Oklahoma’s 2026 Class Won’t Win the Winter, But Development Will Win Future Falls to Come

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The Oklahoma Sooners’ 2026 recruiting class won’t be the talk of the offseason on college football shows. Outside of a few names — Bowe Bentley, Jonathan Hatton Jr., and Jake Kreul — there aren’t many players on Oklahoma’s newest commitment list that casual fans would recognize.

That's not to say Sooner fans shouldn't be excited about the prospects to come. Brent Venables has shown plenty of examples to develop anyone from a last-second three-star to the much-desired five-star.

On3's recruiting site has Oklahoma's 2026 class ranked 17th, while 247Sports has the Sooners at 16. Venables, who has claimed classes ranked 8th, 6th and 9th in his initial three seasons as head coach, more than likely can blame the ranking-dip on a 6-7 season in the school's first year as a member of the SEC.

Not to mention one of the more important influencing factors — Oklahoma built a professional front office led by first-year general manager Jim Nagy, on the fly. You can't expect to knock it out of the park in the first year, right?

Oklahoma Sooners Brent Venables — Oklahoma coach Brent Venables | John E. Hoover / Sooners On SI

When you factor in the tough hand Nagy was dealt — a shaky season, constant whispers about the staff's job security and a crash course in recruiting high schoolers instead of college veterans — getting Oklahoma’s class near the top 15 in year one is no small feat.

If Oklahoma hopes to tread water in the SEC, let alone chase titles, Nagy’s recruiting work will have to launch the Sooners back into the nation’s top 10.

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That's what makes sense on paper — the higher the recruiting rankings, the better the team is.

But recruiting isn't a science by any stretch of the imagination. When Venables was hired in early-December 2021, he only had just over two weeks to salvage Oklahoma's 2022 recruiting class that had taken hit after hit following Lincoln Riley's surprise departure.

Venables was able to maintain most of the class while making last-minute additions like R Mason Thomas to help bring the class inside the top 10 in most service rankings. There was excitement with the surprising highly-rated class considering the factors. As time has gone on, Venables' first class has become his most productive.

The list of names from the 2022 class is a who's-who of "Hard to Kill" all-stars:

Gracen Halton
Jaren Kanak
Kip Lewis
Kobie McKinzie
Robert Spears-Jennings
Gentry Williams
R Mason Thomas

Oklahoma Sooners, Kip Lewis — Oklahoma linebacker Kip Lewis | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

On paper, Venables’ 2023 class looked like a breakthrough. Ranked sixth by 247Sports and featuring future starter Jackson Arnold, it felt like the beginning of Oklahoma’s rise into recruiting dominance.

As fate would have it, the '23 class would be best described as boom-and-bust.

Arnold's struggles led him to transfer out of the program. High-end four star Cayden Green transferred to Missouri following the conclusion of the 2023 regular season. Other highly touted recruits like Jaquaize Pettaway, Makari Vickers and Lewis Carter never amounted to much and left the program. For every Peyton Bowen or Sammy Omosigho, the '23 class had a few Hollywood Smothers' and Jasiah Wagoners.

There hasn't been enough time to pass to truly grade the 2024 class, but it is on pace to compete with the '22 class for Venables' best with players like David Stone, Jayden Jackson, Eddy Pierre-Louis and Eli Bowen among others.

Oklahoma Sooners, David Stone — Oklahoma defensive lineman David Stone | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Bottom line: even if recruiting under Nagy and company keeps climbing, Oklahoma’s real edge — just like always — will come from development.

Sure, recruiting rankings can get you a spot on Josh Pate’s show or a shoutout from Pat McAfee in the dead of winter, but what separates the contenders from the pretenders is turning an R. Mason Thomas — once headed to Iowa State prior to Venables' arrival in Norman — into an NFL draft pick.

The goal is always to stack talent on top of talent. A 16th-ranked class won’t turn heads in December, but if Bentley, Hatton Jr., and Kreul turn into stars, no one’s going to remember that ranking a few years from now.

Be careful in assuming that rankings will only go up from here. Despite the fact that OU's 2027 class is on pace to be one of the best in the country, what matters is the program's ability to develop the talent it earns — whether it comes from a top-5 class or a top-20 class.