4-star TE Kaden Helms explains why he's still committed to Oklahoma

Bellevue (Neb.) Bellevue West four-star tight end Kaden Helms tweeted Monday morning that he is sticking with Oklahoma despite Lincoln Riley moving to USC.

He later elaborated on that decision with KETV, the ABC affiliate in Omaha, Neb.

“I think the main reason is I really did commit to OU for more than jut the coaches,” Helms told KETV. “I really grew to like the school as a whole. I grew to like the players and the students there, just the environment. I feel like waiting is just my best option because you don’t want to move too quickly, especially with a decision like this. It’s a life changing decision.”

The past 24 hours have been a lot for OU commit @KadenJHelms to digest, but he still took the time to talk with me about where his heads at right now.

Helms shares why he hasn't decommitted following the news of Lincoln Riley's departure.@KETV @OU_Football #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/BwY1Aqge04

— Ellie French (@elliefrenchTV) November 29, 2021

He then added that he won’t make any final decision before seeing who is the next head coach of the school.

In his Monday morning tweet, Helms shouted out Oklahoma associate head coach Joe Jon Finley and said he hopes that Finely is included in his college expereince.

“Coaches obviously do have a lot to do with how the program is run and stuff like that,” Helms said. “I really just wait to see who the next coach is going to be before I really start making any big decisions.”

Helms is the No. 221 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. On3 rates him much higher. He is No. 121 prospect in the On300 and the top player from the state of Nebraska.

Six players have decommitted from the Sooners. Orange (Texas) West-Orange Stark four-star interior offensive lineman Demetrius Hunter, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy four-star defensive lineman Derrick Moore and Lubbock (Texas) Lubbock-Cooper four-star linebacker Kobie McKinzie are the three decommits in the 2022 class.

The Sooners now have 14 prospects committed for 2022 and have dropped to No. 9 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings.

Los Alamitos (Calif.) Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Malachi Nelson, Miami Gardens (Fla.) American Heritage four-star wide receiver Brandon Inniss, Jacksonville Trinity Christian Academy four-star running back Treyaun Webb are the decommits from the 2023 class.