Oklahoma Begins Pursuit of Standout Class of 2028 Athlete

Despite being an unranked prospect, Class of 2028 athlete Gabriel Player has already caught the attention of several major college football programs.

And on Wednesday, Oklahoma joined the party.

Osborne, a native of Melbourne, FL, announced that the Sooners sent him an offer.

Blessed to receive an from Oklahoma @OU_Football! @247Sports @ChadSimmons_ @JonSantucci @ZBlostein247 @adamgorney @CoachNDreiling @COACHSTACE_@coach_bhall #bEGreat #EGscholarshipfactory @EauGallieHC @XavierXEL11 pic.twitter.com/6TSDTXAx89
— Gabriel Player (@Gabrielplayerr) March 4, 2026

Primarily a linebacker, Player stands 6-4 and weighs 190 pounds. He is unranked by both 247Sports and Rivals, but that isn’t particularly surprising — 247Sports has ranked only 100 prospects from the 2028 class, while Rivals only has its top 284 prospects ranked.

Even without stars or a number beside his name, Player has caught the attention of some of the nation’s top programs. So far, he has earned offers from Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Florida and several other high-dollar programs in addition to the Sooners.

Based on his 2025 high school football season, it’s likely that Player will soon be regarded as a blue-chip prospect.

As a sophomore at Eau Gallie High School, Player recorded 59 tackles, 43 of which were solo stops. The linebacker also notched 10 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and two sacks.

So far, Oklahoma has earned one commitment from the Class of 2028 in running back Micah Rhodes.

Rhodes is graded as the No. 1 running back in the Class of 2028 by 247Sports. He rushed for 1,307 yards and 21 touchdowns on 172 carries as a sophomore in 2025.

Oklahoma is one of only seven Power Four programs to have earned a pledge from a 2028 recruit so far, along with Ohio State, Georgia, Boston College, Arizona, Purdue and Penn State.

The Sooners have offered three other 2028 linebackers so far: Blake Nesbitt of Kirksville, MO, Brayden Bonik of Missouri City, TX, and Jay Schell of Rabun Gap, GA.

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OU is looking for similar success in 2028 to what the Sooners have been able to achieve with the Class of 2027.

Per 247Sports, the Sooners currently have the No. 1 recruiting class for the 2027 cycle. Of OU’s 14 commits, eight of them are graded as 4-star prospects or better.

OU has also landed a pair of blue-chip linebackers — Cooper Witten and Taven Epps — from the 2027 class. According to 247Sports, Witten and Epps are ranked No. 46 and No. 77 overall in the class, respectively.

The Sooners are looking to build on their 2025 season in which they went 10-3 and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time since 2019. They will begin their 2026 campaign against UTEP on Sept. 5.