New Oklahoma general manager Jim Nagy recently admitted the Sooners had a new approach to recruiting in the age of NIL and revenue share, and some OU fans were up in arms while the rest of the college football world mocked Nagy's strategy.
Nagy earlier this week explained OU's recruiting strategy on "The Triple Option" podcast. The Sooners are basically relying on their own grading system and pursuing recruits they feel are worth their money regardless of stars. Many have compared this new strategy to the "Moneyball" approach the Oakland Athletics famously used with Billy Beane.
However, OU's current roster, which Nagy played just a small role in assembling, actually backs up Nagy's theory.
Sounds like OU football is taking the “Moneyball” approach. Wish ‘em well and hope it works.
— Chris Phillips (@CPhilly19) July 10, 2025
But in the SEC, it’s Jimmie’s and Joe’s. Always has been, always will be. Hard to reach the mountain top with a roster full of 3 stars. https://t.co/iVQexPtSsc
Sooners' best players weren't recruited that way
After a 6-7 season, which Nagy wasn't part of, the Sooners are anticipated to turn things around this upcoming season mainly because of a few key transfer additions and some returning talent. And some of OU's stars had little of their own as high school recruits back in the day.
The headline addition for OU was Washington State transfer quarterback John Mateer. In his first season as a sophomore starter last year, Mateer led the FBS with 44 total touchdowns and was in the top 15 in the country in passing yards and TDs.
When Mateer entered the Transfer Portal, he immediately became the No. 1 available prospect and OU fans rejoiced when he committed to the Sooners. But if Brent Venables & Co. had recruited Mateer just three years ago out of Little Elm High School in Texas, Sooner Nation would have been furious about getting a QB that Rivals gave only two stars.
On the defensive side for OU, edge rusher R Mason Thomas has emerged as the top 2026 NFL Draft prospect on the roster. He's a little undersized at 6-foot-2 and signed with the Sooners as a three-star recruit, according to Rivals.
Mateer and Thomas are not the examples for every under-recruited prospect. Stars still matter, but also not a guarantee. These star players do, though, help prove Nagy's reasoning. Talent can be overlooked and OU could be the one to find it if the Sooners search hard enough.
The public oversight on Nagy's strategy, though, is that OU isn't completely ignoring five-star recruits. Beane would never sign a superstar to the Athletics. That wasn't possible, but it still is for OU. The Sooners will still swing big, just not every single time if they see better value elsewhere.
In baseball terms, teams also need singles to win games. Maybe even bunts. A team that swings for the fences every at-bat strikes out more often than hits one out. Nagy will still swing big and hit a few home runs, but he's also going to find gaps in the outfield to get runners on to make those home runs worth even more.
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