Why Keldrid Ben’s Commentment Affirmation is Massive for Oklahoma

Keldrid Ben was a hidden gem when he pledged to the Sooners, and it appears that his commitment is firm.

Oklahoma running back commit Keldrid Ben and head coach Brent Venables pose for a photo. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Oklahoma fans might have been concerned about Keldrid Ben’s status within the Sooners’ 2027 class, but the running back prospect shredded all doubts on Friday.

Ben, a consensus 4-star recruit from Montgomery, TX, reaffirmed his commitment to Oklahoma on Friday on CBS Sports College Football’s YouTube channel. According to 247Sports, he narrowed his list of schools down to OU, Florida and Oregon before solidifying his pledge with the Sooners.

BREAKING: 4-star RB Keldrid Ben has reaffirmed his commitment to Oklahoma 🚨@KBEn26_ is the No. 14 RB in the 2027 class pic.twitter.com/uoKEy5cjMn

— 247Sports (@247Sports) July 10, 2026

Ben’s background

Ben was one of the greatest finds from OU general manager Jim Nagy and his staff for the 2027 cycle.

The Sooners offered Ben in November 2025. At that point, his only offers were from UTSA and McNeese State, and he was an unranked prospect.

Just days after receiving his offer, Ben attended the Sooners’ regular-season finale against LSU, which they won 17-13 on Nov. 29. And on Dec. 1, Ben committed to Oklahoma.

It’s somewhat perplexing that Ben was an unranked recruit and that he held only one Power Four offer when he committed. As a junior at Montgomery High School, Ben rushed for 1,560 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 10.3 yards per carry. He also caught 16 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns.

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Eventually, Ben got the national recognition he deserved.

The running back is now a consensus 4-star prospect. He is ranked as the No. 114 overall prospect and the No. 7 running back from the Class of 2027, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings.

And as a result of his blue-chip status and his commitment to OU, several schools attempted to get him to flip. Ben earned offers from Oregon, Texas, Florida State, Wisconsin, USC, Notre Dame and Florida during the first few months of 2026.

Why Ben’s recent decision is massive

Simply put, the Sooners couldn’t afford to lose Ben.

Ben is one of only two running backs committed to Oklahoma from the 2027 class, along with Jakoby Dixon of Brenham, TX. Chatsworth, CA, product Jaxsen Stokes flipped his pledge from Oklahoma to Cal in April, and Ben was the Sooners’ lone running back commit until Dixon committed on May 31.

Ben hasn’t put pen to paper yet, and he won’t until Early Signing Day in December. But the running back’s pledge now seems firm.

And as a result, OU’s run game has a strong foundation for the future.

The Sooners signed two blue-chip running backs — Jonathan Hatton Jr. and DeZephen Walker — as part of their 2026 recruiting class. Those two combined for 107 yards and two touchdowns during OU’s 2026 spring game and are expected to contribute to the Sooners’ rushing attack in the fall.

It wouldn’t have been doomsday if Ben decided to play elsewhere. But the Sooners have great positional stability because the running back decided to reaffirm his commitment.