Sooners are scheduled to visit with a big-time 2027 recruit they’re pushing heavily for while becoming one of the biggest threats to land another one
The Oklahoma Sooners are trying to get two big-time recruits in the 2027 class.
Jim Nagy and the Oklahoma Sooners are now, just about, fully focused on the 2027 recruiting class. This will be Nagy’s first full cycle, as he joined the Sooners in the middle of this last cycle. So, in many ways, we have yet to see what he’s really capable of.
Some fans will read that and make an aggravated or annoyed noise aloud to themselves. And that’s fine. I get it — losing Davian Groce to the Florida Gators after he was predicted to land with the Sooners for the entire offseason would make some fans lose some confidence in their new general manager.
Then there are rumors that Oklahoma just got outbid, and I’m not sure that is really the case either. Regardless, they bounced back with a recruiting win over Texas, grabbing Jake Kreul, who had three sacks on Thursday night to start the 2025 high school football season at IMG Academy.
Now, they’re trying hard to get two recruits they have been wanting for some time. The first one, just so happens to be a defensive player, a common theme for Brent Venables and his staff as of late.
Sooners are trying to get 2027 defender Taven Epps
The Oklahoma Sooners are trying to get a four-star edge rusher for their 2027 class. Taven Epps has some insane potential, especially considering his age and how much more he will grow. And so far, the Sooners are pushing for him very hard.
“They’re recruiting me heavily,” Epps told On3. “They’re trying to get me over there. Coach Stacey, I’m really close to him because he was at UCLA, and now he’s at Oklahoma, so he told everybody at Oklahoma, I’m really close with this kid and they all want me to go over there. Even the offensive coaches are recruiting me. It’s a big thing. Me and (Ford) have a really good connection. It’s like he was my coach, and he went to OU, and they’re all trying to get me.”
Epps would be the fourth edge rusher added in the last two classes, with the 2026 class having three in Daniel Norman, Jake Kreul, and Matthew Nelson. That’s a very strong group at that position, and potentially adding Epps would make it even better for the future of that defense.
Plus, on the other side of the ball, the Sooners seem to be a huge threat to getting an elite quarterback.
Sooners top threat to landing Peyton Houston
The Sooners have been keeping tabs on Houston for a while now, especially when he broke the high school record for passing yards in a game with 817. Houston is the real deal, and the Sooners want him.
But he seems to be a kid who is very interested in what USC can offer him. The Sooners are the biggest threat to pull him away from Lincoln Riley’s new school.
USC is well-positioned with the very coveted four-star 2027 passer Peyton Houston out of Shreveport (La.) Evangel… LSU, Oklahoma, and Texas are also still swinging away. Milwee delivered Houston’s first offer and was first to make contact on June 15. Ben Arbuckle hit the ground running with Houston after arriving in Norman. We anticipate a decision sometime during his junior season. – On3, Sam Spiegelman
The Oklahoma Sooners may end up needing a quarterback by that time, with John Mateer potentially being in the NFL, and Michael Hawkins on his way to being an older guy in college. And, we don’t really know what Bowe Bentley is yet. Houston, if they could snag him, is a kid who has a ton of potential.
