Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners finally got the floodgates open.
Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported Thursday that linebacker Jakore Smith committed to the Sooners for their second commit of the week after going months without any additions to their 2026 class.
I’m 🏠 ⭕️U https://t.co/IGr7l9I4o1
— jakore smith (@jakoresmithh) May 16, 2025
LB Jakore Smith commits to OU
The Sooners went into enemy SEC territory to find Smith. He's a consensus four-star recruit out of Bryant High School in Arkansas. The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 25 linebacker in the 2026 class and fourth-best prospect in the state of Arkansas.
Smith had reportedly narrowed his choices down between OU and the in-state Razorbacks, as well as Texas A&M and Nebraska. He also had offers from Alabama, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Florida State, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee and more.
According to Parker Thune of Rivals, Smith credited new OU inside linebackers coach Nate Dreiling as a major reason he chose the Sooners. Dreiling just joined the OU staff in February after serving as interim head coach at Utah State last season.
First commit of Nate Dreiling’s young career on the #Sooners staff, and it’s a dang good one. Smith had a bevy of P4 options, but Oklahoma reels him in before any other school had a chance to state its case during OV season. https://t.co/XD168kIlnw
— Parker Thune (@ParkerThune) May 16, 2025
After not gaining a commit since Jan. 28, three-star safety Niko Jandreau finally ended OU's drought with his commitment on Tuesday. Jandreau was the Sooners' first defensive commit from the 2026 class.
The Sooners' 2026 class is now up to six players. It began with four offensive additions in quarterback Jaden O'Neal, wide receiver Daniel Odom, tight end Ryder Mix and offensive lineman Will Conroy.
Smith immediately became the highest-rated recruit in the group, surpassing Odom.
Read more about OU football recruiting