Oklahoma's Pursuit of West Coast RB Soars After 'Future Freaks' Visit

It has been a meteoric rise through the early parts of the recruiting process for class of 2027 running back Jaxsen Stokes.

Recruiting interest in Stokes steadily rose throughout the season as he gained offers from programs like Tennessee, Arizona State and Penn State before he official received an offer from Oklahoma on Jan. 21. The mutual interest between him and OU grew to the point he attended last weekend's "Future Freaks" recruiting event in Norman.

Stokes knows there's still a lot of time before he has to make a decision, so he is just enjoying the process as a whole right now.

"It is a blessing getting this attention from these programs but I know I still have a lot of work to do to make a decision," Stokes told Sooners on SI.

Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, CA — the school that has become a household name as the alma mater for names like Bryce and Bronny James — has a new star on the gridiron who is extremely high on Brent Venables and DeMarco Murray's radar.

The blue-chip running back stands only 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, but what he doesn't necessarily have in stature he makes up for in speed and playmaking ability. The sophomore ended the 2024 season with nearly 900 all-purpose yards and 10 touchdowns.

Had a great time in Norman! ⭕️#BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/gCzlKhwPfk
— Jaxsen Stokes 27’ (@JaxsenStokes) March 9, 2025

"For Sooner fans that may not know me, I am a hard-working player and individual," he said. "I am willing to do whatever for the team to get better."

The connection Stokes has with Murray was strong from the moment he started getting recruited by the Sooners. Murray has had a major part in Stokes' recruitment to Oklahoma.

"When I first got offered by Oklahoma it felt amazing because at that time I had never had a position coach offer me in person," Stokes said.

"Coach Murray is a players' coach who isn't just there for the program, but he is a coach that wants to put his players in the best position to succeed," Stokes added.

Making the trip from California to Oklahoma can sometimes be a culture shock and that was one of the things that Stokes was most interested to see before his visit.

"I was most looking forward to seeing what the culture was like and how the coaches interacted with the players," he said. "I also wanted to (see the) city and everything outside of football."

As soon as the Sooners sent him the scholarship offer, there was interest from both parties. Stokes was intrigued by some of the traditions that make Oklahoma what it is.

"One of the things that made OU so interesting for me was the traditions and their talent development," he said. "(Hundreds) of greats have come through the program and they have built the program into what it is today."

While on campus, Stokes and other visitors got to experience a day in the life of what the current members of the team experience on a daily basis.

"Sitting in the running backs meetings, just listening to what Coach Murray was saying to his running backs, made me feel like I was just one of the guys trying to get better," he said.

They also got to spend time with current players see what a practice day is like for the Sooners.

"It felt like they were practicing for a College Football Playoff game and it was only their second practice of the spring," Stokes said. "Their energy and intensity was amazing. It was amazing hearing the players talk about why they came to OU. A lot of them talked about how it is a place that truly cares about you and how they have all the tools to succeed."

Stokes still has two more years remaining before he makes the jump to the college level, and he acknowledges he still has plenty of things to improve on.

"I think the biggest thing I could improve on is maybe adding a spin move or other tools like that which will help my game," he said. "I also believe watching more film and analyzing the game more will make me a complete player."