Oklahoma’s 14-6 win over New Mexico on Saturday wasn’t a fireworks show, but the Sooners still made the most of the day. The victory pushed OU to 2-1, and it came with a sideline full of blue-chip recruits watching closely.
One of the biggest names on campus was consensus 4-star wide receiver Dedrick Kimbrough of Alabaster, Ala. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound prospect is ranked No. 196 overall and No. 29 among wide receivers in the Class of 2028 by 247Sports’ composite rankings. As a sophomore at Thompson High School, he put up 686 yards and five touchdowns on 43 catches.
Oklahoma has been building momentum with Kimbrough for weeks and has already picked up multiple expert predictions to land him. Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M, Florida and Notre Dame are also in the mix.
The Sooners also hosted another elite 2028 target in defensive lineman Kellan Hall. The Louisville, Ky., native is a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 overall prospect in the class, according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. Hall is listed at 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds.
This latest unofficial trip to Norman was only the newest stop in a steady run of visits for Hall. He worked at one of Brent Venables Football Camps during the summer after attending multiple OU games during the 2025 season. Oklahoma was also included in his top 12.
Linebacker Jay Schell made the trip as well, with his list now trimmed to just Clemson and Oklahoma, according to Chad Simmons of Rivals. The Rabun Gap, Ga., product is a consensus 4-star recruit and ranks No. 142 overall and No. 8 at linebacker in the Class of 2028 by 247Sports’ composite rankings.
He measured 77 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and three sacks during his sophomore season at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee High School in 2025. Schell had already taken a gameday visit to Clemson earlier in the month, and Saturday marked his final scheduled visit as he closes in on a decision.
Oklahoma also had a few 2027 commits on hand for the win: athlete Greydon Howell, defensive backs Mikhail McCreary and Trenton Blaylock, and defensive lineman Deven Robertson.
The weekend wasn’t just about hosting, either. OU handed out a fresh batch of offers, including one to Iowa offensive tackle Carter Barrett.
The 2028 lineman is a 4-star recruit across all major services and sits at No. 132 overall in 247Sports’ composite rankings. At 6-foot-6 and 305 pounds, Barrett already has offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Michigan and Tennessee.
The Sooners also extended an offer to athlete Mikhie Cruickshank of Fayetteville, N.C. The 5-foot-10, 176-pound prospect says he plays cornerback, running back and safety. He is unranked, but his offer list already includes Texas A&M, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia Tech.
OU dipped into the Class of 2029, too, offering running back William Green III. The Trophy Club, Texas, native is 5-foot-10 and 195 pounds, and despite still being a high school sophomore, he has already landed offers from Alabama, Ohio State, Oregon and several other major programs. Green is also the nephew of former OU wideout Mark Clayton, who later played in the NFL.
In Other News...
Brent Venables Just Turned Oklahoma's Offense Into A Bigger Problem
Oklahomas win over New Mexico did little to quiet the noise around the Sooners offense, and Brent Venables made sure of that afterward. The head coach was blunt in his assessment of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, saying the unit has to improve significantly after a sluggish showing that left plenty of frustration behind even in victory.
The tension has been building beyond the sideline, too, with fans chanting for Arbuckles firing during the game as the offense struggled to find a rhythm. Venables stopped short of offering any real backing for his coordinators current work, which only sharpened the focus on what Oklahoma expects to change next and how quickly it has to happen. [Read more 🡒]
John Mateer Didn't Hide Oklahoma's Biggest Offensive Concern
John Mateer didnt try to dodge the rough edges after Oklahomas win over New Mexico. The quarterback owned both interceptions, said his mistakes affected the teams performance and pointed back to the previous trip to Michigan as part of the emotional reset he had to make before moving forward. His faith, he said, helped him clear his head and get back to work, which fit the tone of a player who knows the standard in Norman leaves little room for self-protection.
Mateer also put his finger on a broader issue the Sooners still need to clean up: the running game. He said Oklahoma has to be better there and admitted he missed some run checks, a detail that matters because the offense cannot afford wasted chances if it wants to keep growing. For a team trying to stack cleaner performances, the candid part is easy enough to appreciate - the harder part is turning that self-scouting into a more consistent Saturday product. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma's Win Over New Mexico Raised A Bigger Concern Before Georgia
Oklahoma got the result it needed against New Mexico, but the performance did little to calm nerves around the Sooners. A 14-6 win sounds tidy enough on paper, yet the way it unfolded told a different story, with John Mateer throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions while the offense struggled to sustain drives.
David Stones late stop helped keep New Mexico from turning the afternoon into something worse, but the bigger issue is what the Sooners showed on offense heading into Georgia. Even a missed field goal attempt late in the game drew boos from the crowd, a clear sign that the margin for error is shrinking fast as Oklahoma tries to sort out its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]