Sooners Under the Stars Sees Offers Roll Out
Oklahoma’s Sooners Under the Stars event seems to become a bigger event each year under Brent Venables and staff’s guidance. The 2024 event seems no different with a number of new offers going out and we’ll start out discussing those new offers for Oklahoma.
First off is promising sophomore defensive lineman K.J. Green of Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson. The big-time pass rusher made his first trip to Oklahoma and the Sooners seem to have made a good early impression though – as ever – the in-state Bulldogs will be a lot to overcome.
The next player to pick up a Sooners offer was Cibolo (Texas) Steele safety Eli Johnson. He is a player we had a chance to see this spring while watching his teammate, and Sooners running back commitment, Jonathan Hatton – who was also in attendance. Johnson is a big and long safety that should be a national recruit in short order. The Sooners are in early and have had plenty of success at Steele through the years.
“I’m ready to start building a relationship with the OU program,” Johnson said.
It’s been a while since Oklahoma had some success in recruiting Waco ISD but the Sooners put their hat in the ring with Waco University safety Davontrae Kirkland on Thursday evening. The big-time defender left Norman excited about his offer and clearly a return visit is likely in the coming months.
With Oklahoma closing out a big receiver class in 2024, some might expect them to be a bit timid in their 2025 work but that’s never the case for Emmett Jones. The Sooners star receivers coach made his latest offer to another Dallas-Ft. Worth area star in Zion Robinson. He was a guy Oklahoma wanted a close look at and after getting it, the offer was inevitable – he clearly made a strong impression.
A player who had already been to Norman once but came in search of his offer on this trip was San Antonio Smithson Valley EDGE Hudson Woods. After visiting back in March Woods returned, impressed, and picked up his offer from Miguel Chavis.
Sooners Move Things Around for Quarterback Offer
While Jaden O’Neal‘s first visit to Norman since his commitment to the Sooners drew headlines, another quarterback offer flew a bit under the radar. And as he did he flew in a bit early.
That player is, of course, Trae Taylor of Lake of the Hills (Ill.) Carmel Catholic. Taylor picked up a Sooners offer this summer after impressing at camp on June 8 – becoming Oklahoma’s first 2027 quarterback offer. What’s interesting is that it was actually Taylor’s first time to meet a key piece of his recruitment.
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“It was my first time meeting coach Venables actually,” Taylor said. “”He let me know he is there to help develop me as a young man. So that I can grow into a good man in my community at college and after. I got the chip saying telling me he is all in on me and that my offer is committable now at any time. [I] learned about his background as well. He spent a good hour with me and my mom.”
And the significance of his trip was also noted in his presence earlier in the morning that saw him actually miss the Sooners Under the Stars event.
“Yeah the coaching staff was so awesome. I could only be there in the morning so they all changed their schedule to make sure I got in campus and spent time with them,” he gushed.
While a lot of guys would have simply not come on a day where they couldn’t be at the spotlight event for Taylor it was about showing the Sooners his level of interest.
“I want them to see I take the offer from Oklahoma very seriously. My mom is with me so she didn’t get to see the school or meet the coaches [last time]. So to be there with her as well is important to me. But who would complain about not having to share the coaches time?”
As for where the Sooners stand?
“I really, really like Oklahoma they are definitely in my top 3 right now. So I want to get on campus as much as possible for many reasons. So the more I’m there the more I learn and the more they learn about me. I don’t want to be a kid that commits them decommits.”
