Oklahoma fans see familiar story as another Florida LB commits

Since it worked out so well the last time, Brent Venables went and got another highly touted linebacker from the state of Florida for the Oklahoma Sooners.

According to multiple reports on Friday, on the eve of the Red River Rivalry, that 2026 linebacker Jacob Curry, from Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, committed to the Sooners.

Jacob Curry commits to Sooners

Curry, listed as a safety by 247Sports but a linebacker by Rivals, is expected to play linebacker at OU. He's the third linebacker the Sooners have added to their 2026 recruiting class after four-star Jakore Smith and three-star Beau Jandreau. His versatility could also make Curry a great fit to plug into OU's cheetah position while listed at 6-foot-1 and 208 pounds.

Rivals ranks Curry as the No. 36 linebacker in the class. According to the 247Sports Composite, which has Curry as a safety, he's the No. 58 overall prospect in the state of Florida out of Nease High School.

In 2024, Curry tallied 101 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two forced fumbles for Nease High School.

Curry was originally pledged to Northwestern but decommitted in August, and his recruitment has taken off since. OU offered Curry on July 22, though, just before his decommitment. Ohio State and Florida State also started pursuing Curry after his decommitment.

Curry was just at Ohio State last weekend after visiting OU on Sept. 20, when the Sooners beat Auburn in their SEC opener. He also took an official visit to Louisville in June after committing to Northwestern.

OU fan favorite linebacker Danny Stutsman also took the Florida-to-Oklahoma pipeline back in 2021. Stutsman was also a four-star recruit before finishing his OU career last year as the Sooners' ninth leading tackler in school history. He now plays for the New Orleans Saints as a fourth-round NFL Draft pick.