The Oklahoma Sooners’ 2027 recruiting class keeps stacking up national recognition, and on Monday that meant a big showing on the USA TODAY Sports High School All-American team.
Four Sooners pledges were honored ahead of their senior seasons, giving Oklahoma another spotlight moment for a class that already looks loaded from top to bottom. The group includes blue-chip talent on both sides of the ball, with names that have been sitting near the top of the national board for months.
On offense, Oklahoma is represented by 247Sports five-star offensive tackle Kaeden Penny of Bixby, Okla. He headlines the Sooners’ offensive haul in this latest round of honors.
Defensively, the class features Liberty Christian composite five-star linebacker Cooper Witten and five-star cornerback Gabriel Osborne out of Mustang. All three are viewed as top-60 prospects by both 247Sports and Rivals.
The Sooners also landed two third-team selections. Taven Epps, a four-star linebacker commit Oklahoma pulled out of Texas, earned that recognition, and five-star tight end Seneca Driver of Kentucky joined him on the third team.
Driver checks in as the No. 14 player in the class according to Rivals and the site’s top-ranked tight end. He was a major pickup for new Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten.
Oklahoma’s 2027 class is currently ranked No. 6 nationally by 247Sports and No. 4 by Rivals. Rivals lists the Sooners with three five-star prospects and 10 four-star prospects, along with the seventh-most blue-chip commitments in the country.
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Oklahomas push to fix its ground game has become one of the clearest priorities of the offseason after the Sooners finished near the bottom of the sport in rushing last year. A combination of new coaches, transfer additions and the return of Tory Blaylock and Xavier Robinson has given the room a different look, but the storyline around the position has started to center on a freshman who arrived with plenty of physical tools and has already drawn attention in camp.
Jonathan Hatton Jr. has stood out for his size and speed, traits that have made him an intriguing piece in a backfield still trying to establish its identity. The buzz around him has only grown after encouraging scrimmage work, and as Oklahoma searches for a more reliable running attack, the development of its youngest back could end up being one of the more important details to watch. [Read more 🡒]
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Redshirt junior Caleb Nitta looks like the next man up, while freshman Noah Best is also in the mix for the center job. However Oklahoma sorts out the spot, the timing is far from ideal with Michigan ahead on the schedule, and the Sooners now have to make the kind of adjustment teams usually hope to avoid until much later in the year. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Emerges In Key Transfer Battle Around Josh Hubbard
Tavion Banks has become one of the more interesting names on the transfer market for programs still looking to add a versatile piece, and Oklahoma is in the mix as his next stop takes shape. The Iowa guard-forward is not returning there, and his next season is now drawing interest from a group that also includes Gonzaga, LSU and Mississippi State, with each school offering a different path and a different kind of roster fit.
For the Sooners, the appeal is obvious enough: Banks brings a multi-position profile that can help fill needs as Oklahoma continues sorting out its backcourt and wing rotation. LSU and Mississippi State are being viewed as especially open doors because of the roles available, which makes this one worth watching closely as the competition for Banks narrows and the Sooners try to stay firmly in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
