Oklahoma Sooners are not in the top five for one of the best class of 2028 recruits in the state despite already hosting him on a visit
The Oklahoma Sooners should be pushing hard for an elite in-state talent like four-star safety KJ Gaddis.
The Oklahoma Sooners are in the early stages of building their 2028 recruiting class, and one of the best in-state prospects in the country doesn’t appear interested. Safety KJ Gaddis, a 4-star recruit from Choctaw, Oklahoma, has yet to include OU in his top 3 or even his top 5 schools. For a program that has made significant strides in in-state recruiting under Brent Venables, this is a notable development worth monitoring.
Gaddis carries an 89.71 composite rating, making him a top-200 player nationally, the No. 16 safety in the country, and the No. 2 player in the state of Oklahoma. He’s 5’11, 170 pounds with great range, great speed, and really good ball skills. He’s the kind of prospect who could contribute in the SEC as early as his second year, maybe even his first if the cards fell in his favor.
Gaddis’ recruitment leans heavily toward Oklahoma State
According to Rivals, Gaddis’ top 5 breaks down as follows: Oklahoma State at No. 1, SMU at No. 2, TCU at No. 3, Kentucky at No. 4, and Iowa State at No. 5. Oklahoma State holds a 62.4% chance to land him, which should sting for the Sooners. An elite in-state talent at a premium position choosing the Cowboys over OU would be a tough pill to swallow.
Gaddis has taken one unofficial visit to Oklahoma, his second campus visit ever, coming right after a visit to Oklahoma State. Even after seeing Norman, the Sooners failed to crack his list of favorites. He does really like Oklahoma State and SMU, and both programs appear to be firmly ahead of OU at this point.
“I like the new staff a lot, and they show me a lot of love,” Gaddis told Rivals regarding Oklahoma State. “I like the game day atmosphere there. Being close to home would be cool. Being a hometown hero would be nice … I like the thought of it. They (SMU) have been in contact with my parents and me, really trying to build a relationship with us. I really like the bond with the coaches, and I like the connections that the school has outside of football.”
Venables has changed in-state recruiting, but this is a gap
The big one here is the context around what Venables has built in-state. When Lincoln Riley was the head coach, Oklahoma struggled to recruit the state well. Venables flipped that script over the last two years, and the results speak for themselves. The 2027 class features four of the top five players in Oklahoma committed to the Sooners. That’s a dramatic shift from where the program was.
So for Gaddis to be completely off OU’s radar, at least publicly, stands out. Now, we don’t know the full picture of the relationship between the Sooners’ staff and Gaddis. We don’t know how aggressively OU is pursuing him or how serious they are about this particular recruitment. But on the surface, a 4-star safety ranked No. 2 in the state not even listing the Sooners in his top 5 is a concern.
There’s still plenty of time for OU to make a move
The 2028 recruiting class doesn’t have to be finalized until Feb. 2028. Oklahoma currently has only one commit in quarterback Trey Tagliaferri. The Sooners are projected and predicted to land several players in this class, but none of those have materialized yet.
There is still time for plenty more visits and relationship-building. Gaddis is only going to fill into that frame even more over the next few years, and a player with his skill set would be a significant addition to any secondary in the country. OU has already had one visit go on the books. Whether the Sooners can build enough momentum to crack Gaddis’ list remains to be seen, but Oklahoma State and SMU currently hold a clear edge.
