Oklahoma Running Back Pledge Flips Commitment to ACC School, per Report

Jaxsen Stokes has reportedly backed out of his pledge with the Sooners, and now OU has just one running back committed from the 2027 class.

Apr 18, 2026; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables watches during the Oklahoma Spring Game at Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Sooners’ stellar 2027 recruiting class decreased by one on Sunday.

Running back Jaxsen Stokes of Chatsworth, CA, has flipped his commitment from Oklahoma to Cal, per a report from Hayes Fawcett of On3.

BREAKING: Class of 2027 RB Jaxsen Stokes has Flipped his Commitment from Oklahoma to Cal, he tells me for @Rivals⁰
The 5’9 195 RB had been Committed to the Sooners since November

“The best in California play for California! Psalm 23:3”⁰https://t.co/sSbDYWdoCF pic.twitter.com/0n1gFUGRvh

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 26, 2026

Stokes is a consensus 3-star prospect, and 247Sports ranks him as the No. 39 running back from the Class of 2027. As a junior at Sierra Canyon High School in 2025, Stokes ran for 722 yards and 12 touchdowns on 109 carries. He also caught 12 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns.

The Sooners got involved with Stokes’ recruitment early. Oklahoma was only the fifth Power Four school to offer Stokes, as the Sooners did so on Jan. 21, 2025.

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Less than a year after earning his offer, Stokes committed to OU on Nov. 7, just one day before the Sooners took down then-No. 7 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. His commitment followed the unofficial visit that he took on Oct. 25, when OU hosted Ole Miss.

Between the dates of Stokes’ commitment and his decommitment, Oklahoma’s running back room took on new leadership, as the Sooners replaced former running backs coach DeMarco Murray with Deland McCullough.

Stokes went back to Norman for an unofficial visit on March 7, OU’s “Future Freaks” junior day event, and he also announced that he would take an official visit from May 29-31. It is unclear whether or not Stokes will still go on that visit.

Official visit locked in!! #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/oudyPKYbLM

— Jaxsen Stokes 27’ (@JaxsenStokes) March 2, 2026

Now, Stokes is set to play college football closer to home. The running back has committed to a Cal program that will be under first-year head coach Tosh Lupoi in 2026. The Golden Bears have finished with a winning record only once since 2020.

Stokes is the second running back to decommit from Oklahoma over the last two months, as Class of 2028 running back Micah Rhodes backed out of his pledge in early April. Rhodes is the No. 1 running back from the 2028 cycle, per 247Sports.

Oklahoma’s 2027 recruiting class is now down to only one running back, Montgomery, TX, native Keldrid Ben. According to Rivals, Ben is the No. 86 overall player in the Class of 2027.

Even after Stokes’ decommitment, OU’s 2027 class already has 19 pledges, and the class is still ranked No. 1 nationally by 247Sports. Rivals currently has OU at No. 3 in its rankings behind Texas A&M and Texas Tech.