Sooners could steal a massively overlooked defender in their 2026 recruiting class away from the Alabama Crimson Tide
The Sooners are on fire for their 2026 class.
The last month has been pretty wild for the Oklahoma Sooners and their recruiting. Then again, it’s probably been wild for everyone in the college football universe, whether that’s good or bad. In OU’s 2026 recruiting class, they’ve seen their fair share of commits, decommits, and flips. Now, they have a chance to steal a recruit away from the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Sooners predicted to land 2026 edge rusher Malique’ Franklin
In their 2026 class, the Sooners have been flipping a ton of players. They’ve lost a few, notably DT T-Ron Richardson and WR Brayden Allen. They’ve landed more commitments and flips than they’ve lost guys, though.
Franklin is an edge rusher who’s currently committed to the Crimson Tide. He’s predicted to flip to Oklahoma at 60% confidence by Rivals’ Chad Simmons, which could significantly boost the team’s future. Securing him would be the Sooners’ fifth edge rusher in this class after they just landed Dane Bathurst last week.
Franklin is a three-star edge rusher who’s really overlooked. His size, athleticism, and tape suggest he should be rated higher than a three-star. He’s 6’6 at the edge rusher position, which is insane, honestly. He’s also 250 pounds, which is the prototypical NFL edge-rusher, and he leaves plenty of room to get stronger and build a bigger frame with an SEC training regimen.
Of the top-five teams Rivals predicts Franklin might choose, Oklahoma is the second furthest away. Franklin hails from Alabama, with the Tide being the closest team among the top five. The Ole Miss Rebels are another team in the running for Franklin. Securing the No. 19 player from Alabama would be a significant win for the Sooners and could influence other recruits in the region.
National Signing Day is set to kick off here in a few days, and the Sooners are due to have at least 24 kids sign, that is, if none of them flip. National Signing Day always gets crazy, so you really never know what’s going to happen.
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