Oklahoma Just Made A Big Impression In A Crucial In-State Battle

Oklahoma's impressive home opener not only secured a shutout victory but also left a lasting impact on the state's top high school recruit, Kamieon Compton-Nero.

Oklahoma’s Friday night opener didn’t just end with a 51-0 wipeout of UTEP. It also gave the Sooners a chance to make another impression on one of the state’s biggest 2028 prospects.

Kamieon Compton-Nero, the No. 1 athlete in Oklahoma’s 2028 class, made the trip to Norman anyway despite the usual Friday-night recruiting conflict that comes with high school football. The concern had been that a home game under the lights would keep recruits away.

Instead, Compton-Nero was there to see No. 10 Oklahoma roll, and he came away with a strong takeaway from the visit.

On social media, Compton-Nero said the Oklahoma staff and support people made him feel at home during the visit. He posted a video of himself walking the field with OU General Manager Jim Nagy while the Sooners warmed up, along with a photo alongside head coach Brent Venables and safeties coach Brandon Hall.

“Great time in Norman seeing (Oklahoma football) dominate last night.” Compton-Nero wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Grateful for all the time with (Coach Brent Venables, Coach Brandon Hall, Jim Nagy, Molly Jacoby) making me feel at home and continuing to show me how OU is a great fit for me to make an immediate impact and continue my development on and off the field.”

Compton-Nero has the kind of profile that keeps a lot of programs involved. The Owasso High School standout is a consensus top-100 recruit nationally, ranked No. 53 by 247Sports, No. 52 by Rivals and No. 36 by ESPN. He’s a four-star prospect with 20 Power Four offers, including 11 from SEC and Big Ten schools, plus Notre Dame.

At 6-foot-3 and 187 pounds, Compton-Nero has been used all over the field. Last season, he played safety and quarterback for Rejoice Christian and helped lead the team to a Class A-I state title with current OU freshman wide receiver Xavier Okwufulueze. He transferred to Owasso in the offseason and now mainly works at safety and wide receiver, with Oklahoma recruiting him as a safety.

The Sooners also have some momentum in this recruitment. Compton-Nero has already been to Norman several times, and his relationship with the staff appears to keep getting stronger. On3’s Steve Wiltfong, Sam Spiegelman and Josh McCuistion have all projected him to end up at Oklahoma when he makes his decision.

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Hollywood Smothers going the other direction only sharpens that feeling for Sooners fans, because these swaps turn a familiar rivalry into something more personal on both sidelines. Steve Sarkisians acknowledgment that some departures were made to create room for new transfers only underscores how modern roster building now bleeds into one of college footballs most traditional games, making the next Red River showdown feel even more charged. [Read more 🡒]

Oklahoma Transfer LB Is Earning Praise Before A Very Personal Test

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Now comes a much more personal matchup. Sullivan is getting ready to face Michigan, the program he transferred from, and the Sooners will be watching to see how he handles a game that carries more meaning than the average nonconference date. He has been backing up at middle linebacker while fitting smoothly into Oklahomas defense, but this one gives him a chance to show how far he has come since leaving Ann Arbor. [Read more 🡒]