Oklahoma football: Sooners set to sign second straight top-10 recruiting class
By Chip Rouse
The 2024 Oklahoma football recruiting class stands at 28 commitments less than 24 hours before the early national signing day window opens on Wednesday.
Head coach Brent Venables is hopeful of receiving signed letters of intent from all 28 current commits. Although he doesn't rule out the possibility of flipping a couple of elite prospects before the National Signing Day window reopens on Feb. 7.
One indication that the 2024 Sooner class is virtually set and not expecting any major surprises on Wednesday is the fact that Venables has scheduled his signing day press conference in the morning instead of later in the afternoon, which has been the case in past years.
Oklahoma current class size is the third most of the schools expected to finish in the top-10 of the class rankings nationally. It also is expected to be Venables second straight top-10 class. The Sooners finished the 2023 recruiting cycle ranked No. 4 by ESPN, No. 6 by On3, No. 7 by 247Sports and No. 8 by Rivals.
Heading into early signing day for 2024 recruits on Wednesday, OU ranks No. 6 according to Rivals, No. 8 by 247Sports and ESPN, and No. 9 by On3.
Based on the 247Sports Composite, which is an aggregate of the player ratings of from the major recruiting services, Oklahoma's 2024 class consists of one five-star recruit (DL David Stone), 13 four stars and 14 three stars. The position breakdown includes 15 offensive players and 13 on the defensive side.
The Sooners were noticeably interested in going after top talent on both the defensive and offensive lines and in the defensive secondary. The 2024 class includes seven defensive backs, five offensive lineman and the same number of defensive lineman (including two edge rushers).
While Oklahoma concentrated during the Lincoln Riley years on bringing in highly rated recruits at the offensive skill positions, Venables and his staff have taken a different approach in preparation for the Sooners move to the SEC beginning next season.
I frankly can't recall the last time OU's highest-ranked offensive and defensive players in a recruiting class were offensive and defensive lineman. We're speaking specifically of five-star DL David Stone and OL Eddy Pierre-Louis, the latter of whom committed to the Sooners last Friday.