Local WR Gavin Freeman Signs With Oklahoma: 'OU Was a Late Blessing'
OKLAHOMA CITY — After winter weather forced the postponement of many Signing Day ceremonies across the state of Oklahoma last week, many future college athletes are putting ink to paper on Wednesday.
One of those is Heritage Hall High School standout wide receiver Gavin Freeman, who announced his commitment to the Sooners as a preferred walk-on Jan. 30 after having previously being committed to Texas Tech.
Freeman was all set to become a Red Raider before a late offer came from OU in his recruiting process, and the allure of playing in Norman quickly drew him in. Did he know an Oklahoma offer was coming?
“I did not,” Freeman said. “I was pretty much, I was ready to sign with (Texas) Tech. OU was a late blessing, obviously. They came in late, and I had to take it.”
The late offer from his dream school serves as a microcosm for Freeman’s entire football life, in a sense, after he burst onto the scene in the latter part of his high school career.
“I was a late bloomer,” Freeman said. “I wasn’t the biggest when I was young. Freshman year I was probably like 5-4, like 120 (pounds). And then I just kept lifting weights. Kept running. Getting faster, getting bigger.”
Now, the Oklahoma City native heads to the Sooners to help further the newly established culture under Brent Venables ready to help the program compete at the highest level.
“I haven’t met him yet, but the things I’ve seen him do at Clemson obviously and then the things I’ve heard him say at OU so far, it just gives me hope to know that the program is in great hands and we can do great things and be a great team,” Freeman said.
The 5-9, 170-pound receiver is a testament to hard work paying off in the chase for an elusive dream.
The goal to play major college football has been something Freeman has been chasing for nearly as long as he can remember, and he officially made it a reality on Wednesday with his signing.
“I was like 5 or 6, ever since I started to know what football was, college football, I’ve been watching ever since,” Freeman said. “It’s just been like a passion, like a fire inside that I’ve just always wanted to play at the next level and know that I can be the best I can.”
