4-star WR Cortez Mills commits to Oklahoma: 'It felt like home out there'

Homestead (Fla.) wide receiver Cortez Mills is leaving the Sunshine State for Norman because he has committed to Brent Venables and the Oklahoma Sooners.

The SEC program beat out Clemson, Florida, LSU and Nebraska. Mills visited Oklahoma for the first time in the spring. That visit set the tone. On the official visit a couple of weeks ago, he made his decision.

“Before I left my official visit, I told coach Venables and coach Emmett Jones that I was committing,” Mills told On3. ” On June 16, I committed to Oklahoma. I knew it. I felt comfortable, my family felt comfortable and I knew Oklahoma was home.”

There was no real No. 2 school on Mills’ list. He gave each school a chance and Oklahoma prevailed. How he and his family connected with the staff made a big impact on his decision.

“Oklahoma came in a little later than the other schools, but they recruited me hard, they got to know me and my family and that was important. The trust in the coaches me and my family have was a big part of my decision. We trust the people at Oklahoma and that was one of the most important things in my commitment.

“From the day they offered me, coach Venables and coach Jones were in touch with me. We built strong relationships, we built trust and those connections were big for me and my family. We all felt great about Oklahoma.”

Mills is excited about playing SEC football in Norman

It will be different for the No. 109 prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking. He is moving from south Florida to the midwest, but he is excited about his future in Norman.

“It will be different from Miami, but I will adapt and great people will surround me,” Mills said. “It felt like home out there. Oklahoma is a great program, it is a great school and I feel I really fit well in the environment.”

Part of that comfort is his connection with Venables and Jones. Those two really played a big role in this decision.

“Coach Jones is a coach I believe in. I talked to the receivers about him and they love him. He is a tough coach, but I really relate to him on and off the field. Coach Jones will push me, develop me and he wants what us best for his players.

“Coach Venables is like that too. He is a great guy that will coach hard and get the most out of his players. He wants to get all he can out of his guys and I like that. Off the field, we have a great vibe and I like his energy.”