At the beginning of May, Oklahoma had six total commitments in its 2026 recruiting class, a considerably low number based on historical OU recruiting trends. That number has doubled over the last four months, and the class size has grown to 18 as the Sooners get set to open the 2025 season.
The Sooners are also slowly but steadily on the rise in the national recruiting ranking for the 2026 class. Although the early signing period for high school and junior-college prospects is still three-plus months away, most of the elite players are already committed to the schools they are likely to sign with. At this stage of the process, Oklahoma appears in good position to bring in its 26th consecutive top-20 recruiting class.
OU's 2026 recruiting cycle about to gear up for 2025 home season
Now that the 2025 season is upon us, teams like the Sooners will continue to pursue 2026 prospects, along with those in the 2027 cycle, extending invitations for recruiting visits during home game weekends.
The 2025 season isn't only of high importance for game-day recruiting visits, but getting off to a strong start will be a big boost in both adding to and strengthening the existing commitments to the 2026 class. And it will also enhance the Sooners' efforts in potentially flipping a couple of pledges they lost out on initially.
Oklahoma may add several more to the 2026 class before all is said and done, but this class for sure will be much smaller than the mid-20s class size that was typical for most of the past three decades.
While it could appear that the Sooners are losing out in this cycle on a number of their top recruiting targets and aren't keeping pace with the top programs in the sport, the reality is Oklahoma isn't the only major program with a smaller than typical class size in the 2026 cycle.
Oregon, ranked No. 3 by Rivals, has 17 commitments as of Thursday. LSU's 2026 class, ranked No. 8, has 18 commitments, and Texas, Alabama and Ohio State, whose 2026 classes all rank in the top-10 nationally, are each sitting at 21 pledges.
Oklahoma's 2026 class is currently ranked 20th by Rivals, 2nd by 247Sports and 24th by ESPN. The class is headlined by four-star edge rusher Jake Kreul and four-star quarterback prospect Bowe Bentley. Kreul is rated by both Rivals and 247Sports as the No. 8 player in the class nationally at his position. Bentley is rated as the No. 6 quarterback in the class.
The present composition of Oklahoma's 2026 class is seven offensive players, 10 defensive prospects and one special teams player. The seven offensive commitments include Bentley, four-star RB DeZephen Walker, four-star WR Daniel Odom, four-star TE Tyler Ruxer, four-star OL Deacon Schmitt, three-star TE Ryder Mix and three-star OL Noah Best.
The Sooners' defensive commitments include Kreul, four-star LB Jakore Smith, three-star DL Brian Harris, three-star edges Daniel Norman and Matthew Nelson, three-star LB Beau Jandreau, three-star CB Derrick Johnson, three-star S Niko Jandreau, and the most recent, three-star DL T-Ron Richardson, who announced his commitment on Tuesday. Three-star kicker Trace Rudd is also committed to the Sooners for 2026.
Also of note, none of OU's 2026 commitments are from the state of Oklahoma.
The last time an Oklahoma recruiting class ranked outside of the top 20 was the 2000 class. Ironically, that was the same season the Sooners won their seventh national championship. The 2000 class, which included former OU players DL Jammal Brown, LB Teddy Lehman, WR Mark Clayton, DB Derrick Strait and WR and punt returner Antonio Perkins, was Bob Stoops' second Oklahoma recruiting class.
Sixteen of Oklahoma's last 25 recruiting classes have ranked in the top 10 and all 25 have ranked in the top-20 nationally.
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