Oklahoma
Report: Oklahoma Loses Another WR Commit
Just days before National Signing Day, Oklahoma’s 2025 recruiting class has suffered another blow.
Wide receiver Gracen Harris, a two-sport star from Ennis, TX, is no longer an OU commit. He told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that he has officially decommitted from OU but still intends to sign somewhere when the Early Signing Period opens on Wednesday.
BREAKING: Class of 2025 WR Gracen Harris has Decommitted from Oklahoma, he tells me for @on3recruits
The 5’10 170 WR from Ennis, TX had been Committed to the Sooners since May 2023
He still plans to sign on December 4thhttps://t.co/UBCposuflo pic.twitter.com/nlNgv0vfXX — Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 2, 2024
Harris, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound speedster, has been verbally committed to OU since May 1, 2023. His intention was to play both football and baseball for the Sooners.
BREAKING: Four-Star WR Gracen Harris has Committed to Oklahoma!
The 5’10 165 WR from Ennis, TX chose the Sooners over Florida State, TCU, Baylor, & others.
The 2025 WR will play baseball as well
“I’m coming and there ain’t no stopping me!”https://t.co/W4LPfzxOND pic.twitter.com/M33QvLJINk — Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 1, 2023
However, a source close to the program tells Sooners On SI that Harris is an unfortunate casualty of what head coach Brent Venables has referred to as the “carnage” of the coming NCAA scholarship adjustments.
Essentially, Harris still wanted to go to OU, and OU still wanted to take him. But a numbers crunch is on the way, which forced Venables to make a hard and unpopular decision. And it won’t be his last.
Although the SEC has reportedly decided to use its autonomous authority and maintain its 85-scholarship limit (with 20 walk-ons) for 2025-26, it is expected the SEC will eventually conform to the NCAA’s coming rule changes when details from the landmark House v. NCAA settlement are revealed, resulting in a revenue sharing model between schools and athletes that is expected to start at around $22 million annually.
Power conference commissioners have established that they will move from the current NCAA limits of 85 scholarships and 105 total players on the roster to a flat 105 roster limit, with 105 scholarships available for schools willing to provide the maximum — although those scholarships will be able to be split among multiple players, such as in the current equivalency sport models.
That is forcing football programs and coaches into some difficult decisions that are based strictly on making the future numbers work.
“Again, the real carnage is getting our roster to 105,” Venables said at his weekly press conference on Nov. 20. “So what does that mean? That means you’re going to have to tell several players that they don’t have a spot. That’s the only thing that has caused me just anxiousness. It’s just not good.”
It means that players — those currently on the roster as well as high school or junior college prospects who have been offered full scholarships — can have their existing deals altered or dropped with little notice.
In Harris’ case, it means the loss of a four-year starter at Ennis who has compiled 258 career receptions for 4,242 yards (16.4 yards per catch), 37 touchdown catches and three 1,000-yard seasons.
Harris also produced 1,249 career rushing yards (8.4 yards per carry) and 12 TDs on the ground as well as 768 passing yards and nine TD throws, 351 yards on kick returns and 548 yards and a touchdown on punt returns — a whopping 7,157 all-purpose yards and 59 total touchdowns in his career.
Oklahoma
Fire Crews respond to commercial fire in SW Oklahoma City Wednesday afternoon
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Oklahoma City fire crews responded to a commercial fire in SW Oklahoma City on Wednesday afternoon.
The Oklahoma City Fire Department said crews responded to a fire at a vacant restaurant near SW 29th and South Miller Avenue on Wednesday afternoon.
Crews extinguished the flames, which were shooting up through the roof, according to OKCFD.
No injuries were reported, and OKCFD is working to determine the cause of the fire.
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Oklahoma
Woman hospitalized after house fire in northeast Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Authorities say one woman was taken to the hospital following an early morning house fire in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oklahoma City firefighters were called to a house fire near N.E. 13th St. and Missouri.
When crews arrived, they found the victim on the front porch of the home.
“When they got off the rig and initiated offensive fire attack, found one victim on the front porch. Appeared she was maybe suffering from smoke inhalation. The fire was relatively small. It was contained to one bedroom in the back. The patient was transported, was treated here, and then transported to OU,” said Batt. Chief Brad Smith, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department.
Officials said the fire originated in the back of the house, in a back bedroom near the closet.
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However, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Oklahoma
Bode Sparrow commits Friday: why BYU is Oklahoma’s biggest threat for the Davis star
Kaysville (Utah) Davis athlete Bode Sparrow cut his list to four back in May and has now locked in his commitment date.
Sparrow is a tremendous player on both sides of the ball and checks in as the No. 77 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
He will make his long awaited college choice this Friday, May 25 from a final four of BYU, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.
In handicapping this race, two schools jump out for us. The first is Oklahoma. I put a commit prediction in for the Sooners back in March and there was some buzz that he could commit around that time.
Sparrow decided to hold off making an early decision in order to take his official visits. Oklahoma was the first visit locked in and for awhile, the only visit that was set, giving even more credence to the Sooners being the team to beat.
“They really believe in me and have a vision for me there,” Sparrow told us after his official visit. “They show me so much love and I have such great relationships with the coaches there.
“I also really like the town of Norman and the plan in place for me from a safety/scheme standpoint. They really have everything I’m looking for in a school. Brent Venables is great, a defensive minded head coach and I just love the all around fit.”
Sparrow followed up his visit to OU with trips to Oregon, Utah and BYU. The Ducks made a big impression and should be considered a dark horse. They are easily one of the toughest schools to recruit against and it would surprise no one if Sparrow ends in Eugene.
Saying that, the school that is gaining a lot of momentum and looks to be Oklahoma’s biggest challenger is BYU. For months we talked to some close to Sparrow, college coaches and trainers who all said the same thing, ‘don’t rule out BYU in the end.’
No one has recruited Sparrow longer than the Cougs. He has been on campus more than any other school, he’s strong in his LDS faith and he has a great connection with the BYU staff including head coach Kalani Sitake.
BYU was able to get the final visit over the weekend and there is some quiet confidence in Provo as well as from a few other recruits/commits who were also on the visit. With the church connection, we’ve long said in a head to head battle, BYU is very tough to beat, especially for an in-state player.
Saying that, there are still Sooner commits we’ve talked to convinced Sparrow is still headed to Norman. That’s why this recruitment has become one of the more fascinating ones to follow this cycle, it’s one of those rare instances where days away from a decision, it could still go in multiple directions.
For now, my commit prediction remains on Oklahoma but BYU is closing fast and this one close to a toss up with a decision quickly approaching.
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