The Oklahoma Sooners run the state of Texas. On Monday, June 9, OU football and head coach Brent Venables received a massive commitment when four-star offensive lineman Noah Best chose the Sooners over home-state teams like the SMU Mustangs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Oklahoma's rivals, the Texas Longhorns.
Best (fitting last name, don't you think?) is the fourth four-star to commit to Venables from the class of 2026, joining quarterback Jaden O'Neal, wide receiver Daniel Odom, and linebacker Jakore Smith.
To put it simply, Oklahoma's offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been on a tear. Alongside Best's commitment, Bedenbaugh has also secured a commitment from three-star IOL Will Conroy as the Sooners' class of 2026 continues to heat up.
BREAKING: Four-star Midlothian (Texas) OL Noah Best has committed to the #Sooners!
— OUInsider (@OUInsider) June 9, 2025
Bill Bedenbaugh is HEATING UP ‼️ pic.twitter.com/6FLvfE4SsJ
Overall, Venables has the No. 33 nationally ranked class of 2026, landing the Sooners at No. 12 in the SEC. However, with more talent continuing to flow into Norman, it shouldn't be surprising when Oklahoma's class starts to soar up the rankings.
OU's class of 2025 was one of the best Venables had seen since taking over the program. With five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi and four-star OT Ryan Fodje already enrolled at Oklahoma, the Sooners are looking at an extremely promising future for their offensive line.
Also read: SEC analyst says Oklahoma's D-line is so good it's not even a debate
Last season, Venables and the Sooners struggled during their debut season in the SEC. Despite defeating the Auburn Tigers and shocking the Alabama Crimson Tide, a 6-7 overall record, a 10th-place finish in the conference, and a loss to Navy in the Armed Forces Bowl weren't what Oklahoma had in mind for success.
Many called for Venables' job, both Oklahoma fans and haters, but his recruiting classes of 2025 and 2026 have done a lot to reassure his position with the Sooners as they looked toward their second season in the SEC.
Oklahoma is scheduled to kick off its 2025 campaign with a game against the Illinois State Redbirds on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the SECNetwork+.