Sooners lose 4-star receiver after late push flips the race

The Oklahoma Sooners' least likely threat in the fight for 2027 four-star wide receiver Zerek Sidney actually ended up delivering the knockout.

Sidney on Thursday announced his decision to commit to Washington after also including OU and home state Arizona State in his final three options. He had also already eliminated USC and Notre Dame from his top 5.

4-star receiver Zerek Sidney chooses Washington over Oklahoma

It appears Washington won thanks to a last-minute effort after visiting Sidney in Arizona just two days before he made his decision. He was most recently in Norman on Sept. 6, when the Sooners beat Michigan. He last reportedly visited Arizona State, less than an hour from his home, on Nov. 28, and was also there on Oct. 25. He took an unofficial visit to Washington on Sept. 27.

OU's coaching staff has been busy on the recruiting trail lately, including trips out west, but Sidney was not a high priority, especially with Brent Venables recently flying to the Los Angeles area to visit 2027 four-star receiver Quentin Hale.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Sidney, listed at 6-foot, is the No. 46 receiver in the class and No. 6 overall prospect in the state of Arizona out of Desert Edge High School. However, his stock could soon rise with a healthy full season after playing in only four games as a junior last season because of an injury.

As a sophomore in 2024, Sidney caught 45 passes for 591 yards and 11 TDs in 12 games as his team won a state championship. Last season, though, he had just 11 receptions, 111 receiving yards and a touchdown in four games.

The Sooners already have two wide receivers committed to their 2027 class in four-star Demare Dezeurn from California and three-star Tra'Von Hall from Alabama. OU is also obviously pushing hard to get Hale to Norman, so Sidney is not a devastating blow to the Sooners' 2027 class that's among the top 3 in the country.