Oklahoma’s 2027 high school football class is shaping up to be something the state doesn’t see very often.
At the center of it are three Sooners commits who have pushed OU’s recruiting haul into the national top tier: Fort Gibson offensive lineman Cooper Hackett, Mustang cornerback Gabriel Osborne Jr. and Bixby offensive lineman Kaeden Penny. Both Rivals and 247Sports have the Sooners’ class sitting sixth, and the in-state talent attached to it is the big reason why.
The headliners keep changing as the rankings move, but the theme is the same: Oklahoma has real star power in this group. Rivals lists Hackett and Osborne as five-stars, while 247Sports has Osborne and Penny in that elite tier. Osborne’s rise came Monday, when he was bumped from four stars to five by Rivals.
That kind of in-state five-star traffic is almost unheard of. According to Rivals’ industry rankings, Booker T.
Washington’s Dax Hill, who went to Michigan, was the last five-star prospect from Oklahoma, back in the 2019 class. Before him, Westmoore’s Brey Walker was a five-star in 2018, followed by the late Austin Box of Enid in 2007 and Southeast’s Gerald McCoy in 2006.
Rivals’ database doesn’t go back any further, but even with that limited history, two Oklahoma five-stars in one class would be a first.
247Sports shows one other year with that kind of depth. In its database, Walker and Midwest City’s Jalen Redmond were both five-stars in 2018.
For OU, the message is clear: Brent Venables and his staff are doing a strong job of landing elite talent close to home.
In Other News...
Sooners Commit Cooper Hackett Is Suddenly At Center Of Recruiting Divide
Cooper Hacketts name is suddenly sitting at the center of a recruiting split, and for Oklahoma that makes him one of the more interesting commits in the 2027 class. Rivals kept the Fort Gibson offensive tackle in five-star territory, slotting him among the elite prospects in the country, while other services have taken a more cautious view as the offseason unfolds. For the Sooners, it is the kind of evaluation debate that can follow a high-upside lineman when the tape is still being weighed against long-term projection.
The tension around Hackett comes from how much his current standing is tied to what evaluators think he can become once he is fully healthy again. His talent and potential remain highly regarded, but the injury news has clearly influenced where he lands in the rankings conversation, and that leaves Oklahoma with a commitment whose ceiling is obvious even if the present-day picture is less settled. For a program building its future up front, the disagreement only adds to the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahomas SEC Media Day Group Includes One Choice Fans Will Notice
Oklahomas trip to SEC Media Day on July 20 in Tampa will feature the kind of mix that usually tells you a little something about where a program thinks it is headed. Brent Venables will be joined by quarterback John Mateer, defensive end Taylor Wein and offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis, giving the Sooners a four-man group that blends the face of the program with a few players who have helped shape the rosters next layer.
Mateer has already been through this stage before, but Wein and Pierre-Louis are set for their first appearances, which adds a fresh angle to Oklahomas day in front of the league. The Sooners have plenty to talk about after recent performances from those players and with the new season approaching, and the media session should offer another snapshot of how Venables wants his team presented as it settles deeper into SEC life. [Read more 🡒]
Jim Nagy Is Already Shaping Big Decisions At Oklahoma
Jim Nagys arrival as Oklahomas general manager has already given the Sooners a different kind of voice in the room, one shaped by years of NFL scouting and personnel work. After 17 seasons evaluating talent for pro teams and a run as executive director of the Senior Bowl from 2018 to 2025, Nagy brings a perspective the program can lean on as players sort through the next steps in their careers.
That kind of guidance matters most when a decision is not just about the draft, but about timing, development and fit. Wide receiver Isaiah Sategna is among the players who have already benefited from those conversations, and Oklahoma appears to be getting the kind of front-office help that can influence both the roster in the short term and the programs long-term NFL pipeline. [Read more 🡒]