Sunday Offering: Oklahoma in Contention for 4-star 2025 LB

The Sooners made the Top Four for one of the nation's top 2025 linebackers this week, continuing what has been a solid start to the upcoming recruiting class.

Already holding one of the top five recruiting classes in the 2025 cycle, Brent Venables and Oklahoma continued to make headway in the past week.

Even in the midst of preparing for the Sooners' spring football game, OU was able to stay in contention for one of the top linebackers in the country and extend offers to five other high school prospects.

With plenty of time left to continue building their next recruiting class, Oklahoma is off to a good start and seems to be in position to add to what is already a solid group.

On Wednesday, Chad Simmons of On3 reported that Oklahoma, Alabama, Missouri and Nebraska are "battling" for 4-star linebacker Dawson Merritt. Hailing from Blue Valley High School in Overland Park, KS, Merritt is rated the No. 61 overall player and No. 8 linebacker in the nation, according to 247Sports.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Merritt has racked up nearly 25 scholarship offers from schools around the country. In late November, the speedy linebacker visited Norman to see the Sooners take on TCU in OU's final regular season game of the 2023 campaign.

Merritt is the son of Kansas City Chiefs defensive backs coach Dave Merritt, who has been with the team for five seasons. Merritt has spent 23 seasons as an NFL coach after playing linebacker in the league for four years.

With Carl Albert (OK) linebacker Marcus James, Wagoner (OK) edge rusher Alexander Shieldnight, Lee's Summit North (MO) interior defensive lineman Ka'Mori Moore and Dr. Henry Wise (MD) defensive lineman Trent Wilson already on board in the upcoming cycle, adding Merritt would be a massive win on the recruiting trail for Zac Alley and company, strengthening the OU front seven in 2025.

Offers extended

On Monday, Oklahoma offered Port Arthur Memorial (TX) 4-star linebacker Tank King. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, King is rated the No. 70 overall player and No. 6 linebacker in the 2026 recruiting class, according to On3.

Also a standout baseball player, King holds offers from Notre Dame, Texas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Penn State and many others.

On Tuesday, the Sooners offered 4-star Lincoln-Way East (IL) quarterback Jonas Williams. A 6-foot-3, 205-pound sophomore, Williams is rated the No. 147 overall prospect and No. 9 quarterback in the 2026 class, per On3.

OU is the latest school to offer the Frankfort, IL, product, following in the footsteps of LSU, Oregon, Ohio State and many other programs.

The following day, Seth Littrell and company offered Queen Creek (AZ) quarterback Tait Reynolds.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Reynolds is rated the No. 236 overall prospect and No. 19 quarterback in the 2026 cycle, according to On3. Like King, Reynolds is also a standout on the diamond and is currently committed to Arizona State to play baseball.

The two-sport star also holds offers from Tennessee, Florida State, Utah and others.

At the Sooners' spring game on Saturday, Venables and company handed out two more offers. First, Oklahoma offered 3-star 2026 offensive tackle Maxwell Robinson, from Derby, KS.

Later in the day, 4-star Skyridge (UT) offensive lineman Darius Afalava picked up an offer from the Sooners.

Listed at 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds, Afalava is rated the No. 199 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, according to Rivals.