Jim Nagy’s arrival has Oklahoma positioned to land one of its best recruiting classes of the century, and the numbers already back it up.
With Early National Signing Day still months away, the Sooners’ 2027 class sits at 27 commitments and checks in at No. 5 in 247Sports’ team rankings. Oklahoma opened the cycle flying, spending a stretch at No. 1 or No. 2 nationally before other programs ramped up and nudged the Sooners down a few spots.
That class is also the third one directly tied to Brent Venables with at least 25 commitments, another sign that Oklahoma’s recruiting operation is humming.
A big reason for the surge has been the addition of Jim Nagy as football general manager in February 2025. Oklahoma was one of the first programs to build out a general manager role, and it appears to have paid off with a strong fit. Nagy spent several interviews at SEC Media Days last week laying out what the Sooners want in this cycle.
"You just gotta find guys that are about the right stuff," Nagy told On3's J.D. PicKell. "The money part (for NIL), we're gonna be competitive, but they gotta buy into what we're about, and that's the culture and the brotherhood and being developed and understanding guys that we recruit to Oklahoma should have NFL futures if they come in, if they put in the work, they allow themselves to be developed.
"Sunday money is always going to trump Saturday money."
That philosophy is showing up in the class Oklahoma has assembled so far. The Sooners have 16 top-10 recruiting classes since 2000, according to the 247Sports Composite, with 10 coming under Bob Stoops, four under Lincoln Riley and two under Venables.
Oklahoma’s highest-rated class of the century came in 2005, when a 21-player group ranked No. 3 nationally. That class featured wide receivers Malcolm Kelly and Juaquin Iglesias, linebacker Curtis Loftin, defensive lineman Demarcus Granger, defensive ends C.J. Ah Yu and Austin English, and defensive back Nic Harris.
The Sooners have also finished with the nation’s fifth-ranked class three times this century - in 2001, 2010 and 2023. Two of those belonged to Stoops, while the 2023 class came under Venables.
Over the last 26 seasons, Oklahoma’s average recruiting class has ranked 11th nationally.
This 2027 group is loaded at the top, too. It includes two five-star prospects in Oklahoma cornerback Gabriel Osborne Jr. and Oklahoma offensive tackle Kaeden Penny, plus 10 four-stars, according to 247Sports. The class is split nearly evenly with 13 commitments on offense and 14 on defense.
In Other News...
Oklahoma Just Got A Huge New Roster Question This Offseason
A federal judges latest ruling could create an unexpected layer of uncertainty around Oklahomas offseason roster, opening the door for some players to pursue a fifth college season even after exhausting four years of eligibility. The decision applies to athletes from the 2022 recruiting class and arrives despite the NCAAs planned five-in-five rule, which was not supposed to take effect until the 2027 recruiting class, giving programs across the country another potential round of roster movement to monitor.
For the Sooners, the issue is especially notable because several players on the 2025 roster could fall into that window and suddenly have a choice to make after the 2026 NFL Draft. If any of those players decide college is still the better move, Oklahoma could be dealing with a fresh wave of roster decisions well after the usual offseason business is supposed to be settled. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Enters Camp With One Huge Question Up Front
Fall camp is about to open for Oklahoma, and with Brent Venables heading into his fifth year, the Sooners still have a familiar source of intrigue up front. The defensive tackle room has been reshaped by NFL departures, graduation and transfers, but Jayden Jackson and David Stone are back as the anchors, giving Todd Bates at least a proven starting point in a unit that was among the better-regarded parts of the defense a year ago.
What comes next is the real test, because the Sooners need that group to hold up after losing so much experience. Oklahoma has blended in transfers and freshmen to help fill the gaps, and the early weeks of camp will go a long way toward showing whether the new-look interior line can match the standard the program expects, or whether this becomes the kind of spot that takes time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas 2026 Offense Hinges On One Long Awaited Change
Fall camp has arrived in Norman, and with it comes a familiar offseason priority for the Sooners: making the run game and offensive line sturdier before the 2026 season gets underway. Oklahoma has spent the buildup adding experience on both fronts, bringing in offensive lineman EMarion Harris and running backs coach Deland McCullough as part of a broader push to add physicality and depth. The goal is clear enough, even if the work is just getting started, with the opener against UTEP serving as the first chance to see whether the changes are showing up where they matter most.
For Oklahoma, this is about more than just shoring up one phase of the offense. The Sooners have returning players mixed with new additions, and the challenge now is turning that blend into a line and backfield that can hold up over a full season. The identity they are chasing is a more dependable, more physical attack, and fall camp will reveal how close they are to getting it before the spotlight tightens in September. [Read more 🡒]