All Sooners

Oklahoma Lands Second Defensive Commit of the Week in Jakore Smith

The Sooners brought in their first defensive pledge just two days ago in DB Niko Jandreau, and now Brent Venables has a linebacker to work with.

John E. Hoover

Oklahoma linebacker commit Jakore Smith
Oklahoma linebacker commit Jakore Smith / Jakore Smith via Twitter

Brent Venables is getting some things done.

Oklahoma’s defensive-minded head coach landed his second defensive recruit of the week on Thursday night when 4-star linebacker Jakore Smith committed to the Sooners.

Smith is a 6-foot, 190-pound linebacker from Little Rock, where he played three seasons at Parkview Magnet High School, before transferring to Bryant High School in Bryant, AR.

He chose OU over offers from Arkansas, Nebraska, Kansas State, Alabama, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Mississippi State, Missouri, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas A&M, among others.

According to Smith’s 247Sports profile, he is the No. 18 linebacker in the nation and the No. 4 prospect out of Arkansas.  Using the 247Sports Composite ratings, he’s the No. 25 linebacker in the country.

He’s the sixth verbal commitment in the 2026 class and just the second defensive player, joining safety Niko Jandreau, who committed to OU on Tuesday night.

Smith has visited OU twice in recent weeks and has already built a bond with new linebackers coach Nate Dreiling, who has now landed his first commitment as a Sooner recruiter.

Smith told OUInsider.com that Dreiling came by his high school last week and said, “He and Coach Venables have a lot of energy.”

Previously, Smith played at Bryant with defensive back Omarion Robinson, who’s now a Sooner freshman, which he told OU Insider was a factor in his recruiting.

Smith attended the Crimson Combine on April 12, and also scheduled his official visit for June 6-8 for the ChampU BBQ.

feed

Published
John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

Home/Sooners Recruiting