John Hoover

2 weeks ago | si.com | John Hoover

Oklahoma fans always seem to want the Sooners to bring in more local talent. It doesn’t get any more local than Mason James. But instead of OU, James on Thursday pledged his verbal commitment to play for the Washington Huskies in 2026. UW coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies pulled James out of Norman North High School, where he has developed into a 4-star prospect, according to 247Sports, and the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Oklahoma and the No. 25 wide receiver in the nation.

2 weeks ago | si.com | John Hoover

Mark your calendar. Save the date. Set your DVR, if you still have one. Oklahoma’s 2025 football schedule is finally set. The Sooners begin Year 2 as a member of the Southeastern Conference on July 1, and the season kicks off in August — exactly 80 days from now. Wednesday, OU’s kickoff times were set by the Southeastern Conference and ESPN/ABC — for the most part, anyway.

2 weeks ago | si.com | John Hoover

Brent Venables is having a summer. After hosting dozens of elite high school football recruits over the weekend, Oklahoma’s head coach landed a verbal commitment Tuesday for the third straight day. Derrick Johnson II, a cornerback from Murietta, CA, revealed his commitment to On3 recruiting insider Hayes Fawcett. He’ll sign as a member of the 2026 recruiting class. Johnson, who’s father played cornerback in the NFL, is listed at 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds.

2 weeks ago | si.com | John Hoover

Jennie Baranczyk is going overseas. Oklahoma’s basketball coach has landed a verbal commitment from Emma Tolan, a 5-foot-11 forward from Ireland, according to a report by Irish Examiner basketball writer Conor Meany. Tolan, a member of the 2026 recruiting class, averaged 9.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last year for the East Cavan Eagles, according to her U18 bio on FIBA’s women’s Euro basketball website.

2 weeks ago | si.com | John Hoover

Oklahoma has tapped into its growing Arkansas pipeline again. Brent Venables and the Sooners landed a verbal commitment from 2026 edge rusher Matthew Nelson, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound prospect from Bryant, AR. Nelson, a Rivals 3-star prospect, announced his pledge to OU Sunday night via Twitter.