Sooners head coach Brent Venables couldn’t have been more relieved when one 2026 signee stayed loyal and didn’t flip
Brent Venables and the Sooners wanted 2026 tight end Tyler Ruxer badly.
The Oklahoma Sooners had a very successful close to their 2026 recruiting class. National Signing Day saw them bring in all 24 commits, with none flipping at the last second. They got every guy they wanted, and they got some of the more underrated players in the entire country. The star ratings don’t matter to the Sooners – they go off tape, character, and fit.
That’s why Tyler Ruxer, the four-star tight end, was a guy the Sooners desperately wanted in this cycle. Not only are all the measurable attributes there, but the talents are there. Most importantly, he fits. When I say the Sooners really wanted him, they really wanted him. And, man, head coach Brent Venables couldn’t have been more relieved to have landed him.
Brent Venables is thankful the Sooners landed Ruxer
“Tyler Ruxer, a guy we found later in the process, and thank god we did,” Venables told reporters during the National Signing Day press conference. “He doesn’t leave the field. [He has] Great ball skills. [We are] Thankful for his loyalty, along with everyone else.”
The Sooners’ worst position group, maybe on the entire team, but definitely on offense, is the tight end room. We knew they wanted to attack the position in the 2026 class, and they did. They got Ruxer, but also Ryder Mix.
Ruxer is 6’4, 230 pounds, and played a ton of different positions in high school. He’s a guy who played a bit of defense in the secondary throughout his high school career, so he understands how defenses would play him. And, he’s run track in the past. He’s fast, even at his size and position. The Sooners really wanted him for a reason, and they’re more than glad he stayed loyal and didn’t flip.
Oklahoma can’t really miss on the tight end position again. They cannot have a linebacker switch to tight end and become their best tight end again. So, Ruxer has to be the guy to hit, and they think he will.
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