Unexpectedly, a key player who signed a two-year contract has decided to leave the Sooners once more.
Brent Venables and the Oklahoma football recruiting team had a successful day as the Sooners signed a perfect 27 out of 27 scholarship commitments in the 2024 class.
In terms of the significance of the result—signing another class of elite recruits—it was undoubtedly a red-letter day, but in terms of any surprises or unmet expectations, it was a fairly uneventful day.
Venables did indeed receive all 27 signatures, as he had anticipated. Furthermore, on early signing day, all 27 letters of intent were received by 12 p.m., in contrast to several previous years.
When 26 out of the 27 signees started playing right away, there was cause for concern. The one that remained remarkable was that of Taylor Tatum, who multiple major recruiting services rated as the top running back in the nation’s class. But then, just after 11 a.m., word leaked out that Taylor’s letter of intent was in the bag, sealing the victory.
This year’s drama and heartache were nothing compared to that of OU freshman safety Peyton Bowen, who shocked everyone by switching to Oregon on early signing day last year, then to Oklahoma the following day. Bowen had committed to Notre Dame initially. Eli Bowens, Peyton’s younger brother, is a defensive back in the OU 2024 class, so the Sooners will now have two Bowens on the roster.
The major recruiting services list Oklahoma City’s Heritage Hall High School’s Andy Bass, a three-star quarterback prospect, as the 28th Sooner commitment for the 2024 class. He is anticipated to sign as a preferred walk-on at a later time.
Venables expressed his excitement for the group of players the Sooners are adding to their 2024 class. during his press conference on signing day. The class exhibits a good balance, with players from 15 different states, 13 on defense, and 14 on offense, demonstrating the nationwide reach of the OU recruiting program.
As usual, Texas (seven) and Oklahoma (five) account for the greatest percentage of 2024 signees. Under Venables, the Sooners have worked especially hard to increase recruitment in their home state of Oklahoma. Edge rusher Danny Okoye, the state’s top recruit overall, is one of the three 2024 signees from the state that are among the top 10 prospects from the Sooner State. RB The MaxPreps Oklahoma High School Player of the Year is Xavier Robinson.
Venables stated, “Really feel good about the lines of scrimmage,” during his signing day press conference on Wednesday. There are five offensive and five defensive linemen in the Sooners’ 2024 class. Four players rated as four stars and one five-star recruit (David Stone) are among the defensive line signees. Thus, you can see how important it is for Venables and Co. to develop a D-line of SEC caliber.
