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Oklahoma Loses Out on Local Commitment from 4-Star Wide Receiver

Mason James was strongly considering the Sooners, but the Washington Huskies came in and got the job done.
John Hoover|
Norman North's Mason James scores a touchdown in front of Edmond Santa Fe's Franklin Sherrod during a high school football game between Edmond Santa Fe and Norman North in Edmond, Okla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.
Norman North's Mason James scores a touchdown in front of Edmond Santa Fe's Franklin Sherrod during a high school football game between Edmond Santa Fe and Norman North in Edmond, Okla., Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma fans always seem to want the Sooners to bring in more local talent.

It doesn’t get any more local than Mason James.

But instead of OU, James on Thursday pledged his verbal commitment to play for the Washington Huskies in 2026.

UW coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies pulled James out of Norman North High School, where he has developed into a 4-star prospect, according to 247Sports, and the No. 2-ranked player in the state of Oklahoma and the No. 25 wide receiver in the nation. Rivals also rates James as a 4-star prospect and the No. 2 player in the Sooner State, as well as the No. 31 wideout in the country.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound James announced his decision during a ceremony at his high school that was also streamed on YouTube.

James chose Washington after narrowing his list down to UW, OU, Missouri and Kansas State. He also had offers from Arizona State, Arizona, Arkansas, Cal, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M among his 29 total offers.

His main recruiters at OU were wideouts coach Emmett Jones and quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

At Norman North last year, James caught 56 passes for 1,234 yards and 17 touchdowns in 12 games. 

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John E. Hoover
JOHN 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.

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