Oklahoma Sooners predicted to beat out family legacy school, other SEC powerhouses for elite blue chip defender who will sit atop their class

There isn't a school hotter on the recruiting trail right now than the Oklahoma Sooners, who have stacked over a dozen commitments in the last month to their growing class of 2026.  Even with all of those commitments, including the addition of elite quarterback Bowe Bentley, the Sooners don't have a ton of blue-chip prospects […]

AJ Schulte — College Football Trending News Writer

Jun 24, 2025 9:39 PM EDT

There isn't a school hotter on the recruiting trail right now than the Oklahoma Sooners, who have stacked over a dozen commitments in the last month to their growing class of 2026. 

Even with all of those commitments, including the addition of elite quarterback Bowe Bentley, the Sooners don't have a ton of blue-chip prospects in their recruiting class, with just three four-stars (according to 247Sports). However, the latest prediction from On3's Steve Wiltfong might change that, and give the Sooners their top-ranked recruit in the entire class.

"IMG Academy edge rusher Jake Kreul said upon arrival that four schools have separated from the pack in Florida, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, and Texas. After talking to a source with knowledge of the recruitment, the Sooners still look like they’re the one setting the pace. With that, I’ve logged an On3 RPM in favor of Brent Venables and company. The On3 Industry tabs Kreul as the nation’s No. 7 edge and No. 37 prospect overall. He is a top target for Oklahoma. The Sooners currently sit on the country’s 21st-ranked recruiting class."

I wrote in my recruiting piece yesterday that I felt good with where the Sooners sat in his recruitment. Kreul and defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis have built a tremendous relationship, and Kreul's visit over the weekend sounds like it went off without a hitch. 

Now, the Sooners are poised to add one of their highest-ranked defensive recruits in recent memory. Kreul would be their second-highest "EDGE" recruit of the last five years, behind only PJ Adebawore. 

Kreul is the Sooners' top defensive priority, and they view him as a player they can build the future of their defense around. With R Mason Thomas, Marvin Jones Jr., and potentially PJ Adebawore all gearing up to (likely) enter the NFL Draft in the coming years, Oklahoma needs to find their pass rushers of the future. 

What makes this recruitment so interesting is that Kreul is a legacy product of the Florida Gators, as his father graduated from there, and he is a hometown recruit. Evidently, that hasn't been enough to gain ground on the Sooners. 

For the class of 2026, Kreul would be the Sooners' third edge rusher to commit, joining four-star Daniel Norman and three-star Matthew Nelson. He would also be their third recruit from the Sunshine State in the class, as the Sooners slowly but surely start breaking into the pipeline of talent from Florida.

While nothing in recruiting is ever a certainty, this has been trending pretty strongly for a while, and his decision should come fairly soon.

Predicting the next Oklahoma Sooners 2026 commits after major recruiting event over the weekend

The Oklahoma Sooners just hosted one of their biggest recruiting events of the offseason, bringing in several of their top targets in the 2026 recruiting class for their annual Champ U BBQ.  With such a vast swath of talent coming in, the campus was buzzing.  Which 2026 recruits could the Oklahoma Sooners bring in next? […]