Former Oklahoma DE Commit Chooses Big Ten School Over Sooners

Zane Rowe once planned to be a Sooner, but instead, he’ll play on the West Coast.

Rowe, a consensus 4-star edge rusher who previously committed to Oklahoma, pledged with Oregon on Friday, per Hayes Fawcett of On3.

BREAKING: Four-Star DL Zane Rowe has Committed to Oregon, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’4 260 DL from Denton, TX chose the Ducks over Washington, Oklahoma, and North Carolina
⁰“Time to up the Sco, Let’s Go Ducks”https://t.co/piUSW5OLUa pic.twitter.com/E0QrFiwYNc
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 14, 2026

Rowe is a native of Denton, TX. According to 247Sports, Rowe is the No. 93 overall player in the Class of 2027 and the No. 11 recruit from Texas.

During his junior year at Guyer High School, Rowe registered 72 total tackles, 52 solo tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 24 quarterback hurries, eight sacks, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. His outstanding 2025 season followed his sophomore year in which he logged 75 total tackles, 60 solo tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine sacks and four forced fumbles.

After his freshman season in 2023, Rowe picked up offers from major programs like Texas A&M, Georgia, Texas and Texas Tech.

The Sooners offered him the next year, and Rowe verbally committed to Oklahoma just a month after receiving his offer.

Despite his pledge, other teams like Tennessee, Penn State, USC and Oklahoma State continued to pursue Rowe, and he decommitted from OU on Jan. 6, 2025.

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Fast forward to 2026, and Rowe included Oklahoma as one of the finalists for his recruitment, along with Washington, the Ducks and North Carolina. But the Texas-based edge rusher decided not to re-commit to OU on Friday.

Even though Rowe has decided to take his talents elsewhere, OU’s defensive ends room is in a good spot going forward.

The Sooners signed blue-chip edge rusher Jake Kreul as part of their 2026 class, as well as 3-star defensive end Matthew Nelson. In the 2027 cycle, Oklahoma has earned a commitment from edge rusher Krew Jones, who is the No. 153 overall prospect and the No. 2 player from Utah in the class.

Oklahoma’s 2027 recruiting class is ranked No. 1 nationally by all major recruiting networks with 19 commits. Of OU’s 19 pledges, 11 of them are graded as 4-star prospects or better by 247Sports.

OU is looking to build on its 2025 season in which it went 10-3 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. The Sooners won four games in a row — against Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri and LSU — to finish the regular season and punch their ticket to the CFP.

Oklahoma will begin its 2026 campaign against UTEP on Sept. 5.