Oklahoma appears to be making a real push for one of Oregon’s top safety targets.
Class of 2028 four-star safety Jordan Hicks, a Mission Viejo High standout, had been trending toward the Ducks after placing Oregon in his top eight before the weekend of July 18. But the picture shifted at the South County Classic in Mission Viejo, one of the final California 7-on-7 tournaments of the summer.
National recruiting analyst Adam Gorney was there and noticed Hicks showing clear Oklahoma leanings.
"Hicks was wearing an OU arm band and red Oklahoma cleats. A source close to Hicks said the Sooners are definitely talked about a lot by him - along with the Ducks - and that could be a good tell on which programs are standing out a little more," Gorney wrote.
Hicks’ top eight also includes USC, UCLA, Alabama, Miami, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M, but the recruiting battle now feels like it could narrow to Oregon and Oklahoma.
Oregon still has plenty to sell. The Ducks can point to their safety pipeline to the NFL, starting with Dillon Thieneman, who became the program’s first-ever first-round selection at safety in April.
Before him, Jevon Holland went to the Miami Dolphins as Oregon’s most recent highest-drafted safety in 2021. Patrick Chung arrived in the NFL as a second-round pick in 2009 and went on to win three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots.
Deommodore Lenoir also came through Eugene, even if his path included time at both cornerback and safety before settling in at corner.
There’s also the depth chart angle. Projected Oregon safety starters for 2026, Koi Perich and Aaron Flowers, will be eligible for the 2028 NFL Draft, which gives the Ducks another reason to push hard for Hicks now.
Then there’s the California connection. Oregon has long worked the Golden State well, and Mission Viejo and Orange County fit that pattern. The Ducks have already landed Nick Reed and Brenden Schooler out of Mission Viejo High, and Dan Lanning’s staff also signed three-star interior offensive lineman Lex Mailangi from Mater Dei in Santa Ana for the 2027 class.
Oklahoma, though, has its own California footprint. Four-star linebacker Taven Epps, a Tustin product, is already committed to the Sooners, a reminder that OU is comfortable winning battles in Orange County too.
At this point, the deciding factor may be simple: which staff stays on Hicks the hardest. The school that keeps the most contact with him, and keeps making trips to Mission Viejo, could end up with the edge.
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Oklahoma Is Suddenly Making USC Sweat For Elite California Safety
Jordan Hicks has already put USC in his top eight, which is no small thing for the Trojans as they work to keep elite Southern California talent close to home. But the Mission Viejo safety is drawing plenty of attention beyond Los Angeles, and Oklahoma has emerged as a legitimate challenger in a recruitment that still feels wide open. With the Sooners making a push for the 2028 class, this is the kind of battle that can shift quickly once a prospect starts narrowing his list.
What makes Oklahoma so interesting here is the way it fits the moment for USC as much as it does for Hicks. The Trojans are set to replace several senior safeties, and a new defensive coordinator with a strong reputation for developing defensive backs should help their pitch. Even so, the fact that Hicks keeps coming up around Oklahoma suggests the Sooners have more than just a token shot at landing one of the regions more coveted defensive backs. [Read more 🡒]
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One name drawing attention in that search is Lloyd Avant, whose spring work caught the eye of ESPN analyst Dusty Dvoracek. Avant is still trying to sort out his place in a crowded backfield, but the buzz around him suggests Oklahoma may have a less obvious answer in the mix as fall camp approaches. If he can carry that momentum forward, the Sooners could have a fresh wrinkle in a run game that badly needs one. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Entered A Huge Early Battle It Rarely Wins
Oklahomas latest recruiting push reached well beyond its usual footprint, as the Sooners extended offers to a pair of young prospects in Ohio and South Carolina. The move fits a broader effort to keep widening the map while the program tries to stay in the mix for high-end talent from places it does not always win often.
The more interesting part is the company Oklahoma is keeping in those battles. One target already has a crowded list of major suitors, while the other is an even earlier evaluation with Power Four attention starting to pile up. For a program trying to build momentum in non-traditional areas, landing either one would matter, but the real test is whether the Sooners can turn these early offers into something more when the competition gets serious. [Read more 🡒]