Oklahoma
Sunday Offering: Oklahoma in Contention for 4-star 2025 LB
Already holding one of the top five recruiting classes in the 2025 cycle, Brent Venables and Oklahoma continued to make headway in the past week.
Even in the midst of preparing for the Sooners’ spring football game, OU was able to stay in contention for one of the top linebackers in the country and extend offers to five other high school prospects.
With plenty of time left to continue building their next recruiting class, Oklahoma is off to a good start and seems to be in position to add to what is already a solid group.
On Wednesday, Chad Simmons of On3 reported that Oklahoma, Alabama, Missouri and Nebraska are “battling” for 4-star linebacker Dawson Merritt. Hailing from Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, KS, Merritt is rated the No. 61 overall player and No. 8 linebacker in the nation, according to 247Sports.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Merritt has racked up nearly 25 scholarship offers from schools around the country. In late November, the speedy linebacker visited Norman to see the Sooners take on TCU in OU’s final regular season game of the 2023 campaign.
Merritt is the son of Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, who has been with the team for five seasons. Merritt has spent 23 seasons as an NFL coach after playing linebacker in the league for four years.
With Carl Albert (OK) linebacker Marcus James, Wagoner (OK) edge rusher Alexander Shieldnight, Lee’s Summit North (MO) interior defensive lineman Ka’Mori Moore and Dr. Henry Wise (MD) defensive lineman Trent Wilson already on board in the upcoming cycle, adding Merritt would be a massive win on the recruiting trail for Zac Alley and company, strengthening the OU front seven in 2025.
Offers extended
On Monday, Oklahoma offered Port Arthur Memorial (TX) 4-star linebacker Tank King. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, King is rated the No. 70 overall player and No. 6 linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class, according to On3.
Also a standout baseball player, King holds offers from Notre Dame, Texas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Penn State and many others.
On Tuesday, the Sooners offered 4-star Lincoln-Way East (IL) quarterback Jonas Williams. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore, Williams is rated the No. 147 overall prospect and No. 9 quarterback in the 2026 class, per On3.
OU is the latest school to offer the Frankfort, IL, product, following in the footsteps of LSU, Oregon, Ohio State and many other programs.
The following day, Seth Littrell and company offered Queen Creek (AZ) quarterback Tait Reynolds.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Reynolds is rated the No. 236 overall prospect and No. 19 quarterback in the 2026 cycle, according to On3. Like King, Reynolds is also a standout on the diamond and is currently committed to Arizona State to play baseball.
The two-sport star also holds offers from Tennessee, Florida State, Utah and others.
At the Sooners’ spring game on Saturday, Venables and company handed out two more offers. First, Oklahoma offered 3-star 2026 offensive tackle Maxwell Robinson, from Derby, KS.
Later in the day, 4-star Skyridge (UT) offensive lineman Darius Afalava picked up an offer from the Sooners.
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Afalava is rated the No. 199 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, according to Rivals.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Adds OF Adi Hansen From Southern Idaho
NORMAN — Oklahoma softball’s transfer portal activity may have been fairly slow developing.
But now, as the portal window nears its end, the Sooners have started having success.
Oklahoma added outfielder Adi Hansen, a standout at the College of Southern Idaho for the last two seasons on Thursday.
Hansen’s announcement, made on Instagram, followed shortly after Middle Tennessee outfielder Macie Harter announced her commitment to the Sooners.
Hansen led the Golden Eagles with a .457 batting average in 186 at bats in 2026, with an eye-popping 82 runs scored and a school-record 62 stolen bases on 67 attempts.
Hansen had 17 games with two or more stolen bases this season and twice had four stolen bases in a game.
Hansen had four triples and 21 RBIs, drawing 23 walks.
She earned NJCAA first-team All-America honors, helping her team finish 43-13 with a NJCAA Division I Juco World Series appearance.
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In 2025, as a freshman, Hansen hit .401 with 36 stolen bases and 62 ruyns scored.
Hansen is a Logan, Utah, product.
Hansen and Harter join a group of outfielders that includes Kai Minor in centerfield and Ella Parker in right field.
The Sooners lost Abby Dayton to graduation and Kasidi Pickering to transfer after the season. Pickering will reportedly transfer to Texas Tech.
Oklahoma finished 52-10 last season, missing the Women’s College World Series for the first time since 2015 after falling to Mississippi State in three games in the Norman Super Regional.
The Sooners have a strong incoming recruiting class and return a trio of pitchers — Audrey Lowry, Miali Guachino and Allyssa Parker — as well as experienced hitters Kendall Wells, Gabbie Garcia, Nelly McEnroe-Marinas plus Minor and Ella Parker.
In addition to the departures of Dayton and Pickering, the Sooners also lost pitchers Sydney Berzon and Kierston Deal, first baseman Isabela Emerling, and second baseman Ailana Agbayani to graduation. Outfielder Tia Milloy, pitcher Berkley Zache and utility player Riley Zache also entered the transfer portal.
Oklahoma’s incoming class includes Edmond Santa Fe pitcher Keegan Baker, Lakewood, Calif., infielder Ki’ele Ho-Ching, Mililani, Hawaii, infielder Ori Mailo, Fullerton, Calif., pitcher Malaya Majam-Finch, Katy, Texas, pitcher EK Smith, and Mesa, Ariz., outfilder Payton Westra.
Mailo was with the Sooners this season, redshirting after joining the program a year early.
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Oklahoma
Oklahoma City police investigating early morning shooting
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Oklahoma City police are investigating an early morning shooting that left one man injured in northeast Oklahoma City.
Around 3 a.m. on Thursday, emergency crews were called to a reported shooting near Kelley and Wilshire Blvd.
Investigators say the shooting occurred between a couple inside the home, adding that the woman shot the man.
However, police say they are trying to determine if the shooting was accidental.
The victim was rushed to the hospital for treatment.
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The woman has been taken into custody for questioning, but it is unknown if she will face charges just yet.
Oklahoma
North Carolina, Oklahoma advance to the Men’s College World Series finals
Oklahoma is just three outs away from steamrolling through the right side of the bracket and knocking out Georgia to reach the championship finals.
To prepare, let’s take a look at what arms we should expect for the Sooners just like we did for the North Carolina earlier.
The Sooners have leaned heavily on their freshmen pitching trio in Cord Rager, Xander Mercurius and Nick Wesloski throughout Omaha. The first two went at least seven innings, while Wesloski tossed 5.2 innings on Wednesday. Even though they used relievers LJ Mercurius and Jackson Cleveland in the first two games, neither pitched more than two innings nor allowed a run.
If LJ, who entered for Wesloski on Wednesday, finishes the game, he will have gone 3.1 innings.
That sets up Oklahoma very well to matchup with UNC, which went 3-0 and also hasn’t used many arms up to this point.
If OU does win, expect Rager, Xander Mercurius and Cleveland to be ready to go. Rager, who hasn’t pitched since their first round game against Alabama on Saturday, June 13, would have a full week of rest.
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