Oklahoma DE Target Jake Kreul Sets Commitment Date

The Sooners are hoping to beat Texas and Ole Miss for Class of 2026 edge rusher Jake Kreul.

Oklahoma hopes to land edge rusher Jake Kreul on Aug. 12. | Photo via Jake Kreul's X account.

Decision day has been set for elite edge rusher Jake Kreul. 

The IMG Academy prospect will pick between Oklahoma, Texas and Ole Miss on Aug. 12, he told ESPN’s Eli Lederman.

NEWS: Five-star DE Jake Kreul will announce his commitment between Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas on Aug. 12 on ESPN's College Football Live, he tells @espn.

Kreul, the nation's No. 22 overall recruit, is the last uncommitted five-star prospect in the 2026 ESPN 300. pic.twitter.com/B2P9Kk2usv

— Eli Lederman (@ByEliLederman) August 5, 2025

Kreul’s commitment will be broadcast on College Football Live. 

Chasing Kreul 

Oklahoma hosted Jake Kreul, one of the nation's top-rated pass rushers, for an official visit in June. | Photo via Jake Kreul's X account

Obviously, the Sooners don’t want to lose a highly-touted prospect to an SEC rival, and Brent Venables certainly doesn’t want to coach against Kreul in the Cotton Bowl.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pounder is rated a 4-star recruit by both 247Sports’ Composite Ranking and Rivals’ Industry Ranking. 

He’s currently rated as the No. 63-overall player in the 2026 class by 247Sports’ Composite Ranking, and he’s the ninth-ranked edge rusher. 

Kreul officially visited Florida, Ole Miss, Texas and Oklahoma in June, and he narrowed his recruitment down to three schools early in July. 

The Longhorns currently have the sixth-rated class in the 247Sports Team Rankings for the 2026 class. Mississippi sits at 21st, and Oklahoma’s class checks in at No. 41.

The Impact

The Sooners hope to beat Texas and Ole Miss to edge rusher Jake Kreul's signature. | Photo via Jake Kreul's X account

Venables and the OU coaching staff are fighting a major perception battle right now. 

On the heels of a 6-7 finish, Venables’ second in three years, the Sooners aren’t battling from a position of strength on the recruiting trail. 

Another poor season will likely lead to widespread changes in Norman, a potential outcome that doesn’t play well with recruits. 

But if the Sooners beat Michigan —  who debuted at No. 14 in the initial Coaches Poll on Monday — as well as Auburn, OU will likely roll into the Red River Shootout 5-0 and the noise around Venabels will die down. 

From there, Oklahoma can try and rally in recruiting. 

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Venables currently has 15 verbal commitments led by quarterback Bowe Bentley. 

Adding Kreul to the fold next Tuesday would be a jolt in the arm to OU’s efforts, and would give the Sooners a marquee commitment on both offense and defense to help recruit other players in the class throughout the season and into December. 

It would also serve as the second big win in high school recruiting for general manager Jim Nagy, who took over the front office operations at Oklahoma at the end of February. 

OU picked up a pair of commitments from edge rushers — Matthew Nelson and Daniel Norman — in June, but Kreul would give the Sooners a centerpiece for their defensive line class.