All Sooners

Oklahoma Among Top Contenders for Highly Coveted 2028 Running Back

Micah Rhodes is ranked as the No. 1 running back in the Class of 2028, and he is down to the Sooners and two other SEC schools.
Carson Field|
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables arrives before a first-round College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
Oklahoma coach Brent Venables arrives before a first-round College Football Playoff game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Okla., Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma already has the nation’s best recruiting class for the upcoming cycle.

The Sooners, with 13 commits, are ranked No. 1 in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings for the Class of 2027.

Now, OU has an opportunity to get a leg up for 2028.

Micah Rhodes — ranked the No. 1 running back in the class — announced on Monday that Oklahoma is one of the three finalists for his recruitment, along with Texas A&M and Texas.

A native of Spring, TX, Rhodes rushed for 1,307 yards and 21 touchdowns on 172 carries as a sophomore in 2025. He was named to MaxPreps’ Sophomore All-American First Team.

Rhodes is currently a consensus 4-star prospect, and he is the No. 28 overall prospect in the Class of 2028, per 247Sports.

So far, the Sooners have not received any commitments from players in the 2028 class, and neither have Texas A&M or Texas.

OU position coaches visit 2027 commits

As mentioned, the Sooners’ 2027 class is exceptional.

And OU’s staff members are doing their part in keeping the class at the top of the leaderboard.

Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh visited in-state offensive line pledges Kaeden Penny and Cooper Hackett this week.

Penny is ranked the No. 13 player in the Class of 2027 by 247Sports, and he committed to OU on Sept. 25. The 6-4, 280-pound interior offensive lineman hails from Bixby, OK, and chose the Sooners over offers from Ohio State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Tennessee and several other major programs.

Hackett, an offensive tackle, is from Fort Gibson, OK, and he is the No. 29 player in the class, according to 247Sports. He originally committed to Texas Tech before flipping his pledge on Sept. 25.

Penny and Hackett are two of three offensive linemen that have committed to OU from the 2027 class, along with Texas product Luke Wilson.

Wide receivers coach Emmett Jones visited wideout Tra’Von Hall on Thursday.

A Tuscaloosa, AL, native, Hall is a consensus 3-star prospect. Hall played both wide receiver and running back as a junior in 2025, logging 11 total touchdowns and nearly 1,000 all-purpose yards.

Sooners beef up efforts with 2027 OL

Though Oklahoma already has earned commitments from three quality 2027 offensive linemen, the Sooners are making a push for another.

Interior offensive lineman Gus Corsair, from Hays, KS, received a visit from OU coach Brent Venables and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Thursday.

Corsair is a consensus 4-star recruit, ranked No. 245 nationally by 247Sports. He is listed at 6-3 and 285 pounds.

Other major schools that have pursued Corsair include Oklahoma State, Missouri, Oregon and Wisconsin.

OU makes cut for 2027 4-star DB

Defensive back Semaj Stanford, a Broken Arrow, OK, native, released his top 12 on Saturday, and the Sooners made the cut.

Oklahoma is one of seven SEC schools that Stanford included in his top 12, along with Texas A&M, LSU, Texas, Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia.

Stanford, a safety listed at 5-11 and 180 pounds, is graded as a 4-star prospect by every major recruiting outlet. 247Sports has Stanford ranked as the No. 84 player in the Class of 2027.

Published
Carson Field
CARSON FIELD

Carson Field has worked full-time in the sports media industry since 2020 in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming as well as nationally, and he has earned degrees from Arizona State University and Texas A&M University. When he isn’t covering the Sooners, he’s likely golfing, fishing or doing something else outdoors. Twitter: https://x.com/carsondfield

Share on XFollow carsondfield
Home/Football