Oklahoma jumps in On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings after latest commitment

Oklahoma added the latest piece to its 2025 football recruiting class on Friday, as Houston (Texas) Atascocita four-star running back Tory Blaylock chose the Sooners over Texas, Ohio State, Tennessee and a handful of other schools.

Blaylock is the first running back pledge in the class for the Sooners, who jumped up one spot from No. 13 in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. In total, OU now holds 10 commitments, five of whom rank as four-star prospects and among the top 300 prospects nationally.

“The staff, it’s like a family and I really love that about the place,” Blaylock told On3’s Chad Simmons. “All of them either played there or coached there previously and they all came back to the same spot because of the love that the coaches showed to them. It is like one big family that they have up there.

… At Oklahoma, I am going to be coached by DeMarco Murray, someone who I looked up to as a kid. He was a great ballplayer. He’s been where I’m trying to get to. He’s been Offensive Player of the Year in the NFL and he has great plans for me in that system.” 

Oklahoma Class Breakdown

Offense and in-state targets have been the focus early on in the 2025 cycle for OU, with five of their 10 commitments hailing from the Sooner State and seven expected to play on offensive at the next level. Co-offensive coordinator Seth Littrell has his quarterback with four-star Kevin Sperry out of the Oklahoma City area. His pledge has helped spur on a string of receiver commitments, led by in-state four-star Elijah Thomas Texas-based three-star Gracen Harris. The Sooners added another key piece to the puzzle on March 29 with the addition of four-star running back Tory Blaylock, who chose OU over Texas, Ohio State and a number of others.

On the defensive side, the Sooners have three early commitments from linebacker Marcus James, EDGE Alexander Shieldnight and defensive lineman Ka’Mori Moore.

Top Sooners Offensive Commit: WR Elijah Thomas

OU beat out Oklahoma State, Alabama, and Texas A&M for Thomas, one of the most dynamic players in the Sooner State, back in late July.

“The love everyone was showing me when I was there made me feel welcome and made it feel like home,” he told On3’s Hayes Fawcett. “Benton Duby, Coach V, Coach Jones they all made me feel welcome. When I went to other facilities I didn’t feel what I felt at OU.”

Thomas ranks as the No. 134 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He also checks in as the No. 16 wide receiver and the No. 3 player in the state of Oklahoma.

Top Oklahoma Defensive Commit: LB Marcus James

Texas A&M, Utah, TCU, and also Arkansas were also finalists for James, who committed to the Sooners in November.

“I’m so confident because I know that Coach V is building something special and it’s something that I want to be a part of and can’t miss out on,” James told On3’s Sam Spiegelman. “Why not be a hometown hero?”

James is tabbed as the No. 524 player in the 2025 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, and also checks in as the nation’s No. 57 linebacker and the No. 10 recruit in Oklahoma.