to constantly outdo on the recruiting trail, as well as on the field. That puts OU in a great spot to land a new defensive lineman.

Umu-Cais would be OU's third addition for the defensive line from the 2026 class so far. Three-star defensive lineman Brian Harris is already committed, as well as edge rushers Matthew Nelson and Daniel Norman. The Sooners are also predicted by Rivals to land another defensive end in Jake Kreul, who ESPN rated as a five-star recruit.

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