Sooner surprise: Jeremiah Fears is coming to OU basketball

Let’s put a temporary pin in OU basketball recruiting for the 2025 and 2026 classes. Because Porter Moser just hit a huge home run late, late in the 2024 cycle.

Elite 2025 prospect Jeremiah Fears announced his commitment to OU on Saturday evening. However, Fears is expected to reclassify to the 2024 class and be on campus next month.

What a difference a few weeks can make. Like where did this come from?

Fears had been committed to Illinois until news of the reclassification at the start of the month. The first team to jump in with Sears? OU. The Sooners wasted zero time, almost literally.

Other schools put themselves into the mix, but then left the mix just as fast. Then it became about Peach Jam. As it wraps up this weekend and Moser was in attendance to watch Fears, time to make a choice.

Fears is listed as a consensus top-100 prospect by the industry composite and a top-10 point guard. His On3 Industry Ranking is No. 34 overall and No. 5 point guard.

Of course, all of that was for the 2025 class. But Fears is ready to make the leap now.

This easily ranks as one of the biggest wins for Moser. Either on the recruiting trail or the transfer portal, this is massive.

You can argue about the on-court success in Moser’s first three seasons, but he keeps getting wins and fielding competitive teams. Getting Fears is another sign OU is ready to hit the Southeastern Conference.

OU portal commitments (all signed)

Jeff Nwankwo, F, Cowley County (juco) (2 years)

The line: 18.6 ppg, 7.0 rebs, 1.1 assts, 1.4 steals, 0.2 blocks, 49% FG, 37% 3-pt, 74% FT

Now this is a journey to OU basketball. Starting as a local product at Putnam City North and going the football route to Tulane. Leaving the sport and going junior college to play basketball. Becoming a star in that department to committing to Cal in April. To coming back home to play the Sooners. That is a journey for Nwankwo, and OU is glad to have him be the final piece to the transfer puzzle. Head coach Porter Moser tried incredibly hard to bring a local kid home, turned out to be Nwankwo. His athletic ability should be a huge addition to the squad.

Mohamed Wague, F/C, Alabama (1 season)

The line: 3.1 ppg, 2.5 rebs, 0.5 assts, 0.5 blocks, 0.5 steals, 63% FG, 50% 3-pt, 75% FT

Now you know the combo. It’s going to be Sam Godwin and Wague at the center position for OU to go along with Luke Northweather and Jalon Moore. Size and athletic ability has clearly been what OU has been aiming for in the portal. Wague gives them both if he can play at a high level. Wague was a three-star recruit by On3 for the transfer rankings. A legitimate 6-foot-10, it will be interesting if OU can get more offensive production from Wague than what he has shown.

Duke Miles, G, High Point (2 seasons)

The line: 17.5 ppg, 2.4 rebs, 3.5 assts, 0.2 blocks, 1.3 steals, 53% FG, 36% 3-pt, 80% FT

This is the type of win OU fans had been waiting for, hoping for. The kind of portal win that resonates and gets people fired up. Miles is a top-100 transfer prospect, and the way it came together? Just didn’t sound like OU. He’s an Alabama kid, who had just finished his Auburn visit Wednesday. Here comes OU in from like the backdoor in the 11th hour to steal someone else’s hometown kid. The Sooners had certainly seen that a time or two or three during this cycle. Miles is a perfect combo guard and brings a lot to the table.

Brycen Goodine, G, Fairfield (1 season)

The line: 13.9 ppg, 3 rebs, 1.4 assts, 0.3 blocks, 0.8 steals, 50% FG, 47% 3-pt, 76% FT

That is not a misprint. Goodine shot 47 percent from 3-point territory and is a volume shooter. You can see how OU is attempting to spread the floor a lot more. Goodine averaged more than five 3-pointers attempted per game and shot at that clip. He had scoring games of 40 points and 37 points last season. Goodine had four games of making at six 3-pointers. From Syracuse to Providence to Fairfield now to OU. Definitely will bring the experience, and OU fans will be hoping he’ll bring that type of shooting one more season.

Jadon Jones, G, Long Beach State (1 season)

The line: 12.1 ppg, 3.3 rebs, 1.6 assts, 1.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, 42% FG, 38% 3-pt, 85% FT

OU is focusing hard on two-way players. Looking for the 3-and-D type of player. Jones checks those boxes (now signed), a former Defensive Player of the Year in the Big West. Jones connected on 77 3-pointers last season, shooting the 38 percent rate. The 77 makes? That’s 23 more than the most by an OU player last year (Javian McCollum, 54). Jones is one of nine players ever in the NCAA in the last 30 years to have at least 60 steals, more than 30 blocks and make at least 75 3-pointers in a season. He joins the likes of Shane Battier, Kevin Durant, Danny Green, among others.

Kobe Elvis, G, Dayton (1 season)

The line: 9.4 ppg, 2.4 rebs, 3.5 assts, 0.6 steals, 38% FG, 37% 3-pt, 85% FT

If nothing else, Elvis becomes the first player on the team with NCAA Tournament experience. Elvis was part of a Dayton squad that reached the second round of the Big Dance last month. He has plenty of experience and averaged nearly 30 minutes per game. Elvis is someone who knows how to operate in a ball-screen offense. A solid, complementary piece.