At this point, it’s safe to say that anything’s possible with Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners on the recruiting trail. Though they still have several high-profile recruitments to lock up in the next few weeks for the 2024 cycle, the 2025 recruiting class is already beginning to take shape.
When Kevin Sperry committed back in March, the 2025 recruiting class earned its first pledge. That came 12 days before the 2024 recruiting class broke the ice. After Gracen Harris joined Sperry in May, the Sooners added a pair of commitments this week, with Ka’Mori Moore and Elijah Thomas joining the fold.
With four commitments in the class, the Sooners sit at No. 4 in the nation in the 2025 recruiting cycle.
With these four commitments, the 2025 class set a new precedent in recruiting for Brent Venables and his coaching staff.
In prior years, the Brent Venables’ Sooners didn’t receive their first commitment until the year prior to that class’ signing day. Jackson Arnold committed the January before the December early signing period for the 2023 cycle. Joshua Bates was committed under the Lincoln Riley regime and stayed committed, but Arnold represented the first commitment in the 2023 cycle under Venables.
For 2024, it was March, just under nine months from the 2024 early signing period, for Oklahoma to earn its first commitment.
Sperry’s pledge came 21 months ahead of the 2025 early signing period. Oklahoma earned its fourth commitment 17 months out from 2025’s early signing period. When Oklahoma received its fourth commitment for the 2024 class, the Sooners were just under eight months out from the early signing period.
There’s been a lot of talk about how Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners performed on the field in 2022. There’s been a lot of talk about Venables’ visit policy and recruiting values. And while some may take exception to how he does things, you can’t dispute the recruiting acumen of Venables, his coaching staff, and the on-campus recruiting team. The results on the field will determine the final evaluation, but with a pair of top 10 recruiting classes, the early returns are quite strong for Venables and his staff.
Prior to the run of 2025 commitments, it was felt that the summer before a class’ early signing period would be Oklahoma’s most fruitful time on the recruiting trail. While the summer months will still be bountiful, the 2025 class is getting a head start on the process by pledging early and being a part of Oklahoma’s recruiting plan.
As the Oklahoma Sooners look to finish strong in the 2024 recruiting class, they’re working to earn commitments from several blue chip prospects over the next five weeks. Brent Venables and his staff may not earn pledges from every one of their targets, but as they’ve shown in recruitments of Peyton Bowen and Jayden Jackson, never count them out. And as they continue to prove time and time again, doubt them at your own peril.
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