All Sooners

Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Offers 2026 RB, Bowe Bentley Receives Elite 11 Invite

In addition to landing defensive lineman Brian Harris, the Sooners made plenty of moves to bolster their 2026 recruiting class.
Carson Field|
Oklahoma RB Prospect Ryan Estrada
Oklahoma RB Prospect Ryan Estrada | GABY VELASQUEZ/ EL PASO TIMES / USA TODAY NETWORK

In this story:

Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma made plenty of efforts to bolster its 2026 recruiting class this week.

The Sooners picked up a commitment from defensive lineman prospect Brian Harris of Florida and also made moves toward other prospects in the class.

Here’s the latest in OU football recruiting:

Win some, lose some

Two days after missing out on a 2026 defensive prospect, the Sooners picked one up.

Harris’ commitment came on Friday and lessened the blow after linebacker Mason Marden chose Arizona State over Oklahoma on Wednesday.

Harris is rated as a 4-star prospect by Rivals, while 247Sports, On3 and ESPN have him graded as a 3-star. As a junior at Mandarin High School in Jacksonville in 2024, he recorded 29 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 10 games. He was named the Defensive Line MVP at the 2025 Under Armour Next Camp, hosted in Orlando on Feb. 23.

He chose the Sooners over his other finalists: Alabama, Penn State, Michigan and South Carolina.

Marden would’ve been a big addition, too.

READ MORE OKLAHOMA FOOTBALL

Fresh Faces: Oklahoma Transfer Punter Jacob Ulrich Adjusting to Wind, New Program
Oklahoma Adds 2026 3-Star Defensive Lineman From Florida to 2026 Recruiting Class
Fresh Faces: Transfer WR Keontez Lewis Following Cousin's Footsteps at Oklahoma

A 6-3, 220-pound linebacker from St. Louis, Marden had 170 tackles and 20 tackles for a loss in 2024.

Still, Harris’ pledge meant the seventh commitment for OU in the 2026 cycle. The Sooners currently have the No. 38 class in 247Sports’ 2026 team recruiting rankings.

Murray visits RB prospect

OU running backs coach DeMarco Murray went east to check in on one of the Sooners’ top prospects at the position, DeZephen Walker.

Out of Peculiar, MO, Walker is a 4-star prospect, per Rivals and On3. On3 rates him as the No. 4 prospect from Missouri after he rushed for 957 yards and eight touchdowns in nine games in 2024.

According to 247Sports, Walker has scheduled visits to Nebraska, Notre Dame, Kansas and Kansas State — but not the Sooners. Oklahoma offered Walker on May 9.

OU offers 2026 running back

Ryan Estrada, a running back prospect from El Paso, TX, announced that he received an offer from OU on Wednesday.

Estrada logged video-game numbers as a junior in 2024, rushing for 2,422 yards and 32 touchdowns, averaging 13.5 yards per carry.

247Sports has Estrada graded as a 3-star recruit, and he has scheduled visits to Alabama, Missouri, Tulane, Wisconsin and Minnesota. He visited Oklahoma State in April, according to the site.

Bentley receives notable invite

Oklahoma quarterback prospect Bowe Bentley is one of 20 quarterbacks from the Class of 2026 to receive an invite to Elite 11.

Elite 11, held in Los Angeles, is called “the nation’s premier quarterback competition” and offers on-field competition, classroom learning and one-on-one coaching.

The Sooners offered Bentley, from Celina, TX, on Jan. 24. They have one quarterback commitment in the 2026 class already in Mustang’s Jaden O’Neal, who pledged with OU in June 2024.

Hayes Fawcett of On3 previously reported that Bentley is down to his top two schools: Oklahoma and LSU.

Bentley compiled 3,211 passing yards, 47 touchdowns and just seven interceptions as a junior in 2024.

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