Oklahoma’s recruiting surge steals more talent from a different program

The Wet Bandits wish they were as good of thieves as the Oklahoma Sooners. 

For the third day in a row and fourth time during the week before Early National Signing Day on Wednesday, the Sooners swiped another talent from a different program after three-star linebacker and edge rusher Dane Bathurst on Friday committed to the Sooners after previously being committed to Duke, according to Hayes Fawcett of Rivals. 

Dane Bathurst flips from Duke to Sooners

This move was foreshadowed earlier this week when three-star linebacker Jakore Smith decommitted from the Sooners, implying that someone else was likely on the way. Smith admitted to multiple reporters that OU hadn’t made him a priority. 

Bathurst had been committed to Duke since February before decommitting on Nov. 13. The Sooners and Nebraska then both offered Bathurst the next day. Vanderbilt was also making a strong push. 

OU hosted Bathurst last week and he was supposed to take an official visit to Nebraska this weekend, but according to Parker Thune of On3, Bathurst canceled his trip to Nebraska with his commitment to OU. 

At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Bathurst is listed as a linebacker by 247Sports and an edge rusher by Rivals. According to 247Sports, he’s the No. 50 linebacker in the 2026 class. Rivals ranks him as the No. 53 edge rusher in the class. That versatility likely makes Bathurst a future cheetah in Brent Venables’ system and why the Sooners preferred him over Smith despite the 247Sports Composite having Smith rated higher than Bathurst. 

Bathurst was the fourth commit just this week that the Sooners flipped and the seventh since October as they profit from a turnaround season that has OU one win away from the College Football Playoff. The Sooners are up to 25 commits in their 2026 class that currently ranks 14th in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite, after Bathurst's addition.