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Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Makes Additions Through Transfer Portal, High School Recruiting

The Sooners' have had a solid week, earning commitments from a high school prospect and a talented transfer portal running back.
Randall Sweet|
Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Makes Additions Through Transfer Portal, High School Recruiting
Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Makes Additions Through Transfer Portal, High School Recruiting

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Oklahoma Sooners

With Oklahoma's current roster preparing to face Arizona in the Alamo Bowl later this month, Brent Venables and his staff are still hitting the recruiting trail.

In the last seven days, the Sooners have received two commitments and found themselves in the mix for another talented high school recruit. Additionally, OU extended two preferred walk-on offers to a pair of local high school football stars.

Even though Oklahoma's current team may not be in action, the Sooners' staff has been busy working behind the scenes to build the future roster.

Transfer portal

On Wednesday, Tennesse-Martin running back transfer Samuel Franklin announced that he will take his talents to Norman after three years with the Skyhawks. 

In 2023, Franklin ran for 1,386 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. The Little Rock, AR, product tallied a season-high 259 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Missouri State in September. 

Listed at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, Franklin will have the chance to earn carries in the OU backfield right away in 2024, as Tawee Walker, Daylan Smothers and Marcus Major all announced their intention to enter the transfer portal.

Franklin will battle with Gavin Sawchuk, who recorded 610 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2023 regular season, for the role as the Sooners' primary tailback.

In addition to Franklin, OU also extended an offer to former Oregon State defensive back Jermod McCoy. 

As a freshman this season, the 6-foot, 180-pound corner tallied 31 tackles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Since entering the transfer portal, McCoy has picked up offers from Tennessee, Florida, USC and others.

High school recruiting 

OU coaches spent most of the past week or so flying around the country visiting current commits as well as tons of high school prospects (as well as transfer prospects), and it paid off with big dividends in the 2024 class.

On Friday afternoon, Oklahoma earned a commitment from 4-star interior offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis. 

Hailing from Tampa Catholic (FL), the same high school as Sooners' freshman linebacker Lewis Carter, Pierre-Louis is rated the No. 28 players and the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the nation, according to Rivals. 

The 4-star prospect chose OU over Texas A&M, UCF, Miami and Oregon.

Pierre-Louis is Bill Bedenbaugh's fifth offensive line pledge in the 2024 class, joining Isaiah Autry, Eugene Brooks, Joshua Aisosa and Daniel Akinkunmi.

The Sooners also landed in the top 11 for 2025 4-star defensive lineman Julian Marks, who released his list earlier this week. 

The 6-7, 275-pound defender included OU alongside Michigan, Kansas, Alabama, USC, Oregon, Kansas State, Missouri, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Miami. Marks is rated the No. 108 overall player and the No. 12 defensive lineman in the 2025 class, according to On3. 

Oklahoma also extended preferred walk-on offers to two talented in-state prospects. 

On Tuesday, Heritage Hall (OK) offensive and defensive lineman Zavier Freeman announced on social media that he had received a PWO from the Sooners. Freeman is the younger brother of Sooners wide receiver Gavin Freeman and the son of former OU tight end Jason Freeman. 

Zavier, listed at 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds, would seemingly play on the defensive line if he ends up joining his older brother in Norman.

The day before Freeman announced his offer, Bixby (OK) offensive lineman Evan McClure revealed on social media that he also picked up a PWO from the Sooners. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 270 pounds, McClure holds Division I scholarship offers from Akron, Air Force and South Dakota.

The three-time state champion is the son of former Oklahoma offensive lineman Bruce McClure, who won the Don Key Award in 1997. 

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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