Oklahoma Sooners break a surprisingly cold streak with latest commitment of talented specialist in 2026 recruiting class
The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a roll with building their recruiting class of 2026, with nine commitments in the last month, including elite quarterback Bowe Bentley. Make that ten commitments now, as the Sooners have added on their best kicker recruit in nearly a decade now, pulling in Texas native Trace Rudd. Rudd, a […]
The Oklahoma Sooners have been on a roll with building their recruiting class of 2026, with nine commitments in the last month, including elite quarterback Bowe Bentley.
Make that ten commitments now, as the Sooners have added on their best kicker recruit in nearly a decade now, pulling in Texas native Trace Rudd.
Rudd, a lefty kicker, is a five-star kicking prospect with one of the strongest legs in the 2026 class, boasting a 71-yard punt with a 3.98-second hangtime and has hit several field goals over 60+ yards. Left-footed kickers are something of a rarity, but the Sooners have had some strong success with lefty kickers in their history, with Tim Duncan and Trey DiCarlo sitting ninth and 13th in scoring in Oklahoma history.
What's interesting about his commitment is that this is the first time the Sooners have hosted a kicker on a visit since Austin Seibert back in 2015. That was when Bob Stoops was still the head coach of the Sooners (a time that feels like a lifetime ago). Seibert left the Sooners as their all-time leading scorer, a career Oklahoma would obviously love for Rudd to replicate.
This is a major win for Sooners' special teams coordinator Doug Deakin, who covets powerful legs and has a strong track record of development.
For Oklahoma, kicker was an area of emphasis that Brent Venables identified them needing to be better at. This played a major part of their pursuit of kicker Tate Sandell in the spring transfer portal. However, Sandell only has one year of eligibility left, leaving that spot completely open in the long term.
Rudd could be the Sooners' long-term solution there. They haven't had a strong, stable kicking situation since Seibert was drafted in 2019, with only one strong season from Gabe Brkic in the middle there.
Rudd is Oklahoma's 11th commit of the 2026 recruiting class, with plenty more on the way. For now, it's a welcome sign to see Venables prioritizing the lesser-known positions to help continue winning games.
Oklahoma Sooners projected to add standout local blue-chip defensive star to 2026 recruiting class who could be a long term building block
Things are starting to fall into place with the Oklahoma Sooners' recruiting class of 2026. With quarterback Bowe Bentley in place, the Sooners are setting a strong foundation for their recruiting class of 2026. One of those targets is local talent Tajh Overton, a four-star defensive tackle from Oklahoma. It seems like the Sooners are […]
