Reports: 2023 Commit Colton Vasek Projected to Decommit from Oklahoma, Flip to Texas
NORMAN — Losing football games is one kind of bad news. Losing recruits is another.
Oklahoma apparently can expect some bad news on the recruiting front, as 247 Sports is predicting that 4-star defensive end Colton Vasek will decommit soon and is widely believed will pledge to Texas.
Vasek, the No. 127-ranked player in the 2023 class, according to the 247 Sports Composite and the No. 17 edge rusher in the nation, has been committed to OU since Aug. 1, but the Longhorns and coach Steve Sarkisian have been following that commitment with a hard recruiting push.
The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Vasek is the son of Texas alumni parents and hails from Austin, where he plays for Westlake High School. His father Brian Vasek was a UT defensive end from 1991-95.
Three 247 Sports recruiting analysts, including director of football recruiting Steve Wiltfong and OU recruiting insider Parker Thune, posted their “crystal ball” predicting Vasek would soon flip.
Vasek’s defection would be another blow — and by far the biggest so far — for Brent Venables’ first recruiting class.
In Venables’ first year, his 2023 class reached as high as No. 3 in the 247 Sports national recruiting rankings, but slipped to No. 6 last week behind Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU and Ohio State after Virginia linebacker Kaleb Spencer decommitted on Oct. 28. Wide receiver Ashton Cozart flipped to Oregon in February.
Now, after losing to Baylor over the weekend, the Sooners are 5-4 this season, with consecutive losses to Kansas State, TCU and Texas.
As expected, Vasek’s interest in Texas has picked up as the Longhorns’ interest in him increased.
The 49-0 Longhorn blitzkrieg in the Cotton Bowl on Oct. 8 likely had as much to do with Vasek’s choices as his burnt orange legacy or proximity to the Forty Acres. With Vasek watching as an OU recruit, quarterback Dillon Gabriel missed the game with a concussion and the Sooners were not competitive as they lost to Texas for the first time since 2018.
Things improved slightly for Venables as the Sooners beat Kansas and Iowa State, but the loss to Baylor — as well as the blowout to TCU and the home setback against K-State — did nothing to impress recruits and future prospects.
Meanwhile, Vasek continued to take numerous unofficial visits to Texas and began to like the Longhorns more and more.
Last spring, Venables made headlines for his stance on committed prospects continuing to take visits to other schools.
“Hey, we're not trying to force commitment,” he said. “Do not commit here until you're ready to make a commitment. Because a commitment is not a reservation.
“I’m not gonna apologize for this. What we tell them … take as many visits as you want (before committing). I think, personally, that the Oklahoma brand will stick out.
“We’re trying to be the example of trying to do it the right way. Right, wrong or indifferent. But I tell ‘em, ‘I don't want a guy to commit. Do. Not. Commit.’ Like, ‘Hey, Coach, I'm ready to commit.’ ‘Hey, buddy, here's what commitment looks like, now. OK? I want to make sure that you know that you know that you know that you know.’
“I’m not gonna apologize for having a moral compass. I want to teach our young people what commitment is, what it looks like. And, you know, certainly, things can change, where maybe there's flaws in that thinking. But I know this: there's a lot of flaws in taking the commitment, making a reservation and, again, go do your thing.”
