Oklahoma Lands Surprise Commitment from CB LeBron Bauer to Round Out 2026 Class
National Signing Day doesn’t carry quite the same weight it once did-thanks to the Early Signing Period in December-but that didn’t stop Oklahoma from making a little noise on the first Wednesday of February. The Sooners may have already locked in the bulk of their 2026 class, but they still had one more trick up their sleeve.
Late Tuesday night, OU general manager Jim Nagy dropped a cryptic teaser on social media, hinting that the Sooners weren’t quite done building their incoming class. Less than 12 hours later, the mystery was solved: three-star cornerback LeBron Bauer out of Allen High School in Texas announced his commitment to Oklahoma.
The twist? Bauer didn’t even have a reported offer from OU before making his pledge public.
Bauer's Commitment Comes Out of Nowhere
“Bout to add a dawg to @OU_Football 2026 recruiting class tomorrow... #Team132,” Nagy posted on X.
Bauer followed up with a post of his own: “This news tomorrow is going to shock the world 👀. I’ll be releasing my commitment at 9am.”
And sure enough, at 9 a.m. sharp, the surprise was revealed.
Bauer isn’t a household name-yet. He’s a consensus three-star prospect and the No. 232 cornerback in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite.
But don’t let the ranking fool you. The kid can play.
He had a standout senior season at Allen, racking up 50 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, six interceptions, and eight pass breakups. That’s production you can’t ignore, especially in a program as competitive as Allen’s.
Evaluating the Fit
At 5-foot-11, Bauer brings solid size and a nose for the football. His ball skills jump off the stat sheet-six picks and eight breakups in one season speak to both instincts and execution. While he may not have had a long list of Power Four offers-Arizona was the only other one-he’s clearly a player who made the most of his opportunities.
His other offers came from programs like Nevada, San Diego State, Oregon State, Boise State, Stephen F. Austin, and New Mexico.
Of those, New Mexico was the only school he reportedly visited officially. That makes his commitment to Oklahoma even more intriguing.
It’s rare to see a player jump to a program of OU’s caliber without a public offer or visit, but it speaks volumes about the mutual confidence between Bauer and the Sooners’ staff.
Wrapping Up the 2026 Class
Bauer looks to be the final piece of Oklahoma’s 2026 puzzle. The Sooners signed 24 players during the Early Signing Period, including four-star cornerback Derrick Johnson II. Most of those signees are already on campus and gearing up for spring practices.
With Bauer in the fold, Oklahoma’s class holds steady as the No. 15 group in the nation and the seventh-best in the SEC, according to the 247Sports Composite. That’s a strong haul as the Sooners continue building toward their future in college football’s toughest conference.
Bauer may not have been the headline name fans expected on Signing Day, but sometimes it’s the under-the-radar additions that end up making the biggest impact. And if his high school tape is any indication, the Sooners may have just added a hidden gem to their secondary.