OU fans stunned as potential top commit freefalls in updated Rivals rankings

Just over a week ago, Jake Kreul could have been the Oklahoma Sooners' highest-rated commit from the 2026 class, but now, he wouldn't even be the best at his position.

Rivals recently released its updated recruiting rankings and had Kreul plummet 134 spots from the No. 41overall prospect to No. 175 overnight. Although he's not a Sooner yet, Sooner Nation is already embracing Kreul, who is expected to commit to OU, and couldn't believe the disrespect Kreul got from the new rankings.

Jake Kreul plummets in new recruiting rankings

ESPN has consistently been the highest on Kreul and is the only recruiting service that has given Kreul five stars. Every other major outlet, though, has Kreul as a four-star prospect. Based on the new batch of rankings, Rivals has Kreul as the No. 24 defensive end in the 2026 class.

If signing day was today and Kreul was part of OU's class, he would be the fourth-best prospect compared to commits and projected commits. Quarterback Bowe Bentley, ironically now ranked No. 41 where Kreul was, would be OU's top signee. Kreul would also be below fellow edge rusher Daniel Norman, who took a massive leap from No. 436 to No. 151 in Rivals' new rankings.

Kreul recently announced an all-SEC top-3 of OU, Texas and Ole Miss. However, multiple recruiting experts have projected Kreul to pick OU and it's also what Sooner Nation is fully expecting.

Here's the video being referenced. Felix Ojo was also an OU target but instead committed to Texas Tech for a historical payday.

It's a good sign for Kreul, though, when a fan base already has his back even before committing. OU general manager Jim Nagy has also said the Sooners worry more about their own evaluations than what recruiting services say.

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