Oklahoma is using homegrown talent to build the best 2027 recruiting class in the country

The Oklahoma Sooners might be finding commits from as far as California consistently, but their best talent is still homegrown in the Sooner State.

Rivals' Hayes Fawcett reported on Monday morning that four-star cornerback Gabriel Osborne Jr., from nearby Mustang High School, committed to OU to become the Sooners' fourth in-state 2027 commitment so far. And that Oklahoma talent is the biggest part in the Sooners having the best 2027 recruiting class in the country right now.

Gabriel Osborne Jr. commits to bolster Sooners' impressive in-state haul

Osborne joined fellow Oklahomans offensive tackles Kaeden Penny (Bixby) and Cooper Hackett (Fort Gibson) and wide receiver Greydon Howell (Broken Bow) in OU's 2027 class. With the addition of Osborne, based on 247Sports' ratings, the Sooners' top three 2027 pledges call Oklahoma home, with Penny topping the list followed by Osborne and Hackett, respectively. It's the first time the state has ever produced three top-50 national prospects in the same class, and all are future Sooners. That has 247Sports ranking the Sooners' 2027 class, with 23 total commits, No. 1 in college football.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Osborne is the No. 3 player in the state of Oklahoma behind Hackett and Penny, respectively. Howell, the do-it-all athlete from Broken Bow High School, is at No. 9. OU fans would agree that's how it should be, though, with the Sooners keeping all the best Oklahoma talent home in Norman. Meanwhile, Bedlam rival Oklahoma State has not landed any commitments from players ranked inside the top 15 in the state.

The Sooners also did things right with a top local talent by being one of Osborne's first major offers last June. That early belief paid off as Osborne stayed home despite interest from blue bloods across the country.

His other offers included Alabama, Arizona State, Florida State, Kansas State, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and more. He had an official visit to Alabama scheduled for this weekend, but the Sooners got Osborne to make his decision even before that trip after he was in Norman over the weekend during OU's ChampU BBQ recruiting event.

Read more: 4 more 2027 commitments that could come as soon as this weekend for Oklahoma

According to the 247Sports Composite, on top of being a top-3 player in the state, Osborne is also the No. 40 overall prospect in the nation. He's the No. 6 cornerback, with 247Sports by itself ranking him as high as No. 4 at the position and No. 25 as a total prospect.

Last season as a junior for Mustang High School, Osborne tallied 65 tackles, three tackles for loss, two interceptions, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. He also shined on offense with nine catches for 233 yards and three touchdowns while on special teams averaging 33.3 yards on kickoff returns and 24.1 yards on punt returns with a score.

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